World History

1
World History

• Chapter Three
• Ancient India and China

2
Early Civilizations of India and Pakistan

• Subcontinent large landmass that juts out from
  a continent
• Bordered by Hindu-Kush and Himalayas
• Served as a partial barrier, but not complete
• Three zones
• Fertile Gangetic Plains
• Dry Deccan Plateau
• Coastal Plains

3

• Plateau raised level area of land
• Monsoon seasonal winds that blow from certain
  direction for part of the year
• Depending on the direction, they bring rain or
  dry air
• Depend on the rains for crops

4
Indus Civilization

• 2600 B.C. Indus Valley Civilization
• Lasted 700 years and rivaled Sumer
• Have not found any records of Kings and Queens,
  tax records. Only small clay seals
• Harrapa and Mohenjo-Daro two cities considered
  possible sites for the capitol of Indus
  Civilization

5
Farming and Trade

• Most people were farmers
• Grew wheat, barley, melons, and dates
• Also were merchants and traders
• Traded cotton cloth, grains, copper, pearls, ivory

6
Religion

• Polytheistic believed in many gods
• Mother goddess source of creation
• Bull and buffalo considered sacred
• Became part of Indian culture especially the
  veneration of cattle
• Veneration special regard

7
Decline

• Crude pottery replaced fine works from early on
• Writing stopped
• Mohen-Daro was abandoned
• What happened?
• Maybe deforestation

8
Aryan civilization

• 2000 B.C. 1500 B.C.
• Nomadic people came to India subcontinent
• Built no cities and left little behind
• Vedas collection of hymns, chants, ritual
  instructions, and other religious teachings
• Left behind by Aryans
• Became sacred teachings

9

• Eventually settled down and were no longer nomads
• Cultivated crops and bred cattle
• Led by rajahs, or chiefs, skilled war leader,
  elected to his position
• Often fought with other rajahs to gain more
  territory

10
Society

• Ranked according to occupation
• Top Brahmins priests
• Middle Kshatriyas warriors
• Bottom Vaisyas herders, farmers, artisans,
  merchants
• Lowest Sudras farm workers, servants, laborers

11
Aryan Religious Beliefs

• Polytheistic
• Gods and goddesses embodied natural forces like
  the sky, sun, storms and fire
• Indra top god- god of war
• Weapon was a thunderbolt
• Varuna god of order and creation

12

• Brahmins offered sacrifices of food and drink to
  the gods
• If they practiced religion correctly they could
  ask the gods for help when they needed it
• Began to believe in a Brahman single god
• Mystics tried to have direct contact with
  divine forces

13
Literature

• Mahabharata Indias greatest epic
• 100,000 verses
• Tells of Aryan battles to win territory
• Ramayana tells of fantastic deeds of the hero
  Rama and his wife Sita
• Read passage from Mahabharata