How has India's environment contributed to its history?
India's natural environment has played a very important role in its history. Just speaking from a geographic stand point, the Himalayan Mountains to the North of India serve as a very good natural barrier. The North is fertile while the South is dry. Indi
How have animals been a part of India's history?
Native Indians were among the first people to domesticate animals. Many animals are associated with God, so it is common to see animals roaming around in the streets of Indian villages. Birds and lizards lived in households. A cobra living in a house was
Which groups of people made up the Indus River Valley Civilization?
The Indus River Valley Civilization was made up of a people called Dravidians, and whose society was called Harappan Society. In 6000 B.C.E agricultural settlements had popped up along Indian rivers. These river settlements successfully domesticated anima
Characterize Harappan Society.
Harappan Society was India's first urban society and it brought wealth and power to the Indus River Valley. Harappan Society was named after one of its major cities, Harappa. Another governing city of Harappan Society was Mohenjo-Daro. These cities were b
What were the two main cities of the Harappan Society?
The two main cities in Harappan Society were Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. Harappa was a little smaller with 30,000 people as opposed to Mohenjo-Daro's 40,000.mMohenjo-Daro was further south along the Indus River than the Harappa. Although there is not overwh
Describe Dravidian religion.
The Dravidian Religion was centered around "The Goddess" a fertility god, and they had gods for many natural things. A big part of Dravidian religion involved bathing in the magical Ganges River. Other significant branches of Dravidian religion included a
What is reincarnation?
Reincarnation is the idea that one's soul never dies. Reincarnation is the process of one organisms' soul transferring from one body to another. The new life you take is dependent on your actions in your previous life. Your actions are called karma, if yo
Who were the Dravidians?
Dravidians were the native Indians, who made up Harappan Society. They showed up in India in 3000 B.C.E.
How did Harappan society fall?
Harappan Society is said to have fallen in 1600 B.C.E. as a result of environmental problems. The Harappan's heavily reliance on agriculture led to deforestation which eventually led to the erosion of topsoil. The erosion of the topsoil in the Indus River
Who were the Aryans?
The Aryans were a group of (white) Indo-European warrior people who migrated to India starting in 1500 B.C.E, and basically picked up the ruins of the collapsed Harappan society. The Aryans spoke an Indo-European language, a language that was remarkably s
What is Sanskrit?
The Aryan religion was based on Vedas, which were religious texts. Vedas were written in the sacred language called Sanskrit. Only Brahmins, priests, were able to read Sanskrit. The Brahmins wrote and explained the Vedas to people, then those people would
What is Rig-Veda?
The word "Veda" means knowledge. A Veda is a collection of hymns, songs, prayers, and rituals that honor the Aryan gods. The ideas in the Vedas got passed down orally from generation to generation. The main Veda in the Aryan religion is called the Rig-Ved
Who is Indra?
Indra is a key figure in Aryan religion. Indra is the chief deity in the Aryan religion and was their god of war. He was also the chief deity who gets featured in the Rig-Veda. Indra helped the Aryans migrate to India in 1500 B.C.E. Indra was an Aryan her
What is the Hindu Kush?
The Hindu Kush is a mountain range just beyond the northern border of India. The Aryans crossed the Hindu Kush to get into India in 1500 B.C.E, specifically the Khyber Pass.
How did the Aryans impose their power on the Dravidians?
The Aryans imposed their power on the Dravidians by establishing a Caste System. The Caste System was a system named by Portuguese mariners who called their different social classes, castes. In Portugal castes were based on race, and it is fair to make th
What was the Aryan Caste System?
The Aryan Caste System was called the Varna System and consisted of five main classes. It was based on occupation and race. At the top, were Brahmins (are not supposed to sacrifice) - the priests who could read and interpret the Vedas. Second from the top
Describe Aryan culture.
The Aryans spoke an Indo-European language, and created farming villages in Northern India, along the Indus and Ganges. Aryans were able to travel around ad beyond India for transporting military equipment, and goods for trade. Although somewhat settling
Describe Aryan politics.
The Aryans migrated into India through the Khyber Pass in the Hindu Kush in around 1500 B.C.E and took over the Harappan land after their civilization fell at around the same time, 1500 B.C.E. Upon their arrived they clashed with the Dravidians, and thems
Why were cows so important for Aryans?
Cows were super important for Aryans because they were the symbol for wealth. Cows, not houses, represented wealth because the Aryans were nomadic and couldn't bring their houses with them, but they could bring their cows. Cows became a religious symbol,
Describe Aryan religion.
A big component of Aryan religion was sacrificial fires, and cows. The Aryans had gods for many things in the natural world including the sun, moon, etc. Their main deity who led them to India was named Indra, the god of war. He is countered by Varuna, a
How did the Aryan and Dravidian religion combine to form Hinduism?
Each religion contributed key factors in the formation of Hinduism. The Aryans contributed their honor of cows, karma, the Caste System, and their Vedas. The Dravidians contributed their bathing in the Ganges practices, their reincarnation ideas, and thei
Characterize Hinduism.
The fusion of Aryan and Dravidian religions into Hinduism is often described as a shift away from fire and sacrifice to a religion based on the duties of life. The main ideas of Hinduism include, knowledge, duty, moral code, and karma. One goal of Hinduis
What is Moksha?
Moksha is the state you enter when you are done with the reincarnation process. When you get to Moksha, you have been reincarnated into something higher than ordinary life. When you achieve Moksha, you become part of Atman (Brahman, according to Upanishad
What is Maya?
Maya is all the material things in your life, such as money, clothes, etc, and the idea that you should not depend on your Maya because your Maya is not what you'll bring to the next life with you. But also do not ignore your Maya because your Maya will h
What are some Aryan and Dravidian Gods?
Aryan Gods: Indra, Agni, Kali, cows, Vayu, and Varuna
Dravidian Gods: Hanuman, Ganesh, Naga, Deri, Durga, Lakshmi, Garnud, and Kama
Brahma, Brahman, Brahmin, Atman?
Brahma- a god
Brahman- God
Brahmin- priest Varna
Atman- self
What are the two variations of the Caste System in Hinduism?
The two variations of the Caste System in Hinduism are the Varna and Jati systems. The Varna System is basically a simple social pyramid with five levels, or varnas. The first Varna is the Brahmins (the priests), the second Varna is the Kshatriyas (the wa
What is karma?
Karma is the idea that if you fulfill you dharma, and live life according to moral code, your soul will be reincarnated into a body which is of a higher rank than the body your soul was in for its previous life. Karma is not binding. Through karma, you bu
What is dharma?
Dharma is one's God given duty in life. Usually one's dharma is simply to perform in their Caste. Every Caste's dharma is different, and every person's dharma is different. If you fulfill you dharma, you have good karma. This idea stems from the Aryan Cas
What was the Bhakti movement?
The Bhakti movement was a movement by Hindis in the Middle Ages to worship a more personal God, rather than the vague concept of Brahman. This ties back to image worshipping, people wanted to have something tangible to worship. In this case, they want a m