India After the Indus Valley

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India After the Indus Valley

• From Aryans to Guptas

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Who Were the Aryans???

• Aryans - Indo European group that migrated from
  the middle of Eurasia
• Passed thru Khyber Pass about 1500 BC
• What is the Khyber Pass???
• Aryans come to India and find people who are
  different from them
• Aryans were light skinned and spoke a different
  language and had a different religion
• Non-Aryans they call dasas which meant dark (due
  to their skin color)
• Dasa would later come to mean slave
• Differences will create classes quickly

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The Caste System is Born

• Aryans had 3 classes
• Brahmin (priests) upper class
• Kshatriyas (warriors) middle class
• Vaisyas (farmers, craftspeople, traders)
  lower class
• Eventually non-Aryans were a class
• Called shudras laborers, servants, and farm
  workers
• They did the jobs Aryans did not want to do
• Varna related to skin color- becomesthe basis
  of this system the classes were called varnas
• Later they would be called castes
• This starts the caste system

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The Four Castes of India
Aryan/ Indian god known as Brahma
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Rituals Religion of the Caste

• Aryans were polytheistic
• Believed in heroic nature gods (ex. Thunder)
• Castes or classes gave role in society
• People born into caste for LIFE
• Determines your friends, wife, job, etc.
• Only way to change caste was through
  reincarnation couldnt change your status
  during your life

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Rituals Religion of the Caste

• Ritual purity a major part of religion
• Eating / cleaning habits keep soul clean
• Untouchables - people in society who were seen as
  less than any caste
• Jobs made them dirty and untouchable
• Grave diggers, butchers, etc.
• If someone from another caste touched these
  people, they would automatically be reincarnated
  as an Untouchable themselves!!!

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The Spread of the Aryans

• Aryans begin spreading east south
• Spread east to Ganges River
• Spread south into the rest of India
• Mahabharata- epic poem that told of stories of
  Aryan spread
• Tells of mixing between the Aryans non-Aryans
• Dominated the area of India from 1500BCE to 500BCE

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The Mauryan Empire Emerges

• The Mauryan Empire
• Takes power around 320 BCE
• Chaundragupta Maurya is the leader
• Unifies all of Northern India for 1st time
• Creates a bureaucratic government
• What is a bureaucracy???
• Asoka takes over with the death of his father
• Brings India to its greatest heights
• Turns away from war spreads Buddhism instead
• Practiced religious tolerance - people choose
• Built road systems, hospitals, etc.

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The Mauryan Empire Emerges

• Asoka takes over with the death of his father
  he is the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya
• Brings India to its greatest heights
• Turns away from war spreads Buddhism instead
• Practiced religious tolerance - people choose
• Which religion remains dominant???
• Built road systems, hospitals, etc.

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The Gupta Empire Emerges

• Chaundra Gupta (no relation) comes to power
  around 320 AD
• Brings Indian culture to its new peak
• Also brings Hindu religion to its peak
• Indian society is patriarchal
• Means eldest male rules the family
• Indian civilization prospers from both trade and
  conquest
• Create incredible advancements during this time
  period

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Gupta Empire Advancements

• Math
• Creates the concept of zero
• Medicine
• Book of over 1000 diseases diagnosed
• Surgeries performed, set bones
• Astronomy
• Proved the earth was round
• New Products
• Spices, gems, woods, traded silks
• Used the Silk Roads for trading
• Literature
• Khalidasa- famous playwright and writer