T I M E L I N E S I N D I A : ANCIENT. film ideas, Inc. INSTRUCTIONAL GUIDE TIMELINES OF ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS 14 PART SERIES

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1 TIMELINES OF ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS -PART SERIES EGYPTIAN Part I & II CHINESE Part I & II GREEK Part I & II INDIA Part I & II ROMAN Part I & II JAPANESE Part I & II MESOPOTAMIAN Part I & II film ideas, Inc. Presents T I M E L I N E S Of ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS PART SERIES Consider Visiting These Web Sites: Film ideas, inc. 08 N. Wolf Rd. Wheeling, IL Tel: filmid@ais.net Web Site: Copyright 006 I N D I A : P A R T INDUS RIVER CIVILIZATIONS TO BUDDHISM INSTRUCTIONAL GUIDE

2 INTRODUCTION TO SERIES Study the map on pg.. Then write the name of the location on the solid black line. Designed to enhance the social studies curriculum for the intermediate aged student on up. Timelines of Ancient Civilizations offers students a unique perspective about the chronological developments of the greatest societies the world has ever known. As a complementary device with each video, an instructional guide suggests exercises to enhance the learning for teachers, parents and students. These interactive exercises will reinforce and further develop a student s level of comprehension. The instructional guide provides: Vocabulary Biography Chronology / Q & A Discussion Points / Activities Geography Permission granted to copy the exercises provided in this guide. For educational use ONLY. E-Guides available at

3 Study the location of the countries on the map. Then test your geography skills on pg.. AFGHANISTAN PAKISTAN INDIA CHINA I N D I A In south Asia, some of the Earth s oldest known settlements were started along the banks of the Indus and Ganges Rivers. In this part of Asia, the land mass through which those two rivers flow is known as the Indian subcontinent. That means it is almost as large as the smallest of Earth s seven continents. The Indian subcontinent is divided from the rest of Asia by the Himalayan Mountains, the highest mountains in the world. From west to east, the subcontinent is nearly,000 miles wide and north to south, it is about,500 from the Himalayan Mountains to the tip of the island of Sri Lanka, which was, until,000 years ago, connected to the mainland. It was in this setting that three major civilizations were launched: the Munda, the Dravidian, and the Hindu, and although they are all thousands of years old, legacies from all of them remain with us today. The primary reason we know so much about these ancient cultures is due to their early advances in the skills of language and writing. The remnants of these societies are left for us today, in the form of over 0 identifiable languages, spoken in more than,000 local dialects, across this vast land. Anthropologists believe that people lived in India as long as 50,000 years ago. The early peoples of the subcontinent are known collectively as the Munda. By the year,000 BCE, the first invaders to challenge the Munda culture, the Dravidians, began arriving from the West. About,000 BCE, the third civilization, the Vedic Aryans arrived.the Hindu caste system was introduced around,000 BCE. About 800 BCE, the seven rivers of the Sarasvati began to vanish. During this time, the subcontinent went through a period of feudalism. In 56 BCE, Gautama Siddhartha, the founder of Buddhism, was born. At its beginning, India was a destination for many different groups looking for land upon which to live. One of the most unique aspects of the migrations into the Indus River Valley is that the new arrivals did not feel compelled to slaughter of completely displace the old inhabitants, as was the common practice in other cultures in ancient times.

4 VOCABULARY of India Part I ANTHROPOLOGIST: A scientist who studies the origin, behavior, and the physical, social, and cultural development of humans. BRAHMINS: The Hindu religion s priests and the top of the caste system. CASTE SYSTEM: A rigid code of the Hindus that divided Indian society into four social classes. DRAVIDIANS: The first invaders to challenge the Munda culture who began arriving about 000 BCE. They are believed to be of Mediterranean or African origin. They are the first culture to have permanent settlements along the Indus River. GAUTAMA SIDDHARTHA: The Buddha, or Enlightened One ; Indian prince whose meditations and discovery of the Great Truths became the foundation of the Buddhist religion. HARAPPA: A town founded by the Dravidians about 500 BCE along the Indus River. HIMALAYAS: The highest mountains in the world. They separate India from the rest of Asia. HUNTER-GATHERERS: People who killed or found all of their food in a nomadic lifestyle and did not practice agriculture. INDIA: A country of southern Asia consisting of approximately,6,880 square miles; the second most populous country in the world. Study the vocabulary words on pgs. &. Then fill in the blank by selecting the words from the answers list: ANSWERS LIST : Hunter-Gatherers Brahmins Mahabharata Harappa Anthropologist Vedas Kshatriyas Dravidians Sanskrit A) The ruling or warrior class that was the second level of the Hindu caste system were the. B) People who killed or found all of their food in a nomadic lifestyle and did not practice agriculture were known as. C) A scientist who studies the origin, behavior, and the physical, social, and cultural development of humans is called an. D) The is the longest book in the world. E) was a town founded by the Dravidians around 500 BCE.

5 Q & A about India Part I Study the vocabulary words on pages & and the timeline on pg.. Then answer the questions.. In south Asia, some of the Earth s oldest settlements started along the banks of what two major rivers?. What mountains separate the Indian subcontinent from the rest of Asia? What island separated from the mainland about,000 years ago?. What three major civilizations were launched in India?. What is the collective name for the earliest peoples of India? How do we know so much about them? 5. Who were the first invaders to challenge the early people of India? What town of theirs was uncovered in 856? 6. What language did the Aryans contribute? What is significant about this language? What are the oral histories that the Aryans contributed? What are the four main types of these oral histories? What is the group of written texts contributed by the Aryans? 7. What are the four social classes of the Hindu caste system? What is the fifth class that is considered the lowest? What brought an end to the acceptance of the caste system? KSHATRIYAS: The ruling or warrior class that was the second level of the Hindu caste system. MAHABHARATA: The longest book in the world. It tells the story of Krishna, a god-hero, who fought in an epic civil war for control of the Indus River Valley. MUNDA: Collective name given to the early peoples of the Indian subcontinent; named after a common language type shared by the many tribes or groups. RIG-VEDA: The oldest book in the world, which talks of the more than,000 gods of the Hindu religion. SANSKRIT: Language brought by the Aryans that is the oldest language still in daily use today. SHUDRAS: The farming or laboring class that performed all of the menial tasks of Hindu society. SUTRAS: A group of Sanskrit texts that contain literature and instruction on morality and ancient law. UNTOUCHABLES: The lowest members of the Hindu caste system. They were the poorest group and had to do the most undesirable jobs. VAISHYAS: The merchants and bankers who made up the middle class of the Hindu caste system. VEDAS: The oral histories of the Aryans. VEDIC ARYANS: Light-skinned invaders of India from Turkistan and Russia who would become known as the Hindus. 8. Who was Gautama Siddhartha? What became the foundation of the Buddhist religion? 0

6 TIMELINE of India Part I billion years ago: When many scientists believe planet earth began. 00 million years ago: Dinosaurs roamed the earth. 65 million years ago: Dinosaurs extinct. million years ago: Humans began to stand upright and began making tools and weapons. 50,000 BCE - 0,000 BCE: Early Paleolithic Period. Evidence indicates that people (the Munda) lived in India. 0,000 BCE: The island of Sri Lanka separates from the Indian mainland. 000 BCE: The Dravidians invade the Munda civilization. 500 BCE: The Dravidians founded the town of Harappa BCE: The Vedic Aryans invade India and are firmly established in India by,000 BCE BCE: The Hindu caste system begins about,000 BCE and is an accepted practice until about 500 BCE BCE: The Saravasvati River vanishes, resulting in a shift of the Hindu civilization away from the Indus River Valley to the Ganges River Valley. A period of feudalism. 56 CE: Gautama Siddhartha, the Buddha, is born. 856 CE: The ruins of Harappa were uncovered along the Indus River. Discussion Points /Activities. Imagine you lived during the time of ancient India. Discuss how life would be different than living in the st century.. A timeline offers a chronological perspective of significant events which have happened throughout history. After viewing the program, study the timeline on pg of this guide, then develop your own timeline which illustrates India s enduring history. Perhaps use the computer; add pictures along with text; or develop a multimedia presentation.. India is famous for the Hindu caste system, even though it is not accepted today. Write a brief profile explaining the role of the social classes in the caste system, including the Untouchables. Use the internet for your research.. The science of archeology has provided valuable information about the historic past to the modern-day world. If possible contact an archeologist (preferably one who is an expert on ancient India) at a local university, museum or privately funded institution. Ask them to visit your school or arrange a class trip to visit them to explain the importance of archeology. 5. Discuss the differences and similarities between ancient India and present-day India. Who is the leader of India today? What is and was the primary religion practiced in ancient India and India today? What major industries existed in ancient India and India today? What is and was the primary means of transportation in ancient India and India today? What was and is the primary language of ancient India and India today, etc.? 6. Many famous people have come from India. Research and write a brief biography on some of these people and their contributions to society. 9

7 GEOGRAPHY of India Part I Study the map on pgs. 6 & 7. Then on the solid black line write the name of the location and on a separate piece of paper write a brief description of each location. Use the words described in this guide on pgs. & to complete the crossword. 6 5 ACROSS: DOWN: 5 5 ) A group of Sanskrit texts )The highest mountains in the world 5) Oldest language still in use today 8 5 ) Gautama Siddhartha, the Enlightened One ) Member of the middle class of the Hindu caste system 6) Hindu social class ANSWERS: Across - ) Sutras, ) Himalayas, 5) Sanskrit Down -) Buddha, ) Vaishya, 6) Caste

8 MAP of India Part I Study the modern-day map and its significant locations below. Then test your geography skills on pg. 8. HIMALAYAS: The mountains located on the northeastern border of India. ARABIAN SEA: The body of water located along India s southwestern border. BAY OF BENGAL: The body of water located along India s southeastern border. NEW DELHI: The capital city of India today. 5 INDIAN OCEAN: The ocean to the south of India