1) India is geographically diverse, with some areas receiving heavy rainfall while others are dry. Three key regions are the Himalayan mountains, the Indus and Ganges river valleys, and the Deccan plateau. 2) The ancient cities of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa in modern-day Pakistan show evidence of careful urban planning, with structures made of fired mud bricks and citadels towering above plains. 3) The Aryans entered India from the northwest as part of a widespread migration that transformed many ancient societies. They brought Sanskrit language and composed the Rig Veda hymns praising Aryan gods.

1. Lesson 8

2.  The subcontinent of India is a land of contrast. Some
regions are among the wettest on earth; others dry
and arid.
 Three regions of India are of utmost geographical
importance:
1. The ring of mountains in the north that separates India from
its neighbors.
2. The Indus and Ganges River-Valleys and their territories.
3.The southern peninsula, especially the vast Deccan plateau.

3. MOHENJO-DARO
IN SOUTHERN
PAKISTAN
HARAPPA
IN PUNJAB

4.  Both cities were, over 300 miles in
circumference, and with large populations built
of fired mud-brick, Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa
were the results of careful planning with citadels
towering 40-50 feet above the surrounding
plains.

5.  The Aryans, an Indo-European people who entered
from the northwest. Formed part of the widespread
migration that transformed the face of much of the
ancient world and of India.
 Rig Veda/Hymns of knowledge- The Rig Veda is a
collection of hymns in praise of Aryan gods.
 In course of time, the Aryans occupied the Ganges
after clearing the forest and subjugating other tribes.
The Aryans and their predecessors blended their
culture, each influencing the other.

6.  A caste is a hereditary class of people who to the
same religion, has specific trade or occupation
with member of other castes.
 By 500 BCE, the Indian society evolved into four
main groups: the priests were called Brahmins;
the warriors and kings belonged to the
Kshatriyas; the farmers, craftsman, and
merchants were the Vaisyas; and the laborers
and slaves were the Sudras.

7.  The Vedic hymns written in Sanskrit comprised the
ancient Hindu literature.
The Rig Veda- with 1 107 poems is the oldest in the
collection.
The Sectras- contained laws and ceremonies
The Upanishads or oral teaching explains changes
in the religious beliefs.
 Two long epics of India:
Mahabharata- tells of the struggle between the
Aryan kingdoms.
Ramayana-illustrates the ideals of Aryan warriors

8. Three great religions in the world
developed in India: Hinduism, Jainism and
Buddhism.
Brahma, a supreme being that creates
everything in this word, is the powerful god
off all indus.
Three main gods are: Brahma the creator,
Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva, the
destroyer.

9.  Siddhartha Gautama
better known as Buddha,
meaning the “Enlightened
One” was a great
religious reformer who
questioned the existing
beliefs and practice of
Hindu religion especially
the caste.

10.  Man’s life is full of mystery and suffering.
 Man’s suffering is caused by mans selfish
desires.
 Man can end his suffering by overcoming his
desires.
 To achieve Nirvana one must overcome one’s
desire through ‘right’ rightful living. This, Buddha
calls the eightfold path – right understanding,
right intention, right conduct, right speech, right
livelihood, right endeavor, right awareness, and
right contemplation