WORLD HISTORY:

ARYANS

• Vedas- collection of prayer, hymns and religious teaching provides history of the Aryans.
• People were divided by occupations
• 1. Brahmins- priests/highest group.
• 2. Kshatriyas- warriors.
• 3. Vaisyas- herders, farmers, artisans and merchants.

DRAVIDIANS

• Conquered by Aryans
• Believed to be original inhabitants of Indus Valley.
• Aryans separated Dravidians into 4th caste called Sudras.
• Sudras- we're the lowest social group made up of servants and laborers.
• Castes or social groups into which people were born could not change.

POLYTHEISTIC

• Many gods and goddesses symbolized nature like sun/sky and storm/fire.
• Main Gods:
• Indra- god of war; chief deity; weapon was thunderbolt.
• Varuna- god of order and creation.
• Agni- god of fire/messenger Aryans also worshipped monkey gods and snake gods to honor animals.

TRANSFORMATION OF IDEAS

• Single Spiritual Power Idea called Brahman that lived in all things.
• Mysticism
• Mystics- devoted their lives to seeking spiritual truth by practicing meditation and yoga and spiritual and bodily discipline.
• Hinduism and Buddhism reflect mysticism and Bachman.

RAJAHS

• Aryan tribal chiefs led them through the mountains of New India.
• Nomads to Farmers- Aryans mingled with people the conquered and learning farming and cattle breeding.
• 800 B.C.- Aryans learn to make tools out of iron.
• - Built villages
• - Controlled trade/territory. Walled cities rose above the jungle.

RAJAHS/CONTINUED

• 500 B.C.- New Indian civilization w/rival kingdoms.
• - Written language called Sanskrit developed.
• - Which priests used to write down sacred texts.

ARYAN LITERATURE FROM ORAL TRADITION

• Mahabharata- Inda's Greatest Epic
• 100,000 verses tells about Aryan battles to control the Ganges region.
• Story of five royal brothers, called the Pandavas who lose and get back their kingdom
• One episode called the Bhagavad-Gita talks about immortality of the soul and importance of duty; both in important Indian religious beliefs

ARYAN LITERATURE/CONTINUED

• Ramayanna-
• Accounts fantastic deed of daring hero Roma and his bride Sita
• Epics toward different moral lessens
• Ex: Roma model of virtue and ideal king and Sita was the ideal woman who was loyal and obedient