Download Early India and the Vedic Age

Civilizations of Early India
Early India and the Vedic Age
Seat work
Students will quietly enter the room, find your
seats and discuss your three sticky notes on
pages 200-211 with your row group.
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Civilizations of Early India
Early India and the Vedic Age
Quiz show:
What are the 5 Hindu castes?
Brahmins, Kshatrayas, Vaishyas, Sudras, Dalits
How many theories about where the Indo-Aryans came form does the book
discus?
Three
Why where the Aryans such good warriors?
They had fast horse drawn two-wheeled chariots.
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Civilizations of Early India
Introduction
Chapter Introduction
This chapter will introduce you to the Civilizations
of Early India. You will learn about the Indus
Valley civilization, the Vedic age, and religions that
emerged in early India.
Section 1: Indus Valley Civilization
Section 2: India’s Vedic Age
Section 3: Hinduism
Section 4: Buddhism
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Civilizations of Early India
Indus Valley Civilization
What geographic features
affected early India?
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Civilizations of Early India
Indus Valley Civilization
Key Terms
monsoon—seasonal winds that bring rain to
the Indian subcontinent during parts of the
year
subcontinent—large landmass that is set
apart from the rest of the continent
migrate—v., to move from one region to
another in order to live there
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Civilizations of Early India
Indus Valley Civilization
Key Ideas
The first civilization of the Indian Subcontinent
developed along the Indus River.
The Indus Valley civilization had large,
well-planned cities, a strong government,
and an extensive trade network.
Seasonal winds, called monsoons, influence the
climate of the region.
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Civilizations of Early India
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Civilizations of Early India
Indus Valley Civilization
An Advanced Civilization
By 2500 B.C., well-planned cities such as
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro had developed.
City streets were laid out in a grid pattern.
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Civilizations of Early India
India’s Vedic Age
Key Ideas
Most historians believe that Indo-Aryan
nomads entered the Indian subcontinent
over many years and mixed with local
people.
Sacred scriptures known as the Vedas teach
us about the Aryan religion and customs.
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Civilizations of Early India
India’s Vedic Age
Key Ideas
A caste system emerged in India dividing
Indians into groups based on birth and
occupation.
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Civilizations of Early India
India’s Vedic Age
Key Terms
caste—fixed social class into which a person
is born
Brahmin—priest
Kshatriya—ruler or warrior
Vaishya—landowner, banker, or merchant
Sudra—farmer, laborer, or servant
Dalit—person who performed dirty jobs
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Civilizations of Early India
India’s Vedic Age
The Origins of the Indo-Aryans
By 1500 B.C., a people called Aryans lived
in the Indus Valley.
The Aryans mixed with local people, who
adopted the Aryan language and religion.
This period of Indian history is called
the Vedic age.
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Civilizations of Early India
India’s Vedic Age
What three theories explain
the presence of the Aryans in India?
Theories About Aryans
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Civilizations of Early India
India’s Vedic Age
The Origins of the Indo-Aryans
After settling in India, the Aryans composed the
Vedas—sacred hymns that described their
religion and society.
For a thousand years, priests chanted the
Vedas in the Sanskrit language.
Most Vedas praise Aryan gods and goddesses.
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Civilizations of Early India
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Civilizations of Early India
India’s Vedic Age
The Origins of the Indo-Aryans
During the Vedic age, Aryans moved into the
Ganges Plain and took up farming.
Clans joined to form republics, and powerful
leaders made themselves kings.
By 500 B.C., more than a dozen kingdoms
covered the Ganges Plain.
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Civilizations of Early India
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Civilizations of Early India
India’s Vedic Age
The Caste System
Aryans introduced the caste system, which
became India’s social structure.
A person was born into a caste and could not
mix with members of other castes.
Castes were organized by jatis, or types of
jobs, and by varnas, or religious status.
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Civilizations of Early India
India’s Vedic Age
The Caste System
The caste system limited people’s individual
freedom because the patterns of their lives
were fixed at birth.
Some believe the caste system brought stability
to Indian society.
In India today, the law forbids caste
discrimination.
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Civilizations of Early India
India’s Vedic Age
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Civilizations of Early India
India’s Vedic Age
The Caste System
Why did people in the higher castes avoid
physical contact with untouchables?
How did the caste system evolve over time?
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Civilizations of Early India
India’s Vedic Age
How did the lives of the Aryans change
as they moved from the dry grasslands
west of the Indus River to the humid
Ganges Plain?
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