South Asia Unit Test Study Guide How did

South Asia Unit Test Study Guide

How did the geographic features impact the ancient people of South Asia? Mountains/Sub-Continent: • mountains provided protection from invaders • mountains are the source of the rivers

How did the geographic features impact the ancient people of South Asia? Sea/Coastline: • vulnerable to severe weather along coastline caused by monsoon winds • trade with many other civilizations

How did the geographic features impact the ancient people of South Asia? Plains or Deccan Plateau: • lush, rich soil which was good for growing crops • good for herding animals

The Monsoon Season is the rainy season in monsoon climates in which winds blow from the southwest for six months. How did the Monsoon Season impact the people of ancient South Asia? • Farmers had to plant and harvest their crops according to the monsoon winds bringing in rain. • Too much rain could wash away crops. § Too little rain could cause a drought.

Hinduism Religion Where did it begin? What was their religious building? What was their book? Ancient Egyptian Religion Hinduism was started by Indo-Aryan gurus and their students in Ancient India. Building: temples Books: Vedas and Upanishads One belief or ritual: there is one supreme spiritual force or God known as Brahman What were their religious beliefs? One belief or ritual: Brahman is the source of all things. One belief or ritual: reincarnation (the rebirth of a soul in a new body)

Buddhism Religion Where did it begin? What was their religious building? What was their book? Ancient Egyptian Religion Buddhism was started by the Buddha (Siddhartha Guatama) in Ancient India. Building: temples Book: stories written down by the Buddha’s followers One belief or ritual: no god What were their religious beliefs? One belief or ritual: karma – the effect of a person’s good and bad actions One belief or ritual: Nirvana – state of blissful peace without desire or suffering

Achievements • walls around cities • indoor bathrooms and toilets • trash chutes • cities in grid systems

Social Structure based on the Caste System: Be able to tell the “jobs” at each level. priests rulers & warriors landowners, bankers, & merchants Sudras farmers, laborers, & servants (did work considered impure/dirty)

What was the Hindu Caste System? The caste system was a fixed social class into which a person was born. It limited people’s individual freedom. They couldn’t choose where to live, how they earned a living, whom they could eat with, or whom they could marry. It did provide stability to Indian society and caste members perfected their skills so Indian goods become famous (and there was a demand for trade).