ancient india history and timeline. where ancient india is located continent asia present-day...
Post on 05-Jan-2016
215 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
ANCIENT INDIA
HISTORY AND TIMELINE
Where Ancient India is located
• Continent• Asia
• Present-day countries• India• Pakistan• Bangladesh
• Major bodies of water • Bay of Bengal• Arabian Sea• Indian Ocean
Geographic Features of Ancient India
• North• Indus and Ganges
Rivers flow from Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, respectively.
• South• Deccan Plateau
•Isolated North from South
•Mountainous, forested and rocky soil
Climate of Ancient India
• Climate • Monsoons (essential for bringing water for farming)
Religion of Ancient India
• Polytheistic• Sacred Texts
• The Vedas• The Upanishads
• Hinduism• Brahman = Creator• Vishnu = Preserver• Shiva = Destroyer
Philosophy of Ancient India
•Atman = every person has an essential self.
•Moksha = People must free themselves from selfish desires to be at union with Brahman.
History of Ancient India• 3000 – 1500 BCE
• Civilization began in the Indus River Valley.
• City-States of Harappa and Mohenjo-daro were well-planned communities that include:•Brick buildings•Bathrooms•Drainage systems•Productive farming with canals and domesticated animals
History of Ancient India
• 2000 – 600 BCE• Aryans – Indo-European
•language, came through northwest mountain passages.
•Conquered the Dravidians
•By 600 BCE taken over Ganges valley and entire Northern Plains region.
History of Ancient India
•521 – 367 BCE• Persian rule in NW
India•Simulated cultural and commercial contacts between NW India and Eastern Mediterranean
History of Ancient India
•326 BCE• Alexander the Great
(Greek) conquers NW India•Mastered the Persian Empire and subdued the Indus River
•Greek influences in trade, culture and government
History of Ancient India• 321 – 184 BCE
• Maurya – Indian Family – First Great Empire (322-298 BCE)•Chandragupta Maurya
•Inspired by Alexander •Drove out the Greek soldiers
•Won control of the northern plain and founded the empire
•Highly centralized government based on Persians
History of Ancient India
• 321-184 BCE (cont.)• Asoka (273 – 232 BCE)
•Maurya’s grandson•Conquered southward until he
had 2/3 of India•Rejected war and converted to
Buddhism•Edicts were written on stone
pillars and rocks throughout India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and Burma; promoting:
•Truth, Justice, Charity, Religious tolerance, Non-violence
History of Ancient India
•320 – 535 Gupta Empire• Native Indian family
•Empire in northern India•Restored law and order•Revived prosperity to region
•Region became center for learning and it’s culture spread to eastern Asia
•Often called India’s “Golden Age”
Customs and Traditions• Art and Architecture
• Revolves around the Hindu and Buddhism religious practices
• Symbols and ornate designs are stressed
• Human and animal statues• Temple wall paintings• Temple construction
•Pointed domes•Columns•Conical towers
Customs and Traditions• Literature
• Vedas = hymns, prayers, religious principles
• Mahabharta and Ramayana = epic poems
• Animal fables showing morals = could be based on Aesop’s fables
• Kalidasa = “India’s Shakespeare”
• Sanskrit = main literary language
Contributions•Science and Technology
• Diagnosed major diseases
• Prescribed medicinal plants
• Placed the sick in hospitals
• Had an ethical code (like Hippocratic Oath)
Science and Technology (cont.)
• Applied chemical principles to dyeing cloth, tanning leather, manufacturing soap and glass
• Refined iron ore (passed to the Arabs and then introduced Medieval Europe)
Contributions
• Mathematics• Devised concept of zero• Employed a decimal
system• Developed a rudimentary
algebra• Created our modern
written numbers (translated by Arabs to Medieval Europe misleadingly called Arabic numerals)
Artifacts
Stamp seal depicting a rhinoceros from Mohenjo-daro
Pot shard from Harappa
Artifacts
Coin with Brahmi script
Indus Valley
figurine
Artifacts
Seal with Indus Valley Script
Economy
Silver coin of Seleucus I /
Nicator, who fought
Chandragupta Maurya, and later made an alliance with
him.
Economy
Silver coin of Seleucus I /
Nicator, who fought
Chandragupta Maurya, and later made an alliance with
him.
Economy
Silver punch mark coin of the Mauryan empire, with symbols of wheel and elephant. 3rd century BCE.
top related