Flourished from 2600 to 1900 B.C.E, Believed That Civilization Suffered System S Failure(Ended)

Expansion of Indian Civilization Indus Valley Urban Centers: Flourished from 2600 to 1900 B.C.E, believed that civilization suffered system’s • failure(ended) Culture is best known for two great cities: Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro (modern • names) Consistent width of of streets and length of city blocks and the uniformity of mud bricks • suggest strong central authority. Seat of authority may have been a citadel: an elevated, enclosed compound containing • large buildings Different centers may have had different functions- some cities served as a a gateway • for procuring the precious stones of the northwest,while coastal towns engaged in seaborne trade Technology: Metal used for utilitarian tools and other everyday objects • showed skill in irrigation, used potter’s wheel, laid foundation of buildings with mud • bricks Had a system of writing with more than four hundred signs • Trade and Culture Had ready access to metals, and precious stones of eastern Iran and Afghanistan, • Ore deposits in western, building stones, and timber- from west India • Foundation Of Indian Civilization Vedic Age: From 1500 to 500 B.C.E- Vedic Age. After the Vedas and laid foundation of Indian Civi- • lization Iron used to cut trees. Cleared land with plows pulled by oxen • Aryas- lighter skinned, Indo-European languages, in northern India. Dasas- dark,Dravidi- • an languages, in southern India Caste and culture: Varna- color class- Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra • Broad class divisions, the population was further divided in jati • Vedic Religion: Dominant deities were male and associated with the heavens • Sacrifice-often living creature- was essential ritual • Jainism and Buddhism Mahavira(Jina) established Jainism- Emphasized holiness life force animating living • creatures When Buddha died he left no final instructions. Some followed Mahayana Buddhism- • embraced new features- while others did Theravada Buddhism- original teachings of founder Hinduism- foundation is the Vedic religion of Arya peoples of northern India • Gupta and Mauryan Empires: Mauryan- founded by Chandragupta, later ruled by his grandson, Ashoka(324-184 • B.C.E) During Mauryan fragmentation- Two great epics- Mahabharata( story told in Bha- • gavad-Gita) and Ramayana Gupta Empire-Controlled most of Indian subcontinent through military force and • culture(320-550 C.E) The Mughal Empire(1526-1761) Founded by Babur- Descendent of Timur and Genghis Khan. • Akbar,Babur’s grandson,and three other successors brought almost entire India under • Mughal control Created Divine Faith-incorporated Muslim, Hindu, Zoroastrian, Sikh, and Christian be- • liefs Akbar strived for social harmony and reconciliation between Muslims and Hindus • Fall- regional powers rose up, official(nawab) created independent states, bad land-grant • system, new territory was not well integrated, French involvement in India