The Indo-European Migrations
- Hittites belonged to Indo-European group
- Most were nomads who lived in family clans
- Indo-Europeans fled homeland around 2000 B.C. for unknown reason
The Aryan Invasion
- Aryans-Indo-European herders who went east to India about 1500 B.C.
- Historians once thought Aryans drove Harappans from walled cities
The Caste System
- Aryans spread language, religion to India's Dravidian people
- Aryans warrior, priest commoner classes grew into caste system
- caste- social class whose member are identified by their job
- thousands of caste groups were organized into categories
- untouchables - fifth group later formed below others, did unwanted jobs
Many Gods and Many Lives
- Bhagavad Gita is most important text of Hinduism
- Hinduism- major Indian religion that grew from early Brahmanism
- Hindus have many Gods that are apart of one supreme god, life force
- Hindus also believe in reincarnation- each person has many lives
- Reincarnation is determined by karma- good deeds mean a person will be re born as higher being- evil deeds mean a person will be born as lower being
- Reincarnation creates cycle of birth, life, death, rebirth- cycle ends when a person realizes his or her soul is one with God