Ancient South Asia

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Ancient South Asia

Life in the Indus Valley

- Archaeologists believe that these people understood urban planning

> The designing and planning of city layouts

- The ruins of the ancient cities were evidence that this was a highly advanced civilization

Aryan Supremacy

- At around 200 Bc, the Indo-European-speaking Aryans left their homeland in Siberia and the Steppe region north of the Caucasus

- In India, the Aryans instituted new political and social systems

- The Indo-Europeans were a group of people who used language that became the basis for modern languages in Europe, West Asia, and South Asia

- Their excellent fighting skills made them successful n their military campaigns and conquests

- They were able to conquer the Dravidians

> a group of people believed to be the ancestors of ancient Harappan

- The Aryans developed a system of writing called the Sanskrit

- This paved the way for the writing of one of the most important Aryan books, the Vedas

The Vedas

- Contained the ancient data and information on the lives of the Aryans

- This was the sacred literature of Hinduism

- Described the lives of the people in South Asia during the time of the warring kingdoms, and the alliances ng the ethnolinguistic groups

- The events and traditions that are described in the Vedas are part of the Vedic period

- Four collections of prayers, magical spells, and instructions for performing rituals

Rig

Sama

Atharva

Yajur

Hindu Society

Caste System

- A social system that divides people in society into different social classes

- A result of the Aryan culture blending with other people in South Asia and enslaving people in India

- Over the years, y rules were made for how the people in these social classes or castes would interact with each other

- People were born in their caste for life

Influence of Buddhism and Jainism

- Buddhism was based on the teachings of Siddharta Gautama or Buddha

- A polytheistic religion

- The ideas of Buddhism are the eightfold path and the Four Noble Truths

- Reincarnation is the cycle of death and rebirth in order to attain nirvana

The Eightfold Path

Right view

Right purposes

Right speech

Right conduct

Right livelihood

Right effort

Right mindfulness

Right meditation

Four Noble Truths

- Life is full of suffering

- Suffering is caused by desire

- Suffering will end with the end of desire

- The way to end suffering is through the Eightfold Path

Nirvana

- The eightfold path would lead to nirvana or a release from selfishness or pain

- Eternal bliss

Siddharta Gautama

- An Indian prince who gave up a life of luxury or one of meditation and teaching

- His followers started calling him 'the enlightened one' or 'Buddha'

Mahavira and Jainism

- Mahavira (aka Vadharmana), was a contemporary of Buddha

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