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Chapter 4 -- Early Societies in South Asia Directions. Printout and review the Chapter outline & Study Guide prior to reading the Chapter. Not all the terms or people are to be found in the Chapter. For these, you are expected to research their relevance and include them. Publisher’s Website for Outlines, etc. -- http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072424354/student_view0/ Introduction. An agricultural economy and its accompanying Neolithic communities emerged on the Indian subcontinent some time after 7000 B.C.E Eventually some of the Neolithic villages further devolved into urban societies. The earliest such society was Dravidian and was known as the Harappan society. It flourished along the Indus River valley in the third millennium B.C.E. Coinciding with the decline of the Harappan society, large numbers of IndoEuropean migrants were moving into India from central Asia beginning around 1900B.C.E. These peoples, known as Aryans, brought with them cultural traditions sharply different from the earlier societies. After a period of turmoil the Aryan and Dravidian cultures merged to generate a distinctive Indian society characterized by Regional states with kingship (rajas) as the most common form of government. The caste system, a complex social class system that served as a vehicle for imparting a powerful sense of group identity, as a stabilizing influence in Indian society and as a foundation for Hinduism. A distinctive set or religious beliefs encompassing the doctrines of samsara and karma along with the notion of a universal soul, or Brahman. A rich literary religious tradition based on centuries of oral transmission that included such classics as the Vedas and the Upanishads. The following section, including “People & Terms” is to be highlighted on the Chapter Outline. Words not appearing in the outline must be added to the outline. Incorporate the information for the Study questions into the notes you add to the outline. People & Terms State in your own words what each of the following terms means and why it is significant to a study of this period. Indra Aryans Dravidians Harappan society Indus River Harappa Mohenjo-Daro Sanskrit Pakrit Vedas Rig Vedas Raja Punjab Ganges River caste Varna Brahmans Kshatriyas Shudras jatis patriarchy Law book of Manu sati soma Varuna Upanishads samsara Karma moksha Study Questions o Little is known of Harappan society. What do we know about the nature of the society? How do historians and archaeologists explain the decline of the Harappan culture? o The religious beliefs of this period emerged as a blending of Aryan and Dravidian traditions and significant developments in the later Vedic age. These beliefs were the underpinnings of the Hindu religion, which is still the most prevalent religion of the Indian sub-continent. What aspects of this system make it so appealing to people? How did it both reflect and support other institutions? o Discuss the nature of patriarchy in early Indian societies. How are patriarchy and gender roles reflected in the Law book of Manu? o Examine the political world of ancient India. Why was it so politically fragmented? How did this lack of unity influence the course of Indian history? o Explain the relationship between each of the following pairs. How does one lead to or foster the other? Be specific in your response. o o o o o Caste & Upanishads Harappan society & cattle The Vedas & the Law book of Manu Karma & vegetarianism Aryans & rajas