A review

A subcontinent

Himalaya mountains includes Mt. Everest

Hindu Kush mountains

Indus River, Ganges River

Most of India is a plateau

Monsoons bring rainfall

Sometimes rainfall brings floods, other times not enough and causes a drought

First people settled around the Indus River

Soil was rich, they grew wheat, barley, beans

Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa were large well-designed cities

Homes were made of mud bricks with flat roofs

Most people were farmers, others were merchants, shopkeepers, and artisans.

Groups of people called Aryans migrated to India.

They raised cattle, were expert horse riders, hunters, and fierce warriors.

The Aryans mixed with the Indus valley people and created a new culture. They began to make iron tools and built irrigation systems.

The Aryans lived in tribes led by a raja (prince).

They developed a written language called Sanskrit.

The social classes were called varnas.

The most powerful varnas were the Brahmins.(priests)

The Kshatriyas were the warriors.

The Vaisyas were the common people.

The Sudras were unskilled workers and servants.

This was called a caste system.

At the lowest level were the Untouchables who did the jobs no one else would do.

Hinduism is one of the world’s oldest religions.

It is the third largest religion after Christianity and Islam.

The Vedas were sacred writings written in Sanskrit.

Hindus believe there is one universal spirit called Brahman.

Three deities were important: Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer.

Hindus strive for moksha, the ultimate peace.

Reincarnation is to be born again into another life.

Karma is a collection of the things you do in your lifetime. You can accumulate good karma or bad karma.

This determines what form of life into which you are reincarnated.

A person follows their dharma, or duty in life.

Founded by Siddhartha Gautama.

Gautama grew up as a prince but gave it all up to find the meaning of life.

He meditated and gathered new ideas.

These ideas became known as Buddhism.

The Buddha taught of the Four Noble Truths andthe Eightfold Path.

When people are finally free from all earthly concerns they reach Nirvana.

Buddha did not favor the caste system.

Chandra Gupta Mauryawas the first ruler of the Mauryan dynasty.

He ran a well-organized empire, and used spies to report disloyalty.

Ashoka ruled afterwards. He began his rule with fierce wars of conquest.

Later he decided to follow Buddhist teachings and became a man of peace.

Ashoka promoted Buddhism and had thousands of stupas built throughout India.

Stupas are shrines.

The kings after Ashokawere harsh rulers.

The last one was murdered by his own general.

Chandra Gupta I became the ruler of the Gupta Empire.

Gupta rulers practiced the Hindu religion.

Trade helped the empire thrive.

The Vedas were the first writings of India.

The Mahabharata was the longest poem in any language.

It describes the struggle for an Indian kingdom.

The best known part is the Bhagavad Gita which tells of a prince fighting his family in battle.

The second epic is the Ramayana. This is a poem about Prince Rama.

Algebra

The idea of infinity

The symbol 0

Symbols for numbers 1-9

Proposed the earth was round and revolved around the sun

Dentists used a bow drill

Doctors set broken bones, stitched wounds and performed surgeries.

1. What is the Ramayana?

2. Explain reincarnation.

3. What was the written language of the Aryans?

4. Explain the caste system.

5. Who founded Buddhism?

6. How do people reach Nirvana?

7. What is karma?

8. What made Ashoka change from warrior to man of peace?