Planned Cities on the Indus

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1 Sitar From Persian "she-tar", meaning three strings. It is an instrument of the Vina family and its invention is attributed to Amir Khusran in the 13 c., but it was not until the 17c. that the instruments took on his present form. The resonance box is made of a dried pumpkin and the neck of oak. Four cords of brass and steel are placed over moveable frets.

2 Planned Cities on the Indus Main idea: The first Indian civilization built well-planned cities on the banks of the Indus River. Why it matters now: The culture of India today has it roots in the civilization of the early Indus cities.

3 Geography -Indus valley civilization - Around 2500 BC, a civilization began to develop around the Indus River in what is now Pakistan and western India. Ruins of ancient cities Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro show that those ancient people built drainage systems that ran into brick-lined sewers. Brick homes many stories high were common. They also developed systems of writing and counting, and dug canals to irrigate their farms.

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5 The fertile soil of India's river plains is an important natural resource. Rice is the principal crop grown in India, and the country ranks second only to China in world rice production. Much of the crop is used to feed the domestic population, as rice is the dietary staple for many Indians.

6 Questions: 1. What environmental challenges did the farmers of the Indus Valley had that the Sumerians and Egyptians did not? 2. What factors may have contributed to the decline of the Indus valley civilization? A. Floods were unpredictable; river changes course; monsoons. B. Change in the river course; overuse of land; sudden catastrophe

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8 Plumbing in Mohenjo-Daro

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10 Hinduism -Is a set of beliefs and practices that developed slowly, resulting in the worship of thousands of Gods. The 4 key ideas of Hinduism are: 1. Brahman is One, and yet expresses itself as Many. 2. Brahman is soul and is everywhere. 3. Believed in reincarnation (passing of inner self from body to body) 4. They seek to reach the state of moksha (perfect understanding)

11 South Indian Temple

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14 Buddhism There 4 Noble Truths: 1. Everything in life is suffering and sorrow. 2. The cause of all this pain is people s self-centered cravings and desires. 3. The way to end all pain is to end all desires. 4. People can overcome their desires and attain enlightenment by following the Eightfold Path. right knowledge right purpose right speech right action right living right effort right mindfulness right meditation

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17 Jainism Along with Buddhism, Jainism is the most important reform movement to separate from the main body of Hinduism and establish an independent unit. Jainism has the universal message of nonviolence. Jainism also preaches that karma is knowable and ineffable (unspeakable) and that it is a cosmic power which directs justice in the future.

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19 Questions for discussion in class 1.What important contributions did the Aryan invaders make to the culture and way of life in India? Think about: roles in society; religion; literature. Answer: Roles in society- Aryan caste system ruled India for over 3000 years. Religion: -Aryan deities of the Vedas entered the Hindu religion. Literature: -The Vedas, Upanishads, and Mahabharata are great literary works with Aryan subjects or themes.

20 2.How might the belief in reincarnation provide a form of social control? Think about: karma; caste; and the belief in the interrelatedness of all life. Karma- motivates people to obey society s laws. The caste system Those born into a lower caste might hard work to achieve a higher caste in their next life. There are four main castes with complicated rules of behavior: 1) The priests,(brahmins) 2) the warriors, 3) the merchants, and 4) the common people, mostly peasants and laborers. Most people of ancient India were members of the commoner class, which had limited rights. A fifth group, the Untouchables, was outside the caste system. Considered not human, Untouchables performed the worst jobs such as cleaning toilets and burying the dead. While the caste system may seem unfair to us today, it provided a means for different kinds of people to live together peacefully while avoiding the slavery common to many ancient cultures. Belief in the interrelatedness of all life- belief in nonviolence, not to harm any life form.

21 3. In what ways are Buddhism and Hinduism similar? Answer: Search for perfect understanding and an end for suffering; Believed in reincarnations; Quest to end the quest of reincarnation; Cyclical view of history

22 4.What do you think about Jainism? Jainism has the universal message of nonviolence. Jainism also preaches that karma is knowable and ineffable (unspeakable) and that it is a cosmic power which directs retribution in the (future); this represents a marked break with the speculative Brahma of Hinduism.