Sol Bee and Tabea Mr.

Keefer AP World History August 23, 2011

Chapter 4: Early Societies in South Asia

Thesis: In the Verdic Age, Aryan and Dravidian people clashed and interacted with each other, causing their cultures to come together to form a unique new society and religion. Major Points: 1. Harrapan Society Foundation of Harappan Society o Built around the Indus Valley by Dravidians (3000~2500 B.C.E) unpredictable but provided water for crops and the community o Harappan society had food production, population growth, specialized labor o Harappa and Mohenjodaro- two major cities of the Harappan society that were influential because they were large, organized, wealthy, powerful, and flourished in agriculture and trade Harappan Society and Culture o Wealth causes social distinctions to arise- rich and poor had different lifestyles apparent through their homes o Harappan religion emphasized fertility, creation, and procreation (having offspring) o 1900~1500 B.C.E- decline of Harappan Society because of ecological problems (erosion of soil) and natural disasters (flooding), but the traditions remained (religion)

2. The Indo- European Migrations and Early Agricultural India The Aryans and India o Early Aryans depended more on animals than on crops o Rare but useful horses were precious and cattle represented wealth o The Vedas were compiled after being continuously orally transferredcomprised of songs, hymns etc. o Vedic Age (1500- 500 B.C.E)- Aryan chiefdom societies conflicted with each other o During the Vedic Age, Aryan groups migrated to Punjab (around Pakistan and India); also spread east and south and with iron tools, successfully cultivated rice, which stimulated rapid population growth o Growth of Aryan agriculture growth of political organizations Origins of the Caste System o Interactions between Dravidians and Aryans caused Aryans to set social distinctions called varna, literally meaning color (referring to skin color) o 1000 B.C.E Aryans set a caste system: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras, and the untouchables who were not even considered as a rank o Jati, or subgroups of the hierarchy arose o People could work their way up or descend in the caste system o Besides the caste system and varna distinctions, Aryans had male superiority over women o Law book of Manu- book saying women should be respected but remain obedient towards men

3. Religion in the Vedic Age Aryan Religion o Aryans portrayed Indra as a fierce war god while believed in Varuna as a god who maintained order and peace o Aryans gave animal sacrifices to gods to gain favor and blessings o Aryans felt sacrifices were too costly and repetitive attracted by Dravidians religion emphasizing fertility and rebirth into a new body The Blending of Aryan and Dravidian values o Upanishads (appeared 800-400 B.C.E) : recorded book of meetings between sages and people to discuss religious issues o Upanishads taught that appearances were deceiving and that individuals form a small part of a universal soul, called Brahman o Ultimate goal of Upanishads is to escape the cycle of birth and obtain moksha(deep sleep; freedom from the physical world) by having good deeds (karma) o Upanishads had high ethical beliefs - discouraged envy, greed, superficiality etc. and encouraged honesty, charity, and mercy

Key Terms: Aryans- important nomadic peoples who spoke Indo- Euoropean languages; called themselves Aryans which literally meant noble people Raja- Sanskrit word meaning king; chiefdoms leaders were called rajas

Caste- originated from the Portuguese word casta, referring to a hereditary social class that is unchangeable Varna- sankskrit terms meaning color; referring to main social classes Vedic Age- Indian history from 1500- 500 B.C.E when Vedas influenced Aryan society in India Veda- literally means wisdom or knowledge needed for priests to do their job (root word of vedas) Vedas- written down Aryan collection of hymns, sons, prayers etc.; represent priestly observation on situations/ issues Rig Veda- (1400- 900 B.C.E) most important of the Vedas Dasas- enemnies or subject peoples; Aryans called enemies this Varna- Sanskrit term meaning color; partly rose because of differences in complexionAryans (said they had wheat-colored skin) set them apart darker skinned Dravidians; developed into four main varnas (Hindu caste system) Jati- subcasts of the main varnas; divided into several thousand parts Lawbook of Manu- Indian mythology says an anonymous author wrote this Lawbook and gave it to Manu, the founder of human race; book emphasized more respect for women and obedience towards men in turn Sati- (Sattee) a practice in which a widow throws herself in fire to go with her husband; not very popular in India Upanishad- as sitting in front of; a work in dialogue form; meeting of disciples and a sage to discuss on religious issues. Moksha- deep dreamless sleep of no incarnations in the physical world

Karma- specific incarnation people go through in rebirth Brahman eternal, same, genuine reality for all things that exist

Questions and Answers: What was the cause of the decline of the Harappan society? Harappan society declined sometime after 1900B.C.E, this was because of ecological degradation. The Harappans had deforested the Indus valley to clear the land for cultivation and firewood. The deforestation lead to erosion of the soil and thousands of years later, this area is desert. It is also likely that natural disasters struck the area and that floods and earthquakes threatened to destroy the society. Many left to find better settlements that could provide food and Harappan society declined. How did the Aryans' migration affect India? Agriculture helped the Dravidians build up a strong society near the Indus Valley, the trade routs went as far as Mesopotamia. This sophisticated society attracted many foreigners such as the Aryans, and upon their arrival there were many clashes between the Aryans and the Dravidians. As time progressed they accepted each other and together, became the influence of Indian society today. Aryans brought sheep, goats, horses and herds of cattle, and wealth. The early Aryans did not use writing, so literary and religious works were passed along generations orally. Along these orally transmitted works was the Vedas, the collection of hymns, songs and prayers. In order to justify every persons social standing in society , the caste system was introduced, and it is what kept society in order.

What are the origins of Hinduism? The Verdic Age, was when Aryans entered India and began to live a new life. At first their religion held everyone together, but soon people got tired of sacrifices and offerings to the gods because it required a lot of money. Many Aryans left their villages, in the hope of

finding a religion that was more fulfilling. Upon meeting with Dravidians, the religion of worshiping nature spirits, and reincarnation was a change to Aryan religion. Though Dravidians and Aryans always fought for natural resources and land, their blend of religions later formed, what is now Hinduism. What are positive elements of the caste system? The caste system brought order to society and it helped everyone find where they belonged. It brought stability and political structures in all areas surrounding India. There were severe penalties for those who went against this structure, out of fear, order was kept. The social organization served to keep the public in order. The caste system also enabled foreign people to find a place in Indian society. Caste identities were adopted and soon patriarchal social order also emerged. Woman only influenced the affairs in their families but never in public. A woman was under her husbands authority under all times, and her job was to maintain the home and bear children. The caste system and the Aryans religion met the needs of a mobile and often violent society. What where the religious ideas of the Upanishads in India? The Upanishads influenced Indian thought about nature and their observance of high ethical standards. They discouraged greed, envy, gluttony, and any attachment to the material world. Their teachings called for complete concentration on union with the universal soul. The Upanishads taught honesty, self-control, charity and mercy. Most of all they encouraged personal integrity and respect for animals and humans. Summary: South Asia was also a place where societies merged, conflicted, and shared ides. The Indus Valley provided a fertile land for farming, leading to the agriculturally abundant, Harappan societies built by Dravidians. During the decline of these great communities, Aryans came along to South Asia and started the Vedic Age of religious and agricultural growth. As Dravidians in India mingled with the Aryan migrants, there were unavoidable conflicts and Aryans considered them superior. To ensure organization and have social distinctions, Aryans found the caste system (Varna) suitable and patriarchal society took

place as well. Also, Aryans migrated to places besides the Indus Valley and established settled groups. Aryan societies were mostly shaped out of their religion, but their beliefs combined with Dravidians and the two cultures made an eventual harmony of customs that had resulted from their continuous interactions. Multiple Choice Quiz: 1. What are some problems that scholars face today when researching Harappan society? a.) no writing accounts b.) too many physical remains c.) undecipherable writing 2. What lead to the decline of Harappan society? a.) plague b.) political corruption c.) soil erosion 3. To where did the migration of Aryans lead? a.)China b.) India c.)Nepal 4. In Aryan times, what was wealth measured by? a.)cattle b.) gold c.) land 5. What is the meaning of the word Veda? a.) wisdom b.)goodness c.)self-control 6. Who did the Aryans first fight with then blend culturally? a.)Harappans b.) Indo-Europeans c.)Dravidians 7. Where in India was society built? a.)Nile River b.)Indus Valley c.)Fertile Crescent 8. How did Aryans bring order to society? a.)Caste System b.)Stable government c.) Monarchy 9. The clash two societies religion later formed what? a.)Hinduism b.)Buddhism c.)Christianity 10. Why did Aryans look for a new new ideas in religion? a.)they got bored of their own b.)their own was too expensive c.) both 11. Hinduism belief is that highest goal is to be in union with ______. a.) karma b.) brahman c.)upanishad 12. Upanishad literally means? a.)heavenly god b.) a sitting in front of c.)untouchable 13. What is the highest level of the caste system? a.)brahmins b.)shudras c.)vaishyas 14. What does shudras mean? a.)priests b.)warriors and aristocrats c.)peasants and serfs 15. What is the name of the of the subcastes? a.)jati b.)varnas c.)veda

16. What were the Aryans know for? a.)generosity b.) violence c.)poverty 17. The name Aryans meant______. a.)the wealthy b.) noble people c.)conquerors 18. What was Mohenjo-daro famous for in the ancient world? a.)agriculture b.)large cities c.)sewage systems 19. Where in ancient times was a society built? a.)river b.) mountains c.)desert 20. What was the role of a woman in ancient times? a.)teach b.)give birth c.)rule

Answer Key: 1.a 2. c 3. b 4.a 5. a 6.c 7.b 8.a 9.a 10.c 11. b 12.b 13.a 14.c 15.a 16.b 17.b 18.c 19.a 20. B Themes Analysis: In the fourth chapter, Development and Interaction of Cultures seemed most prominent out of all the AP World History themes. One example of this theme is shown by how the two disparate cultures- Aryan and Dravidian- conflicted and clashed but merged to develop and form another set of beliefs, known later as Hinduism. Aryans had migrated to the Indus Valley and instantly mingled with the Dravidians. Aryans had a definite culture/religion that included sacrifice to gods, social distinctions by occupation, and economy based on animal domestication. In contrast, Dravidians lived in an agricultural based community and believed in rebirth of human spirits and fertility. Being worn out by the expensive and repetitive rituals of sacrifice, Aryans became more engrossed in Dravidian religion and thus caused the two beliefs to unite. This combination resulted in a special religion, teaching the principles of Upanishads (taught that appearances were deceiving), moksha, Brahman and more. Development and transformation of social structures and Interaction between Humans and the Environment were also themes apparent in this chapter. The first one is shown by the caste system and patriarchal society that the Aryans had developed. Because

Aryans wanted to have social distinctions depending on wealth and occupation these systems inevitably arose. The way the Indus Valley affected peoples in that inhabited area displays the latter theme as well. The agriculturally fruitful Indus Valley continuously grew in population and caused complex, large cities (Mohenjo-Daro, Harappa) to prosper around the Indus Valley. Yet due to continuous population growth, deforestation caused land to become infertile, leading to the decline of Harappan society.