PRESENTATION OUTLINE
The Aryans
The Aryans were people who had a particular type of skin and they originated somewhere near the Caspian and Black Sea around 1500 B.C. The Aryan people possessed greater technologies than many of the peoples around them. For many hundreds of years the Aryans spread from the region near these two seas towards the Indus River Valley.
After conquering the people of the Indus River Valley, the Aryans continued to push their territory outward. They moved towards the southeast, and conquered the people of the Ganges Plain.
The Aryan culture eventually spread throughout much of South Asia. Many aspects of Aryan culture still exist in these regions today.
Aryan Life
The Aryans were not united under a single government.
They shared the same language and traditions, but were organized into small tribes or groups.
Each tribe was ruled by a chief known as a rajah.
The Aryans were brutal people and celebrated their victories in battle, passing on war stories from one generation to the next. Early Aryans were nomadic, traveling from one place to another in search of food and shelter. Later Aryans learned to farm the fertile soils of the Indus River Valley, allowing their settlements to become more permanent.
The Aryan world was ruled by the men. Women were less important to their husbands and were considered their property. However, both boys and girls were allowed to attend schools and receive an education.
Aryan Economy
The most important fact of wealth among the Aryans was the number of cattle that an individual owned. The more cattle a family or tribe possessed, the more wealthy they were. Eventually, cattle became so important in Aryan society that they made it illegal to kill or eat them.
The Aryan’s raised cattle, sheep, goats, and other animals. They also farmed crops, and probably traded with other tribes as well as with their non-Aryan neighbors.
Vedas
For many hundreds of years the Aryans did not have a written language. Instead, they passed their history down from one generation to another though stories, poems and epics. These oral histories would be memorized, word for word, and handed down, insuring that future generations would not forget their past.
Around 1200 B.C., the Aryans developed a written language. The oral traditions that had been handed down were recorded in sacred books called Vedas, or “Books of Knowledge.”
These Vedas give historians an accurate description into the lives and culture of the Aryan peoples. Without them, we would know very little about the Aryans.
Dharma
The Vedas explained the duties of each varna. These duties were called dharmas. The Aryans believed strongly in the importance of fulfilling their duties.
These duties depended both on the varna that an individual belonged to, as well as on their age. The duties outlined what jobs an individual could do, what jobs they should do, and what jobs they must do. Every aspect of social life and behavior was outlined for them based on their varna.
Indian Religion
The Aryans believed in many gods. They worshipped Indra, the god of war; Agni, the god of fire; and Usha, the goddess of the morning, as well as many other minor gods and goddesses. They believed that these deities had great power over their lives. The priests performed elaborate ceremonies in an effort to both please them as well as gain their favor.
Over time the Aryan religion slowly evolved, becoming more complex and rich with tradition and ceremony. The religion grew to become Hinduism, which is one of the primary religions still practiced in the region today.
Sacred Writings
In addition to the Vedas, other sacred books began to appear. The first of these were the epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana. Mahabharata is a long epic poem that is over 100,000 verses long. It tells the story of two families and of their struggle for power and control over the Aryans. This story is full of philosophical ideas and thoughts on their culture and religious practices.
The Ramayana is a smaller epic poem, but still considerably large at over 24,000 verses. This epic tells the story of a kind and good king and his wife.
Later, the Upanishads would be written from 800 B.C. to 400 B.C. The Upanishads are the recorded wisdom of generations of priests as they search for religious meaning and truth.
