India - Geography
Where is India located?
Southern edge of Asian continent
To east = East Asia and South East Asia (China, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, etc.)
To west = Central Asia ({Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Arabia, etc.)
To north = China, Nepal
To south = Indian Ocean
What is India's land like?
Separate subcontinent riding on a tectonic plate
Riding northeast
Colliding with Asian continent
Collision zone wrinkling up into Himalayan mountains, still growing
Northern border = high mountains, even the passes are high
North = wide river plains
Rivers fed by snow melt
South = hilly
Rivers fed by unpredictable rainfall
Two major rivers = Indus (1800 miles long), so important it is source of name of country
Ganges (1560 miles long), holy
What is India's climate like?
Summer = monsoon season
Almost all rain falls in summer
4 months of rain
Winter = dry winds from central Asia
Monsoons sometimes late or fail
What was the impact of India's geography on its development?
Mountains kept invaders out
cut off from other Asian cultures
Northern rivers' predictable flooding allowed boat travel
Southern river's irregular flow prevents boat travel
North more united because of easier travel
Large, ancient empires were in the north
Flooding still a problem in north
Deforestation making it worse
India - Politics
Timeline
2,500 BCE cities well organized, cooperation between cities
1,500 BCE large number of s people immigrated into India from Eastern Europe
migration continued over next 3,000 years
500 BCE India divided into large city-states
controlled by Rajahs
400 BCE controlled by Persian and Greek invaders
320 BCE Chadragupta Maurya united India
273 BCE Ashoka (Chadragupta's grandson)
200 - 300 AD united India breaks up into quarreling city-states
300 AD - 700 AD Gupta Empire
Golden Age
200 years of peace and economic growth
What is significance of migration?
Introduced new customs and ideas
First wave were warriors and herders
Competed with local Indians
Aryans better fighters because they brought horses into India for first time
What is significance of Chadragupta Maurya's rule?
United India
Cruel, harsh leader, turned peasants into slaves
Made lots of enemies, had food tasters and slept in different place every night
Afraid of assassination (murder for political reason)
Turned empire over to son and then to grandson
What is significance of Ashoka's rule?
Converted to Buddhism (against , vegetarianism)
Sent missionaries to teach Buddhism around Asia
Still honored as "The greatest and nobles ruler India has known."
After Ashoka's , India again broke into quarreling city-states
India - Economics
Why was India successful?
Annual flooding renewed fertility of river valleys
Flooding also destructive, still is
Early civilizations successful enough that few farmers needed to produce food
Excess calories allowed people to specialize in trades, higher education
Describe the Golden Age of the Gupta Empire
About 300 AD
200 years of peace and economic growth
medicine improved - free hospitals, skin graphs, sterilization
inoculation (not used in Europe until 1700 AD)
mathematics - Indo-Arabic numerals exported via Arab traders
base ten, zero
language - root of English, spread widely
mater - mother
bhrater - brother
duhitar - daughter
freedom
good roads
safe streets
beautiful temples and palaces
flourishing of art, literature, education
India - Social structure
What were cities like during the Classical Age around 1500 BCE?
Aryan immigrants from Central Asia, Eastern Europe brought new culture and people
About 45,000 population in larger cities
Very advanced
Fortress like protection
On mounds above flood levels
Well-planned street layout (straight)
Garbage collection
Public grain storage sheds (30' high, 1200' long)
Big enough to feed entire city
Standard weights and measures used by many cities, indicates high degree of cooperation
Modern India still called, "a nation of villages"
Two story homes with private well,
Servant's rooms,
separate kitchens,
bedrooms,
bathing with drains
What were the classes of people?
Most were craft workers and merchants,
Farmers were minority since land was so productive
Classes introduced by immigrants
Dictated by their holy books (Vedas)
Born into one caste
Can't move into or marry into different caste
head = Priests and scholar
arms = Warriors and rulers
legs = Farmers and merchants
feet = commoners, craftspeople, laborers, servants
untouchables = garbage collectors, handle people = impure
India - Religion (1 of 2)
Describe Hinduism
Prehistoric origins
No individual human founder (unique)
No commandments
Not polytheistic, most non-Hindu's think it is polytheistic
Panentheistic = God is in World and Beyond world
Concept very similar to Christianity's Father-Son-Holy Spirit concept
= a single jewel casts many rainbows
1/6 of people on Earth
all animals have souls
most are vegetarians
reincarnate until reach spiritual perfection
good life = born into higher social position
poorly lived = born into lower life form
Ganges = holiest river, "blessing of the world"
Hindus bathe there to "wash away their sins"
Rivers holy because they make life possible
Several different traditions
What are the basic Hindu Beliefs?
1. Vedas (scriptures) are God's word
2. One, all-pervasive Supreme Being, creator
3. universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation, and dissolution
4. Karma = law of cause and effect, each individual creates his own destiny
5. Immortal soul reincarnation (re = again, in, carne = flesh) until liberation achieved
6. personal worship creates communion with God
7. To reach liberation we need: personal discipline, good conduct, purification, pilgrimage,
self-inquiry, meditation, guru (guidance)
8. All life is sacred, to be loved, and revered, practice non-injury
9. No particular religion teaches the only way to salvation.
All genuine religions are facets of God's pure love and deserve tolerance and understanding.
India - Religion (2 of 2)
Describe Buddhism
Started by Siddhartha Gautama (born 568 BCE, died 85 years old)
Son of Indian prince, lived comfortable life, at 30 years old, went outside palace wall for first time
First sights = old man bent with age
Man too sick to care for himself
body
Servant explained age, sickness, and come to all
Siddhartha wanted to know why, how might it be ended?
Left father's palace and spent life as wandering beggar searching for answers
Studied with Hindu priests so many similarities to Hinduism
Reincarnation - one must go through many cycles of birth, living and
After many such cycles, if a person releases their attachment to desire and self
They can attain Nirvana, a state of liberation and freedom from suffering
Sat under tree to rest and think, discovered meaning of life - became Buddha
Meaning of life = people should seek love, truth, joy of knowledge, and a calm mind
Spent rest of life teaching
No holy books
Several different traditions
What are the basic Buddhism beliefs?
Four Noble Truths
1. Dukkha: The reality and universality of suffering, causes by loss, sickness, pain, failure,
Impermanence of pleasure
2. Samudaya: The cause of suffering is a desire to have and control things
cravings, desire for fame, desire to avoid unpleasantness (trouble, fear, anger, jealousy)
3. Nirodha: Suffering ceases with the final liberation of Nirvana
mind experiences complete freedom, liberation, and nonattachment for cravings and desire
4. Magga: The eightfold path leads to the cessation of suffering
Five Precepts (similar to second half of Ten Commandments)
1. Do not kill.
2. Do not steal.
3. Do not lie.
4. Do not be unchaste.
5. Do not consume alcohol or other .
Eightfold Path
Wisdom
1. Right understand of Four Noble Truths
2. Right thinking, following the right path in life
Morality
3. Right Speech - no lying, criticism, condemning, gossip, and harsh language
4. Right Conduct - follow the Five Precepts
5. Right livelihood - support yourself without harming others
Concentration
6. Right Effort - promote good thoughts, conquer evil thoughts
7. Right Mindfulness - become aware of your body, mind, and feelings
8. Right Concentration - meditate to achieve a higher state of consciousness
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