Southern Asia: Place and Times 591

The people of ancient Indiaestablished social and culturalpractices that became widespreadthroughout the region.

The scientific and culturalcontributions of ancient Indiaaffect our lives today.

MAIN IDEA WHY IT MATTERS NOW

The Indus River Valley CivilizationAshoka’s empire was built on a civilization whose roots weremore than 2,000 years old. Around 2500 B.C., a brilliant civiliza-tion developed in the Indus River valley. Sometimes called theHarappan civilization after one of its major cities, it flourisheduntil about 1700 B.C. in an area that is mostly in present-dayPakistan. This civilization, which existed at the same time asancient Egyptian civilization, stretched west to what is nowKabul, Afghanistan, and east to what is now Delhi, India. Its cen-ter was the rich farmland along the Indus River and its tributar-ies. The map on page 593 shows the extent of this civilization.

TERMS & NAMESMohenjo-DaroAryanSanskritHinduismVedascasteAshoka

MAURYAN EMPIRE 232 B.C.—The great

Emperor Ashoka died yesterday. He was

dearly loved by his people, and millions

will mourn his death. Horrified by the

suffering and bloodshed he saw at the

battle of Kalinga in 262 B.C., Ashoka

embraced the teachings of Buddhism.

From that point on, he put his beliefs

into action and ruled his people without

violence. Who can possibly step forward

to take the place of our great leader?

Ancient IndiaAncient India

Place • Three lion figures top this pillar

at Sarnath, one of many pillars Ashoka

had erected during his reign. �

TAKING NOTES

Geography . . .

Indus River . . .

FactorsImpact of Geography/

Contributions ofCivilizations

Use your chart to take notes aboutSouthern Asia.

SOUTH ASIA

The civilization of the Indus River valley came to an endaround 1700 B.C. No one knows for sure why the civilizationended. Some think the cause was a climate change—like a severedecrease in rainfall—while others think the urban centers wereconquered and destroyed.

Hundreds of towns existed in the Indus River valley.There were two major cities: Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro(moh•HEHN•joh•DAHR•oh). Mohenjo-Daro was a large city withwell-built homes and public buildings. Canals brought water fromwells to farms outside the city walls.

The Aryan Influence on South AsiaAround 1700 B.C., the Aryans (AIR•ee•uhnz) came to SouthAsia. These people migrated from southern Russia throughpasses in the Hindu Kush. The time of the Aryan arrival suggeststhat the Aryans played a role in the fall of the Harappan civiliza-tion, although there is no proof. Over time, the Aryan people andthe people of the Indus River valley produced a new blend of cul-ture in northern India.

A New People, a New Civilization The Aryans were differentfrom the people of the Indus River valley. They spoke anotherlanguage called Sanskrit.

A. MakingInferences Why do you think this civilizationdeveloped in theIndus River valleyrather than on theplains?

Life in Mohenjo-Daro Mohenjo-Daro’s streets werewide and laid out in a grid design. A thick brick wallwith gateways surrounded the city. Houses were madeof brick with stone foundations and had severalrooms, a toilet, and a well. Drainage systems ran fromthe houses into brick-lined sewers.

The people of Mohenjo-Daro were skilled engi-neers and builders. They built a system of ditches andcanals around the city to irrigate farms. A public bath-house with a sunken courtyard was built on an artifi-cial hill. A large building near the bathhouse mighthave been used as a storage area for grain or as ameeting hall.

Archaeologists have not yet been able to decodethe writing of these people. Most of what is knownabout the city is based on what archaeologists havelearned from digging in the ruins. Some of the artifactsthey have found are shown at the right.

beads painted pot

sealwithbull

592

toy cart

The Aryans had not settled in cities but were nomads andherders. Because the Aryans got their food and clothing from theanimals they raised, they measured wealth by the number of cattle a person owned.

New Technology The Aryans brought new technology, animals,and ideas with them to South Asia. Sometime after 1000 B.C.,the Aryans discovered iron ore in the Ganges River valley. Ironplows improved agriculture, and with the Aryan adoption ofsome local ways—like growing rice—they began to settle intowns. The Aryans also developed new iron weapons. Theseweapons were stronger than those of the Harappan people.Improved weapons and the introduction of the horse enabled theAryans to rule northern India.

Hinduism—A Way of LifePeople of ancient India developed the religion of Hinduism,based on certain Aryan practices. Aryan priests chanted hymns inpraise of their gods. For a long time, these hymns were passeddown through oral tradition. Later, these hymns and other Aryanreligious beliefs were written down and became part of the Vedas(VAY•duhz), or Books of Knowledge. The Vedas contain writingson prayers, hymns, religious rituals, and philosophy.

Southern Asia: Place and Times 593

Indu

s R.Ganges R .

Indus R.Mohenjo-Daro

Harappa

HI

MA

LA

YA

MT S.

HINDU KUSH KarakoramRange

KhyberPass

BolanPass

DECCAN

PLATEAU

NORTHERNPLAIN

PLATEAU OF TIBET

ArabianSea

Bay ofBengal

70°E

20°N

90°E

Tropic of Cancer

0

0 150 300 kilometers

150 300 miles

Harappan civilization

Aryan invasion

N

Indus River Valley Civilization, 1700 B.C.

GEOGRAPHYSKILLBUILDER:Interpreting a Map1. Movement • From

what direction did theAryans come?

2. Movement • Whicharea of South Asiaescaped the Aryaninvasion?

B. DrawingConclusions Howdid the Aryans’ useof iron help themsettle and controlIndia?

Karma and ReincarnationThe ideas of karma andreincarnation are central toHinduism. Karma is theidea that a person’s actionsdetermine what will happenafter his or her death.Reincarnation is the ideathat after death a person’ssoul is reborn into a differentbody. Hindus believe thatthe cycle of birth, death, andrebirth occurs many times.

Each person’s status in life is determined by his or her behav-ior in previous lives. A person who leads a virtuous life may bereborn as a wealthy or wise person. A person who lives animmoral life may be reborn as a poor or sick person.

The Caste System One of the main characteristics of Hinduismis the caste system. A caste is an inherited social class. Each per-son is born to a particular caste for his or her lifetime. Castedetermines a person’s job, marriage partner, and friends. TheHindu caste system was strongly influenced by the Aryan tribalsocial system, which was organized around the belief that peopleare not equal.

The Hindu caste system is based on four major classes—priests, warriors and princes, merchants and farmers, andlaborers. Another group, once known as untouchables, has traditionally been considered inferior to thefour major castes. Untouchables did thework that no one else wanted to do andwere generally shunned by society.Today, the Hindu caste system ismade up of thousands of castes andsubcastes, but the four major castesare still the most important. Thegovernment and other groups areworking to reduce the influence thecaste system has on society.

594 CHAPTER 20

Hindus worshipmany gods andgoddesses. MostHindu familieshave a shrine to agod or goddess setup in their homes.

C. AnalyzingIssues How dothe caste systemand the idea ofreincarnation worktogether?

Culture • The god Shiva may be represented in various forms. Here heis shown as the Lord of the Dance. �

Culture • Thegod Vishnu issaid to take tenforms, includinga fish, a tortoise,and a boar.Here, he is half man andhalf lion. �

The Maurya andGupta DynastiesTwo dynasties made important con-tributions to India. These dynastieswere the Maurya and the Gupta.The contributions made by the peo-ple of these cultures still affect ourlives today.

The Mauryan Empire The firstIndian empire was called theMaurya (324–185 B.C.). It wasfounded by the descendants of theAryans who moved eastward fromthe region of the Indus River valleycivilization. One of its emperors,Ashoka, created a unified government. He built a palace of stoneand religious monuments. The Mauryans were known for theirfine sculpture and sandstone carvings.

The Golden Age and the Gupta Dynasty The Gupta Dynasty(A.D. 320–500) ruled during India’s golden age in science, art, andliterature. Most Gupta rulers were Hindus. However, bothHinduism and Buddhism were practiced throughout the empire atthat time. Hindu and Buddhist beliefs inspired many artists. Theycreated sculptures and paintings of Hindu gods and goddesses.Many temples were built that contained images of characters fromHindu mythology. Gupta architects hollowed out the solid stone ofmountainside cliffs to create Buddhist temples. In the city of Ajanta,30 Buddhist temples are carved into the side of a mountain.

Ashoka Ashoka has been called one of the greatest emperors in world history. He ruled India’sMauryan Empire from 269 B.C. until his death in 232 B.C.

As a ruthless conqueror, Ashoka extended the Mauryan Empire over almost the entire sub-continent of South Asia. However, during one bloody battle, Ashoka became horrified at what hesaw. He wrote, “150,000 persons were . . . carried away captive, 100,000 were [killed] and manytimes that number died.” Ashoka vowed that this would be his last war, and he converted to theBuddhist religion.

He began to preach nonviolence and compassion for all living things and appointed “Officersof Righteousness” to relieve suffering among the people. Throughout the kingdom, the “princi-ples for a just government” were carved in stone (shown at left) and displayed for all to see.

Southern Asia: Place and Times 595

Place • TheBuddhist templesat Ajanta arecarved into granitecliffs. The wallsinside are coveredwith beautifulpaintings. �

596 CHAPTER 20

Suppose you could go back in time to visit Mohenjo-Daro, the Mauryan Empire, or the Gupta Dynasty.Write a paragraph explaining which period you would visit and why.

SECTION ASSESSMENT

Using Graphics2. Use a spider map like the one

below to record information aboutchanges the Aryans brought toancient India.

Main Ideas3. (a) Describe the city of

Mohenjo-Daro.

(b) Describe three aspects ofHinduism.

(c) Why is the Gupta Dynasty considered a golden age in science, art, and literature?

Critical Thinking4. Analyze

Why do you think the originallynomadic Aryans settled in India?

Think About◆ where the Aryans came from and

the geography of the subcontinent◆ the civilization the Aryans

encountered◆ the discoveries the Aryans made

in India

Terms & Names1. Explain the significance of: (a) Mohenjo-Daro (b) Aryan (c) Sanskrit (d) Hinduism

(e) Vedas ( f ) caste (g) Ashoka

Aryans

Religion: Language:

Weapons:

Animals:

Tools:

Literature Sanskrit litera-ture blossomed during theGupta Dynasty. Kalidasa,who lived during the fifthcentury A.D., was the great-est poet and playwright ofhis age. His plays were usedto teach moral principlesand were filled with cre-ativity and mystery.

Mathematics Gupta math-ematicians made manyimportant discoveries. Theydeveloped the concept ofzero and the numerals thatwe use today. Centuriesafter the Gupta Empire fell,Europeans learned thesenumerals and the concept ofzero from the Islamic civi-lizations of Southwest Asia.Europeans called this num-ber system Arabic, the namestill used today.

Ajanta

reviRsudnI

Gang es River

Indu

s River

HI

MA

LA

YA

MT S.

HINDU KUSH KarakoramRange

DECCAN

PLATEAU

PLATEAU OF TIBET

ArabianSea

Bay ofBengal

I N D I A NO C E A N

I N D I A

SRI LANKAMALDIVES

70°E 80°E 90°E

10°N

20°N

0°

Equator

Maximum extent of Gupta Empire0

0 300 600 kilometers

300 600 miles

GEOGRAPHY SKILLBUILDER:Interpreting a Map1. Location • How far north did the Gupta Empire reach?2. Movement • In which part of the Deccan Plateau

would you expect to find influences from the GuptaEmpire?

The Gupta Empire