Ancient+India

media type="custom" key="11397324" width="130" height="130" Kaylee Stock, Makenzie Preston, Nicole Johnson 3000B.C.~A.D. 500  All wrong-doing arises because of mind. If mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain? -Buddha Ancient India is a land of diversity. Early civilization started in the river valleys. The Indus River valley supported the civilization that was from the Himalaya to the Arabian Sea. There was more then a thousand settlements in this area. The two main cities are Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. There main streets ran in a north-south direction and the smaller streets were in a east-west direction, both cities were very well planned out. All the houses were different but were all in a same square courtyard. The buildings were made from mud bricks, they made them in ovens that would bake the mud into squares. They had public wells that gave a segular supply of water for all the people. The drains were under the streets and carried the wastwater to sewage pits.

Rulers believed there was a divine assistance that they based there power off of Religion and political power made a big impact on there power. There economy was based on farming, the Indus River provided rich soil from flooding witched helped them grow wheat, barley, and peas. They also had the caste system, which determined a persons position in society. There was five major classes, the Brahmans, the Kshatriyas, the Vaisyas, the Sudras, and the Untouchables. These groups were determined mostly by the color of your skin. Also a person's occupation and economic potential made an impact.

Hinduism and Buddhism were major religions in India. Hindus believed in a single force, a form of ultimate reality or God, called Brahman. They also believed in reincarnation, belief that the soul is reborn after death, which was decided by karma. They develped the practice of yoga. Buddhism was in northern India and was a rival of Hinduism. Siddhartha Gautama, known as Buddha, was the founder of Buddhism.Siddhartha thought that things like pain, poverty, and sorrow were illusions cause by attachment to things in the world.

1. Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) ~ founder of Buddhism,known as the "Enlightened One",said to of recieved the meaning of life one day while meditating under a tree 2. Untouchables ~ made up 5 percent of the the population, and not considered humans 3. Brahmans ~ top of the social scale, in charge of religious ceremonies that were important to the Indian society 4. Kshatriyas ~ second of the social caste, begun as warriors and later found other forms of employment that were also accepted into the social caste 5. Vaisyas ~ third-ranked caste, commoners, most were merchants who engaged in commerce or farming  Caste system: A set of rifid categories in ancient India that determined a person's occupation and economiv potential as well as his or her postion in society, based partily on skin color. Caste: One of the five major divisions of Indian classes in ancient times~ brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, Sudras, and Untouchables. Monsoon: A seasonal wind pattern in southern Aisa that blows warm, moist air from the southwest during the summer, bringing heavy rains, and cold, dry air from the northeast during the winter. Raja: An Aryan leader or prince. Yoga: A method of training developed by the Hindus that is supposed to lead to oneness with God.

Geography of Ancient India- map of Ancient India and description of it's landscape [|History of Buddha]- Life of Siddhartha Gupta and his teachings [|Timeline of the history of Ancient India]- The dates of important events throughout Ancient India [|beliefs of Hinduism]- The explanation of the beliefs of the religion of Hinduism [|Caste System of India]- Explanation of the ruling classes and the classes below in social society

__**TImeline of Important Events**__ media type="youtube" key="vMRfJfMnRmo" width="425" height="350" align="right"
 * 3000 BC:** Beginning of the Indus Valley Civilization
 * 1000 BC:** One of the earliest Holy Scripture, Rig-Veda is composed
 * 527 BC:** Prince Siddhartha Gautamaattains enlightenment and becomes the Buddha
 * 327 BC:** Alexander the Great of Macedonia invades the Indus valley, fights the famous battle with Porus
 * 220 BC:** Maurya dynasty expands to almost all of India
 * 50 AD:** Thomas, an apostle of Jesus, visits India
 * 50 AD:** The first Buddhist stupa is constructed at Sanchi
 * 380 AD:** Two giant Buddha statues are carved Buddhist monks in the rock at Afghanistan
 * 390 AD:** Chandra Gupta II extends the Gupta kingdom to Gujarat
 * 499 AD:** Hindu mathematician Aryabhatta writes the "Aryabhattiyam", the first book on Algebra