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Chapter 3: Ancient Indian Civilizations

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AIM: Why was the Gupta Empire known as the golden age of India? Do Now: Define Golden Age. If you don t know, look at the phrase and take an educated guess. – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Chapter 3: Ancient Indian Civilizations


1
AIM Why was the Gupta Empire known as the
golden age of India? Do Now Define Golden
Age. If you dont know, look at the phrase and
take an educated guess. HW Write a paragraph
explaining the at least one cultural and one
scientific accomplishment of the Untied States.
2
C3.5 Ancient Indian Life and CultureThe Story
Continues It is a day of festival. . . . the
streets arebroad rivers of people, folk of every
race,buying and selling in the marketplace
orsinging to the music of wandering minstrels.
This account recalls a day ofcelebration during
the Gupta Empire, an era in which Indian culture
andachievements flourished.
3
I. Economy and Society
  • While the highest classes in northern India
    enjoyed luxury, most people barely survived

4
I. Economy and Society
  • The rajas drew wealth from the farmers who worked
    the land and claimed one-fourth of each harvest

5
I. Economy and Society
  • In southern India many lived by trading, sending
    luxury goods to the Far East, SW Asia, Africa,
    and Europe

6
I. Economy and Society
  • Hindu women had few rights, were required to obey
    male relatives, and could not own property or
    study sacred writings

7
I. Economy and Society
  • Men could have more than one wife and polygyny
    became widespread

Polygamy and polyandry were prevalent In ancient
India, but it is doubtful whether they were ever
popular in the public opinion. It was practiced
mostly by the warrior castes and rich merchants.
Many Hindu gods are also depicted as polygamous,
with two or more wives. Present day Hindus
consider both polygamy and polyandry primitive
and archaic, remnants of an old society that
still haunt the lives of a few unfortunate
victims. In India Hindus acknowledge polygamy as
both illegal and immoral.
8
I. Economy and Society
  • In a practice called suttee, widows threw
    themselves on their husbands funeral pyres

Sati (or Suttee) is a rare Indian practice in
which a widow sacrifices her life by throwing
herself onto her deceased husbands funeral pyre.
It is not directly derived from or connected to
Hinduism, although spiritual beliefs play a large
part in its traditional observation
9
II. Cultural Achievements
  • The stories of the Panchatantra, or Five Books,
    were animal fables intended to instruct the sons
    of the royalty

One of India's most influential contributions to
world literature, the Panchatantra consists of
five books of animal fables and magic tales (some
87 stories in all) that were compiled between the
third and fifth centuries AD. It is believed that
even then the stories were already ancient. The
tales' self-proclaimed purpose is to educate the
sons of royalty.
10
II. Cultural Achievements
  • The Panchatantra has been translated into more
    languages than any other book except the Bible

11
II. Cultural Achievements
  • Plays were often performed outside and contained
    tragic scenes, but ended happily

12
A. Art and Architecture
  • The only paintings that survive are murals in
    caves depicting the Buddha and his followers

The Ajanta Caves. Ancient Paintings of Buddhist
India
13
A. Art and Architecture
  • Architects designed and built great Hindu temples
    and Asoka built thousands of Buddhist stupas

14
B. Education
  • Education was only for higher caste children and
    they studied the Vedas, astronomy, mathematics,
    warfare, and government

The ancient Gurukul system of education where the
guru imparts knowledge to the disciples
15
B. Education
  • Nalanda was a Buddhist university where thousands
    of students attended for free

16
C. Mathematics and Astronomy
  • Mathematicians understood the concepts of
    abstract and negative numbers, zero, and infinity

17
C. Mathematics and Astronomy
  • Aryabhata (late AD 400s) was one of the first to
    use algebra and to solve quadratic equations

18
C. Mathematics and Astronomy
  • Indian astronomers identified seven planets,
    understood the earths rotation, and predicted
    eclipses

19
D. Medicine
  • Indian rulers built free hospitals for the people

20
D. Medicine
  • Indian physicians understood the importance of
    the spinal cord, could set bones and performed
    plastic surgery

21
D. Medicine
  • Physicians practiced cleanliness before
    operations and disinfected wounds, a procedure
    not practiced in Western medicine until recent
    times

22
D. Medicine
  • Physicians developed inoculation - infecting a
    person with a mild form of a disease to prevent a
    more serious form

23
D. Medicine
  • They successfully inoculated people against
    smallpox, something not accomplished in the West
    until the 1700s
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