[Note] Introduction to Ancient India

The ealiest shows of Indian civilization is around the Indus River Valley, in 3500-1500BCE.

The region had an amazing flood plane to build on helping urbanization. This can be seen in the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. In these cities there are features such as standardized brick patters, grid like street system used to catch the breeze, with sewage systems and baths. This region had things such as zoning laws, extremely efficient trading networks with other regions, and implications of an overarching government or authority. The latter is believed because of striking similarities between cities very far apart. We arent sure of what this authority is.

Its also noteworthy that we cant decipher theur writing systems.

At some point between 1700-1500BCE, these civilizations collapsed and population travelled south. Also around this time you had the Indro-Aryan migrating from what is now Iran, bringing with them Vedicism and Vedas. The Vedas were stories, hymns and holy scriptures telling of cosmological creation, dieties, how to go a out life, philosophy and more. This would be the base of Hinduism.

The Aryans first coming in contact with the Adivasi people was kept politically stable by a strict social hierarchy (Caste System), where the Aryans were at the top, and everyone else below. This changed from focusing on ethnicity to focusing on trade as the 2 ethnic groups mixed.

The Top: Brahmen - Priests
Second: Kshatriya - Land owners and warriors
Third: Vaishya - Merchants and Farmers
Fourth: Shudra - Laborers
Sub-Caste: Untouchables - Completely ostracised from society.

As the Vedic tradition grew and spread in 1000-500BCE, a new form of philosophical thought arose from the Upanishads, a series of texts and teachings taught usually as the students sat by the master (Upanishads = "Sitting down"). Where the core of Indian religion is the Vedas, the Upanishads is the core of Indian philosophy. This is where concepts such as Dharma, Karma, Brahman and more were introduced. the over arching idea is that the Atman (self), is made up with the same stuff as the Brahman (reality/universe), once we realize we are all the same, and die we experience Samsara (The Atman reuniting with the Brahman).

The Ramanhara and the Mahabharata are both texts discussing Ethics. The Mahabharata is long, as well as the Ramahara, and they are a epics that tell the reader about moral truth through poetic telling.

Other than these texts, we lack a lot of historical literature. Until 600-300BCE. Here we can see archeological and written evidence for multiple independent countries and kingdoms in NE India.  According to one of the sixteen Mahajanapadaa, there was a lot of competition and trade between states.

One important things we know is the story of Siddahartha, a prince who was kept in his castle by his parents and knew nothing but luxury. Ine day he asked to go outside and was met with extreme upset seeing the death, suffering, poverty, and famine the riddled most the world. He then decided to sit under a tree for ~2 months until he either died or learned how to end all human suffering. He reached Nirvana and was renamed Buddha, and taught his new philosopher of self mastery to end individual suffering, creating Buddhism, and the 8 fold path.

After Alexander the Great failed to conqure past the Indus River, Chandragupta took advantage of the chaos and took control of northern india to found the Maurya Empire in 321BCE. it spanded almost entire Indian subcontinent, and had trade routes with Greece and China. This was the first empire in the region. Chandragupta was a pretty hands off leader who let his people do their thing. He reigned for 2 decades, died while fasting, and was eventually followed by Ashoka, who reigned from 273-232BCE. After Ashoka conqured the eastern coast of Indian subcontinent, and heard of the blood bath he felt remorse and decided to abandon warfare in his empire entirely during his reign. He became a Buddhist and worked to better the lives and inclusivity of his people and empire. After this the Maurya empire started to decline between 232-180BCE.