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South Asia
- vast triangle shaped peninsula
- referred to as the Indian subcontinent during the ancient period
- at present day it is composed of:
India Bhutan
Pakistan Sri Lanka
Bangladesh Nepal
Afghanistan Maldives
Indus land
- much larger compared to early Egypt and Mesopotamia
- encompassed a huge portion of northwest ancient India which is
now present day Pakistan
- there are about 1,000 cities that can be unearthed here, specifically
near the Indus River in Pakistan
- most of the settlements in the Indus Valley were small villages
fortified by defense structures and good roads
Indus River
- water from this river originates from the Himalayas in Tibet
- the water is 1000 miles long and flows through Kashmir to the
plains of Pakistan
- between June to September, the water overflows which creates a
favorable cultivation of the
land
- to prevent flooding they, constructed irrigation canals, dikes and
other similar structures
Trading
- Harappan farmers obtain metal, precious stones and lumber by
exchanging their products which included cotton, grains, turquoise,
ivory and textiles
- they also established ports in Arabian Sea and merchants traveled
along coasts onward to the Persian Gulf to exchange their goods
- several Harappan seals were discovered in Sumer. These seals had a
pictogram to identify goods that were being sold.
Other Information
- farming made irrigation important to then
- they also domesticated animals which included sheep, goats and
elephants
- highly probable that they were the first people to plant cotton and
weave clothes
- had a standard system of weights and measures for grains and gold
Theories include:
ecological factors such as massive deforestation, excessive
flooding and abrupt changes in climate
the result of an earthquake or volcanic eruption
the drying up of the Sarasvati River
the invasion of nomadic pastoral groups from Central Asia such
as the Aryans. There is no strong evidence for this theory.
- the theory based on the Aryans was created most likely because it is
their civilization which proceeded the Harappans
- the Aryans however, arrived when the Indues civilization had already
declined
Aryans
- scholars believed that they originated from the steppes of Asia west
of the Hindu Kush and eventually reached South Asia by way of the
narrow northwestern mountain passages
-were taller and lighter in complexion that the earlier settlers of the
Indus Valley
- Aryans proceeded west toward Europe and southeast onward to
Persia and India
- in these regions, Aryans brought their own language
Sanskrit
- the language the Aryans brought which became the classical
language of Indian culture
- origin of most Indo-European languages at present
- Hindi and Bengali originated from Indo-European
Arya
- a linguistic term
- over time, became a word used to indicate groups of people or race
- mean "great" or "pure" in Sanskrit language
Vedas
- this is where our present knowledge concerning the Aryan's
existence and dominance of northern parts if India came from
- is a collection of books on battle hymns, sacred rituals, sayings and
tales
- also includes descriptions concerning the Aryan way of life
- reason to why this period is known as the Vedic period
- Aryans brought their own gods who were mostly makes and warriors
and a culture dominated by males
- over the course of time, Aryan ways were integrated into the
goddesses and culture of ancient India
Hierarchy
- Early Aryan society was stratified into three classes:
noble warriors
priests
ordinary people
Warriors
- their task was to lead and run the everyday affairs of the society
Aryans society became more rigid over time
small empires were established while the position of leaders
eventually became hereditary in nature
Priests
- towards the end of the Vedic period, they began to wield more power
that the warrior class because of their teachings on various beliefs
became more important in society
- rituals and sacrifices also became essentials components that
prevent the destruction of order in the universe
Caste System
- began to emerge in India during the Vedic Period
- the term "caste" was first used by the Portuguese who arrived in
India in the 16th century
- derived from the word "casts which means "clan"
- the Caste System:
Brahmin or priests
Kshatriya or warriors
Vaisya or ordinary citizens like merchants, artisans and farmers
Sudra or Indians as well as children and descendants of Aryans
married to non-Aryans
Untouchables or Outcasts
- excluded from the Indian societal structure
- lowest level of society
- composed of people with the most unpleasant jobs in society
Establishment of an Empire
Aryans
-advanced eastward and settled in the northern portion of India and
were cultivating lands.
- their political structure transformed into larger states that made
them to collect taxes, organize troops and build new cities and roads.
Magadha Kuru
Kosala Ghandara
Magadha
Ganges River
- possessed iron mines, fertile soils, abundant forests and elephants
for farming and war.
Bimbisara
- controlled a large part of Ganges plains and entire northern India up
to Punjab.
- largest empire; capital is Pataliputra in modern-day Patna in Bihar
Persian Power
Ahimsa
Kingdom of Kushana
- Established by the Yuezhis
- Kushanas subdued northwest India and annexed this region.
3 Tamil kingdoms:
Chera west
Chola east
Pandya south
Dravidians able to develop their own culture and language
distinct from those in the northern region.
Gupta Empire
- Northern India was again unified under it
- classical period of India
3 Gupta leaders:
Chandragupta I
Samudragupta
Chandragupta II
Indus village
considered the earliest settlements to have undergone urban
planning.
- Streets in the early cities of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa follow a
grid-like pattern.
Early Indians
cleanliness and sanitation
Early settlers of Indus river-valley
calculating and measuring lengths, weights and time; standard
system of weights and measures; use of decimal system in this time;
knowledge of medicine and dentistry.
Indian epics:
Mahabharata
conflict between two related families
Panadava order and goodness
Kaurava disorder and wickedness;
Ramayana
life of Prince Rama how he saved his wife, Princess Sita from the evil
king, Ravana
Fables
- PanchatantraIn Europe, known as the Fables of Bidpai Governance
- Arthasastrapertaining to work or economy; Kautilya Ayurveda
- science of life; one important concept in medicine
Indian contributions
- mathematics
- value of pi Aryabhatta
Early Indians
- contributions in fields of astronomy, physics, chemistry, civil
engineering, navigations and boat building.
Structures:
Angkor Wat Cambodia
Borobudur Indonesia
Bodhisattvas Afghanistan
Khajuraho Taj Mahal in India