Global Studies

• Over 110 languages spoken in India
• Over 1,000 dialects in India
• Geography of India


  • The Indian subcontinent
  • Shaped like a triangle
  • From southern Asia
  • Contains mountain ranges, river valleys, moderate climate, dry interior plateau, Deccan Plateau, fertile coastal plains
• The Himalaya mountains are the highest mountains in the world
• The Ganges River is very holy
• The Indus River Valley is the starting point of Indian Civilization
• The Deccan Plateau forms the backbone of Pakistan
• The coastal plains are lush and densely populated regions of India
• Impacts of Monsoons


  1. Farmers dependent on heavy rainfalls

  2. Monsoons active June-September, carry moisture and cause heavy rainfall in west

  3. Monsoons active October-February, blow in opposite direction, drier and cooler, cause heavy rainfall in east

  4. If rains come too early or late, crops destroyed and thousands starve

  5. Wettest place on earth is the mountains of northeast India
• Indus Valley Civilization


  • Also known as Harappan or Indus civilization
  • Advancement in households and public buildings
  • City planning, houses, wells, bathrooms and drainage system, chute system
  • First major cities/civilizations
  • Based on farms, used Indus River to cultivate wheat, barley, peas
  • Carried trade as far as Mesopotamia, traded lumber, precious stones, cotton, luxury goods
• Suttees


  The dead were placed in a heap then lit on fire, widowed wives would throw themselves onto their husbands burning funeral pyre
• Social classes in Ancient India (Varnas)

  • Brahmins
  • Kshatriyas
  • Vaisyas
  • Sudras
• Untouchables


  People so impure they were outside of the caste system, collected trash, handled dead bodies, made up around 5% of ancient India
• Brahman


  Hindus' single force in the universe, a form of ultimate reality or god
• Atman


  Personal duty of oneself to find Brahaman and reunite with the reality after death, achieved through yoga
• Reincarnation


  The belief that the individual soul is reborn in a different form after death, cycle would stop after the soul united with Brahaman
• Karma


  Status achieved through good or bad deeds, good deeds lead to better next life and closer to Brahaman, bad deeds lead to worse life and further from Brahaman
• Dharma


  Divine law, all people must do their duties, more is expected from those in the higher caste systems such as Brahmins
• Nirvana


  Ultimate reality—the end of the self and a reunion with the Great World Soul
• Four Noble Truths


  • Ordinary life is full of suffering
  • Suffering is caused by our desire to satisfy ourselves
  • The way to end suffering is to end desire for selfish goals and to see others as extensions of ourselves
  • The way to end desire is to follow the Middle Path
• The Middle Path/Eightfold Path

  • Right view: Know the Four Noble Truths
  • Right intention: Decide what we really want
  • Right speech: Seek to speak truth and speak well of others
  • Right action: Do not kill, steal, lie, be unchaste, or take drugs/alcohol
  • Right livelihood: Do work that uplifts our being
  • Right effort: Steady, forward looking gaze until out of the mud
  • Right mindfulness: Keep our minds in control of our senses
  • Right concentration: Meditate to see the world in a new way
• The Silk Road was a trade route about 4,000 miles long, called the silk road because of China's dependence on silk
• The Mahabharata is the longest poem in the world, describing a war between cousins for control of the kingdom
• The Bhagavad Gita is a sermon before a battle, with a message of taking action and not dawdling
• The Ramayana is shorter than the Mahabharata, describing the banishment of the fictional character Rama from a kingdom and his fight against the demon king of Ceylon
• Siddhartha Gautama


  Founder of Buddhism, came from a Himalayan ruling family, lived a sheltered life, noticed the pain and suffering in his community and sought to find the cure, practiced asceticism and intense meditation, reached enlightenment and preached his discoveries, gained thousands of followers
• Chandragupta Maurya


  Mauryan Emperor, established the Mauryan Empire, drove out foreign invasions, divided the empire into provinces, ruled out governors, afraid of assassination
• Asoka


  Mauryan Emperor, grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, considered the greatest ruler in the history of India, converted to Buddhism, set up hospitals for welfare including for animals, ordered trees and shelters to be placed along roads
• Buddhism


  Never intended to create a new religion/doctrine
• Accomplishments of the Buddha


  • Founded Buddhism
  • Known as the Buddha
  • Enlightened one
  • Gained thousands of followers
  • After his death his messages were spread throughout India
• Buddhist monasteries


  • Established to promote Buddhism
  • Provided housing/training for monks
• Attributes of the Buddha


  • Enlightened
  • Trailblazer
• Chandragupta Maurya


  Mauryan Emperor
• Accomplishments of Chandragupta Maurya

  • Established the Mauryan Empire
  • Drove out foreign invasions
  • Divided the empire into provinces
  • Ruled out governors
  • Afraid of assassination
• Attributes of Chandragupta Maurya


  • Enlightened
  • Trailblazer
• Asoka


  Mauryan Emperor, Grandson of Chandragupta Maurya
• Accomplishments of Asoka


  • Considered the greatest ruler in the history of India
  • Converted to Buddhism
  • Set up hospitals for welfare
  • Set up hospitals for animals
  • Ordered trees/shelters to be placed along the road to provide shade
• Asoka


  Smart and powerful ruler
• Candra Gupta


  Gupta Emperor
• Accomplishments of Candra Gupta

  • Established the Gupta Empire