Geography of India
What mountain range forms the boundary between India and China?
Himalayas
Name the two largest cities of the Indus River Valley civilization.
Harappa and Mohenjo-daro
What animal was most valued by the Aryans, and why?
Cattle -- its resources (milk, cheese, beef)
Who was Siddhartha Gautama?
A prince from Northern India; becomes the Buddha
The Mauryans were a _____________, meaning a series of rulers from one family.
Dynasty
Name two rivers found in India.
Indus
Ganges
Brahmaputra
How did the Indus Civilization end?
Natural disasters (earthquakes, floods)
Changing path of the Indus River (food shortage)
When the Aryans arrived in the Indus River Valley, what did they see?
Abandoned/deserted cities
What does "Buddha" mean?
The "Enlightened One"
Who invaded India before the Mauryans ruled over India?
Persians and the Greeks
What did rivers provide the earliest civilizations of India with?
- Fertile soil for growing crops
What was the difference between the Upper Town and Lower Town?
Upper -- Important buildings, citadel, bath, etc.
Lower -- Residential houses
What technology did the Aryans bring into India?
Iron plows for farming
Metal-tipped spears, chariots for military
What did the prince see on his three trips out of the palace walls?
- An old man
- A sick man
- A corpse
What caused Ashoka to change his violent ways as a leader?
He experienced a bloody battle and vowed to follow the peaceful teachings of the Buddha.
Why was the Indian Subcontinent isolated from the rest of Asia?
- Mountains blocked land access
- Surrounded on 3 sides by oceans/seas
Describe the drainage system. How did this work?
Removed waste from peoples houses (bathrooms) and drained city during monsoon floods via clay pipes
How were the Aryans organized?
What is the purpose of the Four Noble Truths/Eightfold Path for Buddhists?
A set of beliefs/guidelines for Buddhists to follow in order to escape reincarnation and reach nirvana.
How did Ashoka do as ruler of India? Give 2 specific examples.
- Carving Buddhist teachings onto stone pillars for people to read
- Build stupas (temples/shrines)
- Created new roads for trade and built rest stops for travelers
What were monsoons? Describe how they helped and its consequences of not having them.
- Seasonal winds (winter and summer)
- Good: brings in rains to water crops
- Bad: No monsoons mean drought, starvation
What was the citadel?
Fortress, important buildings, center of government
What was the caste system?
A strict social class that you were born into and could not get out of.
What is nirvana? What does it mean if you reach it?
- Escaping the cycle of rebirth called reincarnation
What did Chandragupta do as leader of India? Give 3 examples.
- Centralized capital city of Pataliputra
- Strong army to defeat other tribes/kingdoms
- Spies to ensure no one rebelled
- Set up postal system with new roads