India was both protected from invasions and yet open to trade with other civilizations

Answer each of the following questions with an essay. Be sure to include specific examples that support your thesis and conclusions.

India was both protected from invasions and yet open to trade with other civilizations. Which geographical features provided protection from invasions, and which fostered trade with other civilizations?

What are possible theories about the cause of the Harappan civilization’s collapse?

Why might the Aryans have been able to assume authority in northern India?

Describe the essential teachings of Buddha. How did Buddhism modify Hinduism? How can we explain the appeal of Buddhism?

In what ways did Indian civilizations interact with those outside India? What impact did contact with other civilizations have on the development of Indian civilization?

Answer Key

Answer would ideally include:

· Oceans to the south surround the subcontinent of India. To the north are the Himalayas and dense forests or large deserts. These features helped to protect India as a region from invaders. However, the oceans, long coastlines, and predictable wind patterns also allowed for trade with other civilizations such as Mesopotamians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans. India also occupied a central location in the trade routes for goods moving from Africa, the Middle East, and China.

Answer would ideally include:

· Archaeological evidence indicates that the Harappan urban centers and the port of Lothal were abandoned or had greatly reduced populations by approximately 2000 B.C.E. Historians no longer believe powerful invaders brought the decline. Theories about what caused the decline include environmental disasters such as earthquake or drought, the collapse of agriculture owing to a buildup of salts from irrigation, the collapse of long-distance trade, a devastating outbreak of disease, or any combination of these factors.

Answer would ideally include:

· Harappan society had been in decline for a number of generations. This, coupled with the Aryans’ superior military technology, opened the door for a change in leadership. The Aryans most likely spread into the area over the course of several centuries. Additionally, the Aryans themselves were willing to make changes, as illustrated by their ready adoption of South Asian agricultural products and food.

Answer would ideally include:

· Buddha offered a solution to the Vedic problem of the wheel of life and the process of rebirth and re-death. He identified four noble truths: that suffering is inescapable, that suffering is caused by desires and attachment to worldliness, that people can recognize their attachments and overcome them, and that following the Eightfold Path of “right” behaviors and conducts allows one to overcome desire and suffering. Unlike Hinduism, Buddhism rejected the caste system and thus presented a path to salvation open to all people. Also, Buddha did not believe that the individual’s identity continued to exist after death. The Eightfold Path presented a “middle way” between extreme asceticism and worldly life. Buddha, too, did not distinguish between male and female; he argued that each could achieve enlightenment—a policy that also applied to one’s socioeconomic status. Because his optimistic message was not extreme, many people were drawn to Buddhism.

Answer would ideally include:

· Indian civilizations interacted with other civilizations via conquest and trade. The empires of both Persia and Alexander the Great both came into contact with the Indian civilization via their attempts to conquer parts of northern India. Both influenced the north by suggesting new ways to organize and administer an empire, such as the use of provinces and governors, as well as methods of taxation. Greek art and culture were also very influential. Trade, particularly in the south through the port cities located along India’s long coastline, brought in material items from other cultures (such as coins, silk, and spices).