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Early Civilizations of India. Dravidians:. people of Southern India who may be descended from the ancient Indus River Valley settlers video. Aryans: more correctly Indo-Aryans. Migrated into South Asia from north of Black and Caspian Seas Linguistic family not a race Nomadic herders
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Dravidians: • people of Southern India who may be descended from the ancient Indus River Valley settlers • video
Aryans: more correctly Indo-Aryans • Migrated into South Asia from north of Black and Caspian Seas • Linguistic family not a race • Nomadic herders • Skillful warriors: iron weapons, archers, chariots • May have contributed to collapse of Indus Valley Civilization • City-states ruled by rajah
The Nomadic Indo-Aryans • Around 1750 BCIndo-Aryans appeared • Tribes of the Indo-European peoples • Came from north of the Black and Caspian Seas • Crossed the Hindu Kush Mountains into northwest India • Drawn into this area due to the rich pasturelands • Were sheep and cattle herders as well as skilled warriors • The word for war meant “a desire for more cows” • Armies of archers and charioteers enabled the Indo-Aryans to conquer all of northern India
Influenced Indian Culture: • Long lasting effects of Indo-Aryans • village life • Religion • social structure
Village Life • Farming and herding • Value on cattle • governing
Indo-Aryan Societies (Government) • Gave up nomadic ways and lived in settlements • Settlements were joined to form small independent states or territories who were governed by a raja (chief). • Raja • Military leader, lawmaker, and judge • Had a royal council
Vedas • oral religious traditions of the Indo-Aryans • 4 Vedas: oldest Rig Veda • Eventually recorded in Sanskrit (written language developed by Indo-Aryans) • Basis of Hinduism (long lasting effect)
Varna • Sanskrit meaning color – created a complex system of social order • Social structure and classes of the Indo-Aryans • Brahmins: priest • Kshatriyas: warriors • Vaisyas: land owners, merchants, herders • Sudras: servants, peasants • evolved into caste (long lasting effect) • Caste: rigid system of social ranking by birth
Indo-Aryan Societies (Social Life) • Complex system of social orders • Indo-Aryans nomadic people who were light skinned • Earlier settlerslived in settled communities and were dark skinned • Please remember this for later on!! It will be very important!! • Warriors and priests were at the top of the social structure. • Merchants, traders, farmers, and servants were below them. • Marriage • Elaborate rules government marriage among the different orders • Parent-arranged marriage was favored • Marriage by purchase, by capture, and by mutual consent was recognized