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 The subcontinent of India is a land of contrast. Some
regions are among the wettest on earth; others dry
and arid.
 Three regions of India are of utmost geographical
importance:
1. The ring of mountains in the north that separates India from
its neighbors.
2. The Indus and Ganges River-Valleys and their territories.
3.The southern peninsula, especially the vast Deccan plateau.

MOHENJO-DARO
IN SOUTHERN
PAKISTAN
HARAPPA
IN PUNJAB

 Both cities were, over 300 miles in
circumference, and with large populations built
of fired mud-brick, Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa
were the results of careful planning with citadels
towering 40-50 feet above the surrounding
plains.

 The Aryans, an Indo-European people who entered
from the northwest. Formed part of the widespread
migration that transformed the face of much of the
ancient world and of India.
 Rig Veda/Hymns of knowledge- The Rig Veda is a
collection of hymns in praise of Aryan gods.
 In course of time, the Aryans occupied the Ganges
after clearing the forest and subjugating other tribes.
The Aryans and their predecessors blended their
culture, each influencing the other.

 A caste is a hereditary class of people who to the
same religion, has specific trade or occupation
with member of other castes.
 By 500 BCE, the Indian society evolved into four
main groups: the priests were called Brahmins;
the warriors and kings belonged to the
Kshatriyas; the farmers, craftsman, and
merchants were the Vaisyas; and the laborers
and slaves were the Sudras.

 The Vedic hymns written in Sanskrit comprised the
ancient Hindu literature.
The Rig Veda- with 1 107 poems is the oldest in the
collection.
The Sectras- contained laws and ceremonies
The Upanishads or oral teaching explains changes
in the religious beliefs.
 Two long epics of India:
Mahabharata- tells of the struggle between the
Aryan kingdoms.
Ramayana-illustrates the ideals of Aryan warriors

Three great religions in the world
developed in India: Hinduism, Jainism and
Buddhism.
Brahma, a supreme being that creates
everything in this word, is the powerful god
off all indus.
Three main gods are: Brahma the creator,
Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva, the
destroyer.

 Siddhartha Gautama
better known as Buddha,
meaning the “Enlightened
One” was a great
religious reformer who
questioned the existing
beliefs and practice of
Hindu religion especially
the caste.

 Man’s life is full of mystery and suffering.
 Man’s suffering is caused by mans selfish
desires.
 Man can end his suffering by overcoming his
desires.
 To achieve Nirvana one must overcome one’s
desire through ‘right’ rightful living. This, Buddha
calls the eightfold path – right understanding,
right intention, right conduct, right speech, right
livelihood, right endeavor, right awareness, and
right contemplation

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