Chapter 4 / Ancient India learning

India’s Geographic Setting

A. Subcontinent: a large landmass that juts out from a continent

B. Separated from the rest of Asia by the __________Mountains & Hindu Kush

C. Separated from other lands to east & west by the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean, & Arabian Sea

D. Climate dominated by ___________-- strong winds that blow across the regions at certain times of year

1. October to May: winter monsoon blows from northeast

2. Mid-June: wind blows in from Indian Ocean

3. People depended on summer monsoons to provide life-giving rain

E. There are passes through the Hindu Kush = acted as highways for invaders

F. Indus & Ganges Rivers cut through the mountains

Mohenjo-Daro

1. Built on high mound of earth

2. Streets laid out in squares with homes & shops

3. Center of city was a __________

a. Citadel=a fortress, a group of public buildings enclosed by high brick wall

4. Cleaner than other cities at time

a. Clay pipes under streets

b. Canals along river controlled flooding & directed water

5. Active city - traders from __________

6. Language, government, & religion all still a mystery

7. Farmers abandoned land around 2000 B.C.

a. Climate change or earthquakes

b. Invaders from north (Aryans) came between 2000 and 1500 B.C.

E. Aryan Life

1. Religious books: _________ -- “knowledge”

2. Earliest Aryans were herders & warriors

a. No cities or spacious homes

b. No written language

C. Priests called Brahmins

3. Original Aryan social classes: priests, warriors, ordinary people

4. Strict class division around 500 B.C.

a. _________ = class

b. Stay in class of parents

c. Each had special work & duties

III. Conquest by the Aryans

A. Name meant “noble” or “highborn”

B. Migrated = moved -- from homelands in central Asia

C. Warriors had bows, arrows, axes, horse-drawn chariots

D. Occupied both Indus and Ganges River Valleys

d. Became more complex

i. Main caste divided into hundreds of groups

ii. People did same work as parents and other members of group