INDIA AND CHINA PRODUCED TWO OF THE OLDEST

CIVILIZATIONS OF THE WORLD. NOURISHED BY TWO GREAT

RIVERS, INDUS AND HUANG-HO RESPECTIVELY, BOTH INDIA
AND CHINA SUCCEEDED IN LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS OF
CIVILIZATIONS THAT FLOURISHED AND LEFT LANDMARK
CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE AREAS OF PHILOSOPHY, RELIGION,
SYSTEMS OF WRITING, AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS.
The Himalayas
and Hindu Kush
dominate the
landscape to the
north of India. The
Himalayas
particularly
played an
important role in
the shaping of the
Indian civilization.
 IN 1925, THE DISCOVERY OF THE RUINS OF MOHENJO-
DARRO AND HARAPPA WAS ANNOUNCED BY THE
ARCHAEOLOGISTS. THE EXCAVATION OF THIS SITE REVEALED
THE MOST INTRIGUING CHAPTER OF THE HISTORY OF INDIA.
BOTH CITIES WERE CHARACTERIZED BY EXCELLENT PLANNING.
IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THESE CITIES MUST HAVE FLOURISHED
FROM ABOUT 3000 TO 2000 BC.
DRAINAGE SYSTEMS
MULTISTORIED AND PALATIAL HOUSES
HUGE GRANARIES PRESENT
 THE ARYANS THAT MOVED INTO INDIA WERE INDO-EUROPEAN
SPEAKING THAT CAME FROM PERSIA.

THEY IN CONSTANT SEARCH FOR LAND AND FOR GRAZING AND

WATER FOR THEIR ANIMALS. THEY ARE BASICALLY NOMADICS

THEY SPOKE IN SANSKRIT

ONE OF THE VERY FIRST PEOPLE THAT INHABITED INDIA

DESCRIBED THEMSELVES AS FAIR-SKINNED

 THE FIRST ARYANS TO ENTER INDIA DID SO AS PEACEFUL
MIGRANTS.

THEY BROUGHT WITH THEM THEIR CATTLE, THEIR HORSE-DRAWN

CHARIOTS AND THEIR GODS AS WELL.

THEY INTRODUCED RACIAL DISCRIMINATION WHICH IS USE ID

CASTE SYSTEM- SUDRA- THE LOWEST RANK.
 THE SACRED VEDAS ARE THE OLDEST INDIAN DOCUMENTS
THAT HAVE PROVED TO BE THE MOST VALUABLE SOURCE OF
INFORMATION REGARDING THE ARYANS AND THE VEDIC
AGE.

THE VEDAS WERE THE COLLECTION OF PRAYERS, HYMNS,

AND RITUAL TEXTS THAT WERE PASSED ON.

CASTE SYSTEM WAS INTRODUCED ON THIS PERIOD.

THE CASTE SYSTEM

BRAHMINS

KSHATRIYAS

VAISHYAS

SHUDRAS
 THE SOURCES FOR SHEDDING LIGHT ON THE PERIOD THAT IS
REFERRED TO AS THE LATER VEDIC AGE ARE THE TWO EPICS,
MAHABHARATA AND RAMAYANA.

MAHABHARATA IS INDIAS GREATEST EPIC. IT IS A TALE OF

BATTLES FOUGHT TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE GANGES
REGION.

RAMAYANA ON THE OTHERHAND, RECOUNTS THE JOURNEY

OF RAMA IN HIS QUEST TO RESCUE HIS WIFE SITA WHO
WAS KIDNAPPED BY THE DEMON KING RAVANA.
 DURING THE LATER VEDIC AGE THE ARYANS BEGAN COLONIZING
THE INDO-GANGETIC REGION ESTABLISHING REPUBLICS AND
KINGDOMS RULED BY RAJAHS.

IT WAS ALSO THIS TIME THAT THEY MASTERED IRON METALLURGY

MAHABHARATA RAMAYANA
 THERE ARE FOUR MAJOR RELIGIONS THAT HAVE ORIGINATED
FROM INDIA

HINDUISM;

BUDDHISM;

JAINISM;

AND SIKHISM
 HINDUISM IS PERAPHS ONE OF MOST COMPLEX RELIGIONS
OF THE WORLD. IT HAS ATLEAST THREE SPECIAL
CHARACTERISTICS. FIRST, IT IS NOT FOUNDED BY ANY SINGLE
PROPHET. SECOND, AS AN ETERNAL RELIGION, HINDUISM
HAS NO DESIRE TO PROPAGATE ITS RELIGION TO
FOLLOWERS OF OTHER RELIGIONS. THIRD, IT GIVES
FREEDOM TO ITS ADHERENTS IN MATTERS OF PRAYER AND
WORSHIP.
BELIEF IN SAMSARA OR REINCARNATION
TRIMURTI OR A TRIAD OF THE THREE HIGHEST DEITIES:
BRAHMA, THE CREATOR; VISHNU, THE PRESERVER; SHIVA, THE
DESTROYER.
 4 PURPOSES OF HUMAN LIFE IN HINDUISM:
DHARMA MEANING FULFILLING ONES DESTINED PURPOSE IN LIFE
ARTHA OR PROSPERITY
KAMA OR DESIRE, PLEASURE, AND ENJOYMENT
MOKSHA OR RELEASE FROM SAMSARA AND UNITY WITH BRAHMA

THE SOUL WANDERS FROM A BODY TO ANOTHER AND THE

CONDITION OF ITS REBIRTH IS DETERMINED BY ITS PAST ACTIONS,
KARMA

AS PART OF THEIR CULTURE AND THEIR BELIEF TO ATTAIN MOKSHA

THE HINDUS BATHE AT THE GANGES RIVER.
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: BRAHMA, VISHNU, AND SHIVA

THOUSANDS OF HINDUS BATHE

AT THE GANGES RIVER.
 BUDDHISM DEVELOPED AS A QUEST TO FIND AN ANSWER TO THE
BEWILDERING PHENOMENON OF HUMAN SUFFERING. SIDDHARTA
GAUTAMA WAS THE SON OF A NOBLE FAMILY. HE LIVED A
CLOISTERED LIFE WITHIN THE WALLS OF HIS ESTATE SHIELDED
FROM THE REALITIES OF HARD EXISTENCE.
THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS:
1. LIFE IS FILLED WITH PAIN, SORROW, FRUSTRATION,
IMPERMANENCE, AND DISSATISFACTION.
2. ALL THIS IS CAUSED BY DESIRE, BY WANTING, AND THE URGE FOR
EXISTENCE.
3. TO END SUFFERING AND SORROW ONE MUST END DESIRE,
BECOME DESIRELESS.
4. DESIRELESSNESS CAN BE GAINED THROUGH THE EIGHTFOLD PATH
OF RIGHT CONDUCT/ EIGHTFOLD PATH.
 RIGHT VIEW
RIGHT RESOLVE
RIGHT SPEECH
RIGHT CONDUCT
RIGHT LIVELIHOOD
RIGHT EFFORT
RIGHT MINDFULNESS
RIGHT SAMADHI/ MEDITATION
 BUDDHA, THE ENLIGHTENED ONE

SIDDARTHA GAUTAMA FOUNDED BUDDHISM. SIDDARTHA

GAUTAMA WAS THE SON OF A MINOR KING. UNTIL AT THE
AGE OF 29, HE LIVED A COMFORTABLE LIFE AS A PRINCE.
ONE DAY SIDDHARTHA LEFT HIS PALACE TO MEET HIS
SUBJECTS AND WANDERED AWAY. ON THESE HE
ENCOUNTERED A DISEASED MAN, A DECAYING CORPSE, AND
AN ASCETIC. THESE DEPRESSED HIM, AND HE INITIALLY
STROVE TO OVERCOME AGEING, SICKNESS, AND DEATH BY
LIVING THE LIFE OF AN ASCETIC.
 JAINISM WAS CONSIDERED AS A REVOLT FROM THE
TRADITION AND AUTHORITY OF THE VEDAS SPECIFICALLY
AGAINST THE IDEA AND PRACTICE OF TAKING LIFE. THIS WAS
THE CARDINAL PRINCIPLE OF JAIN ETHICS. IT WAS CALLED
AHIMSA WHICH MEANS NON-INJURY AND POSITIVE LOVE
FOR ALL.
BELIEF IN THE CONCEPT OF KARMA AND NIRVANA OR
ETERNAL BLISS.
ONLY THROUGH A LONG COURSE OF FASTING, SELF-
MORTIFICATION, STUDY, AND MEDITATION, AND RIGOROUS
DISCIPLINE CAN ONE ATTAIN NIRVANA
JAIN MONKS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE
ANY OTHER POSSESSIONS OTHER THAN A ROBE,
A WALKING STICK, A FACE MASK, A BROOM OR
A FEATHER DUSTER, AND A BOWL. BECAUSE THEY
BELIEVE THAT KARMA CAN BE DISPELLED
THROUGH PENANCE AND DISCIPLINED
CONDUCT. TO DO SO, ONE MUST REMOVE ALL
LIMITATIONS TO FREEDOM INCLUDING ONES
CLOTHING.

JAIN MONKS ARE GOVERNED BY THESE LAWS:

RENOUNCING KILLING OR NON VIOLENCE
LYING
CHASTITY
POSSESSION OF PROPERTY
 IN 330 BC ALEXANDER THE GREAT REACHED THE INDUS
RIVER. HE CREATED THREE SATRAPIES AND PUT THEM UNDER
INDIAN RULERS. SUDDEN DEATH OF ALEXANDER LEFT A
POWER VACUUM THAT COULD NOT BE SUFFICIENTLY FILLED
BY HIS SUCCESSORS.
TO CHANDRAGUPTA MAURYA, IT SERVED AS A AN
OPPURTUNITY TO ESTABLISH A KINGDOM. HE SUCCESSFULLY
CONQUERED THE INDO-GANGETIC VALLEY. HE WAS THE
FIRST RULER OF MAURYAN EMPIRE. THREE ELEMENTS
MAINTAINED THE EMPIRE. FIRST WAS THE REVENUE SYSTEM.
SECOND WAS BUREAUCRACY THAT WAS MADE OF MANY
DEPARTMENTS TASKED TO REGULATE AND CONTROL THE
ADMISSION OF THE STATE.
 THIRD WAS THE SECRET POLICE THAT IT ESTABLISHED. IT WAS
DESIGNED TO INFORM THE KING OF EVERYTHING THAT GOES IN
THE EMPIRE TO ENSURE THE SECURITY.
ASHOKA WAS CONSIDERED AS INDIAS GREATEST KING. ASHOKA
CREATED A PEACEFUL LIFE FOR HIS PEOPLE. HE PURSUED A POLICY
OF RELIGIOUS TOLERATION AND NON VIOLENCE AND PROMOTED
RESPECT FOR THE DIVINITY OF MEN. HE CONSIDERED HIS
SUBJECTS AS CHILDREN AND SET OUT TO PROMOTE THEIR
WELFARE.
BUDDHISM FLOURISHED DURING ASHOKAS REIGN BECAUSE HE
HIMSELF CONVERTED TO BUDDHISM.
MAURYA EVENTUALLY COLLAPSED DUE TO THE PRESSURE OF
INVADERS AND INTERNAL WEAKNESSES.
 ALEXANDER THE
GREAT

CHANDRAGUPTA
ASHOKA MAURYA
 THANK
YOU
FOR LISTENING!