Civilizations of Early India

Early India and the Vedic Age

Seat work

Students will quietly enter the room, find your seats and discuss your three sticky notes on pages 200-211 with your row group.

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Civilizations of Early India

Early India and the Vedic Age

Quiz show:
What are the 5 Hindu castes?

Brahmins, Kshatrayas, Vaishyas, Sudras, Dalits

How many theories about where the Indo-Aryans came form does the book discus?

Three Why where the Aryans such good warriors? They had fast horse drawn two-wheeled chariots.

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Civilizations of Early India Introduction

Chapter Introduction
This chapter will introduce you to the Civilizations of Early India. You will learn about the Indus Valley civilization, the Vedic age, and religions that emerged in early India.
Section 1: Indus Valley Civilization Section 2: Indias Vedic Age

Section 3: Hinduism
Section 4: Buddhism

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Civilizations of Early India Indus Valley Civilization

What geographic features affected early India?

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Civilizations of Early India Indus Valley Civilization

Key Terms
monsoonseasonal winds that bring rain to the Indian subcontinent during parts of the year subcontinentlarge landmass that is set apart from the rest of the continent
migratev., to move from one region to another in order to live there

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Civilizations of Early India Indus Valley Civilization

Key Ideas
The first civilization of the Indian Subcontinent developed along the Indus River. The Indus Valley civilization had large, well-planned cities, a strong government, and an extensive trade network. Seasonal winds, called monsoons, influence the climate of the region.

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Civilizations of Early India

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Civilizations of Early India Indus Valley Civilization

An Advanced Civilization
By 2500 B.C., well-planned cities such as Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro had developed.

City streets were laid out in a grid pattern.

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Civilizations of Early India Indias Vedic Age

Key Ideas
Most historians believe that Indo-Aryan nomads entered the Indian subcontinent over many years and mixed with local people.

Sacred scriptures known as the Vedas teach us about the Aryan religion and customs.

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Civilizations of Early India Indias Vedic Age

Key Ideas
A caste system emerged in India dividing Indians into groups based on birth and occupation.

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Civilizations of Early India Indias Vedic Age

Key Terms
castefixed social class into which a person is born

Brahminpriest
Kshatriyaruler or warrior Vaishyalandowner, banker, or merchant Sudrafarmer, laborer, or servant Dalitperson who performed dirty jobs
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Civilizations of Early India Indias Vedic Age

The Origins of the Indo-Aryans

By 1500 B.C., a people called Aryans lived in the Indus Valley.

The Aryans mixed with local people, who adopted the Aryan language and religion.
This period of Indian history is called the Vedic age.

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Civilizations of Early India Indias Vedic Age

What three theories explain the presence of the Aryans in India?

Theories About Aryans

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Civilizations of Early India Indias Vedic Age

The Origins of the Indo-Aryans

After settling in India, the Aryans composed the Vedassacred hymns that described their religion and society. For a thousand years, priests chanted the Vedas in the Sanskrit language. Most Vedas praise Aryan gods and goddesses.

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Civilizations of Early India

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Civilizations of Early India Indias Vedic Age

The Origins of the Indo-Aryans

During the Vedic age, Aryans moved into the Ganges Plain and took up farming.
Clans joined to form republics, and powerful leaders made themselves kings. By 500 B.C., more than a dozen kingdoms covered the Ganges Plain.

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Civilizations of Early India

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Civilizations of Early India Indias Vedic Age

The Caste System

Aryans introduced the caste system, which became Indias social structure.
A person was born into a caste and could not mix with members of other castes. Castes were organized by jatis, or types of jobs, and by varnas, or religious status.

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Civilizations of Early India Indias Vedic Age

The Caste System

The caste system limited peoples individual freedom because the patterns of their lives were fixed at birth. Some believe the caste system brought stability to Indian society.
In India today, the law forbids caste discrimination.

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Civilizations of Early India

Indias Vedic Age

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Civilizations of Early India Indias Vedic Age

The Caste System

Why did people in the higher castes avoid physical contact with untouchables?

How did the caste system evolve over time?

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Civilizations of Early India Indias Vedic Age

How did the lives of the Aryans change as they moved from the dry grasslands west of the Indus River to the humid Ganges Plain?

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