I. The Land of India (pages 195–197)

  1. India is a subcontinent because it is separated from the rest of Asia by the Himalyas, the highest mountains in the world.
  2. The Indian subcontinent contains five nations: India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
  3. India has two fertile river valleys created by the Ganges River and the Indus River.
  4. A monsoon is a strong wind that blows one direction in winter and the opposite direction in summer. Monsoons bring rain in summer.
  5. The first civilization in India arose near the Indus River after the river flooded and left fertile soil behind. This civilization started about 3000 B.C. and lasted until about 1500 B.C.
  6. Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were large, well-planned cities in ancient India.
  7. The cities had wells, drains for wastewater, garbage chutes, and organized governments. The houses were made from baked mud bricks.
  8. Most people were farmers. They grew wheat, barley, peas, and cotton. City dwellers were artisans, who made jewelry, pottery, tools, and cloth. The Harappans traded their goods with people from other lands.

II. The Aryans Invade (pages 198–199)

  1. The Aryans were hunters who also raised and herded cattle.
  2. Because they herded animals, Aryans were also nomads and expert warriors. They had metal-tipped spears and wooden chariots.
  3. The Aryans invaded Harappan civilization and destroyed it. They later conquered all of the Indian subcontinent except the southern tip of India.
  4. After conquering India, the Aryans became farmers but continued to raise cattle. The cattle were so important, the Aryans eventually declared them sacred.
  5. The Aryans invented an iron plow and built canals to improve farming.
  6. The Aryan’s written language is called Sanskrit.
  7. Aryan tribes were led by a raja, or prince.
  8. III. Society in Ancient India (pages 199–201) A. A caste is a social group that someone is born into and cannot
  9. change.
  1. B. The Aryans believed in four levels of society. The top level included priests and warriors. The next level was common people, such as merchants and farmers. The third level included laborers and servants. The lowest level was made up of the Untouchables. These people did work others did not want to do.

C. Men’s lives were considered more important than women’s lives.

  1. In most cases, only men could inherit property. Only men were allowed to go to school or become priests.
  2. Parents arranged marriages, and divorce was not allowed.

I. Hinduism (pages 203–204) A. Hinduism, the world’s third largest religion, is one of the oldest

religions.

  1. Hinduism’s roots are in the Aryan religion, which changed after borrowing ideas from conquered people of India.
  2. The Brahman is the universal spirit made up of thousands of gods and goddesses.
  3. The Upanishads are ancient religious writings that describe the search for Brahman.

E. Reincarnation is the idea of passing through many lives to reach the Brahman.

  1. Dharma is the divine law of Hindus. This law states that Hindus must perform the duties of their caste.
  2. The consequences of how a person lives is called karma.

II. Buddhism (pages 205–208)

  1. Buddhism is a religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama, the man who became known as the Buddha, or “Enlightened One.”
  2. Siddhartha Gautama was a prince who left his family and wealth to travel. In his travels, he saw much suffering and questioned the need for suffering. Legend tells he meditated under a tree for 49 days, and then he understood. For the rest of his life, Siddhartha traveled to tell people about his discovery.
  3. Nirvana, a state of wisdom, occurs when a person gives up all desires.
  4. The core of Buddha’s teaching is called the Four Noble Truths. The Eightfold Path describes the steps to eliminate suffering.
  5. Buddhism divided into Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism. Theravada Buddhists believe the Buddha was a great teacher, not a god. Mahayana Buddhists believe the Buddha was a god who came to save people.
  6. Tibet is a country in central Asia where Mahayana Buddhism mixed with traditional Tibetan religion and Hinduism to create a special kind of Mahayana Buddhism.
  7. In Tibet, religious leaders, called lamas, headed the government. The Dalai Lama was the government leader, and the Panchen Lama was the religious leader.
  8. A theocracy is a form of government in which religious leaders head the government.

II. The Gupta Empire (page 213)

  1. After 500 years of fighting, another Chandragupta took power and founded the Gupta dynasty.
  2. After Chandragupta died, his son, Samudragupta, took over and expanded the empire.
  3. The Guptas ruled for about 200 years. They grew wealthy from trade with China and kingdoms in southeast Asia and the Mediterranean.
  4. Pilgrims were people who often used the trade routes to travel to a religious shrine or site. Visiting pilgrims helped make cities wealthy just as tourists make cities wealthy today.
  5. The Guptas were Hindus, and they made Hinduism the official religion.
  6. The golden age of art and learning in India was during the Gupta empire.

III. Indian Literature and Science (pages 214–216)

  1. The Vedas of India are hymns and prayers used in religious ceremonies. The Vedas were recorded in Sanskrit after the Aryan people came to India.
  2. The epics Mahabharata and Ramayana are two poems that are still famous in India today. Both epics tell about warriors and their brave deeds.
  3. Kalidasa was a writer who lived during the Gupta dynasty. His poem The Cloud Messenger is one of the most popular Sanskrit poems.
  4. Aryabhata was a mathematician who lived during the Gupta dynasty. He was one of the first scientists to use algebra.
  5. Mathematicians in the Gupta empire developed the symbols for the numbers 1 to 9 that we use today. They also invented algorithms and the idea of zero.
  6. Indians also developed ideas in astronomy and medicine.