1. India… why study India?

2. India Statistics
• India is the 2nd
most populous country in the world (1.15
billion). In 10 years it will be the MOST populous country
in the world.
• India is the world’s 6th
largest consumer of oil.
• India exports over $200 billion worth of goods to the USA
annually.
• India has the 3rd
largest army on earth (over a million active
service personnel)
• India has at least 100 active nuclear weapons
• Pakistan borders India
• Pakistan has the 7th
largest army in the world
• Pakistan has at least 90 active nuclear weapons

3. China has the
world’s largest
military (over 200
nukes)
N. Korea is currently
trying to make nuclear
weapons
Iran may be trying to
create nuclear
weapons
There are over 100
suitcase sized nuclear
weapons missing from
former USSR
There are over
50,000 US troops
in Afghanistan
now.

4. Indo-
European
Migration

5. MAIN IDEAS
• Culture: A group of nomadic people moved
into India and took over what was left of
Harappan civilization
• Government: Under Aryan rule, Indian
society developed a distinct system of social
classes that still affects India today.
• Belief Systems: Over time, the belief of the
Aryans developed into the religion of
Hinduism.

6. The Indo-European Migrations
• Hittites (who fought Egyptians) belonged to Indo-
European group
• Indo-Europeans all spoke dialects of Indo-
European language
• Most were nomads, lived in family clans, herded
livestock
• warriors rode horse-driven chariots, used long
bows, bronze axes
• Indo-Europeans fled homeland around 2000
B.C. for unknown reason
• Hittites went to Southwest Asia, many others
settled in Europe

7. The Indo-European Migrations

8. The Aryan Invasions
• Aryans—Indo-
European
herders who
went east to India
about 1500 B.C.
• lived in simple
houses, spoke
Indo-European
language of
Sanskrit

9. Indo-European Language Family
Indo-European language
Sanskrit Persian
Spanish
Hindi
English
German

10. Changes to Indian Life
• Aryan Society organized into caste system
• Aryans spread language, religion to India’s
Dravidian people
• • Aryan’s warrior, priest, commoner classes grew
into caste system
• - caste—social class whose members are
identified by their jobs
• - thousands of caste groups organized into four
categories
• - untouchables—fifth group later formed below
others, did unwanted jobs

12. Caste System

13. Aryan Kingdoms
• Magadha: name of Aryan empire that
expanded throughout India, spreading
new ideas
• Mahabharata: longest poem in the world.
Tells story of Aryan conquest of India

14. Contributions of Aryan invaders
• Language
• Caste-system
• Religion
• Technology