Ancient India

6th grade

India Preview

• Determine if each of the following are true/or false

Class work/Homework

• Read pages 108-110 stopping at “Life in the Indus River Valley”

• Place new terms from the reading on to your term sheet

• Copy the outline from “taking notes”(page 108) into your notebook. Fill in the first section, you may need to add a few bullet points.

Warm-Up #1 (25 January 2012)

1. What mountain ranges separate India from Asia?

2. Using the map on page 109, answer the identify and analyze questions

3. How has India’s geographic setting affected the life of its people?

Geography

• India is a subcontinent meaning

• Himalayan mountains and the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean separated India with the rest of the world.– However, India was not completely isolated. Why?

Monsoons

• From October to May– Winter monsoons from northeast, dry air across

the country• Mid-June– Wind from Indian Ocean– Picks up moisture=causes rain everyday

• Why is this important?

Two Important Rivers in India

Warm-Up #2 (26 January 2012)

1. What was life like in Mohenjo-Daro?

2. Who are the Aryans? How was their society organized?

3. What are the advantages/disadvantages of the caste system in India?

Indus River Valley

• Reached its height between 2500-1500 BC• Two important cities– Harappa– Mohenjo-Daro• Larger city• Well-planned city: built above ground level• Highest point= citadel• Drainage system• System of canals

Mohenjo-Daro• Life – Shops for merchants and artisans– Traders from Mesopotamia– Homes opened to courtyards

• Unknowns– Language, system of government and religion– However, they were most likely polytheistic

Decline

• Around 2000 BC, farmers began to abandon their land

• Between 2000-1500 BC new people from the north entered into the Indus river valley– Called themselves Aryans

Aryans

• Means noble or highborn• Life is known from the Vedas meaning

“knowledge”– Early Aryans=herders and warriors– Society organized in three classes:• 1. Brahmans- Aryan priests

– Preformed religious services and created hymns and prayers

• 2. Warriors and Nobles• 3. Artisans and merchants• **later came 4. farmers, laborers and servants

Caste System

• 500 BC-strict division of classes• People always had to stay in the same caste as

their parents• Eventually made up of hundreds of different

groups• Still exists in India today– Less rigid, more interaction among castes

Group Activity-January 30, 20121. Create your own travel advertisement encouraging people to

come to Mohenjo-Daroa. Use the information from your book (including pages 114-115) and

the atlas (pages 24-25)b. Try to use illustrations and maps in your advertisements as well as

something “catchy” to grab the readers attention

Hinduism History

• Grew out of a blend between existing Indian culture and Aryan culture

• Took about 3,500 years to develop• Complex religion that appeals to each

individuals approach to god• Not just a religion, but also a way of life for the

people of India

Hindu Gods/goddesses

• Stand for different parts of brahman• Take many forms called avatars

• each god has their own families which are also worshipped by the Hindus

Main Hindu gods

– Vishnu “the Preserver”• Kind god who cares about the humans• Visits earth to guide humans or protect from disaster

– Shiva “the Destroyer”• Very powerful• Responsible for creative and destructive forces of

nature

– Brahman “the Creator• No physical form

Warm-Up #4 (2 February 2012)

1. Place the terms from your reading last night onto your term sheet.

2. What are some ways that Hinduism allows its followers to search for truth?

Hindu Beliefs

• Hindu texts:– The Upanishads- “sitting near a teacher”– Mostly in the form of question/answer

• Duties or dharma – Must be followed by each Hindu to escape

reincarnation– Depends on class, age, and occupation

• Ahimsa – All living things must be treated with respect

Reincarnation

• When a person dies, the soul is reborn into another body

• Every living thing has a soul (including animals) • Actions of a persons life affect his/her fate– The faithful will be reborn into higher positions

• Salvation is achieved when a person leads a perfect life and his/her soul become one with Brahman

Practices

• The Yogas– Exercises to help free the soul from the cares of

the world– yoga= “union” – Main types• Physical • Selfless deeds• Knowledge-writings• Devotion-honoring a personal god

Practices (continued)

• Worship in public by praying and performing rituals in temples

• Private devotion– In homes– Choose a personal god to honor by offering food,

gifts and prayers – Devotion to god=closer to brahman

Buddhism

• Founder: Siddhartha Gautama– Not satisfied with Hindu ideas because he believed that

others, not just priests, should be able to pass on knowledge

• His Search– Meditated and fasted for 49 days– Was able to discover the roots of suffering

• human selfish desire for power, wealth, and material happiness

– Spent time sharing his knowledge and became known as Buddha meaning “the enlightened one”

Practice: The Eightfold Path

• Also known as The Middle Way – Way for a person to avoid either extreme

happiness or extreme unhappiness• Eightfold path-– way for humans to learn to be wise, behave

correctly and to develop knowledge– People must act unselfishly and treat others fairly– Tell the truth – Avoid violence (especially killing)

End of Reincarnation

• Believed by Buddha that if people followed The Path they will achieve Nirvana – therefore being released from the cycle of

reincarnation

Warm-Up #5 (8 February 2012)

1. Which steps of the Eightfold path direct followers to lead a moral life?

2. Why do Buddhists try to follow the Middle Way?

3. Using the map on page 124, answer the Identify and Conclude questions.

Warm-Up #6 (14 February 2012)

1. How did Buddhism spread through India into other countries?

2. Name two of the yoga poses that we performed on Friday.

3. Name at least two other countries in which Buddhism has spread.

Warm-Up #7 (15 February 2012)

1. Add new terms to term sheet

2. Using the map on page 130, answer the identify and conclude questions.