Lesson “India” (lesson plan for 10th grade)

Natural and climatic conditions of Ancient India

India occupies the entire area of ​​the Hindustan Peninsula, located in southern Asia. From the north it is reliably protected by the highest mountain range in the world - the Himalayas, which protect the country from strong cold winds. The coast of India is washed by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.

The largest arms of India are the Ganges and the Indus, thanks to which the soil in their valleys has always been very fertile. During the rainy season, these rivers often overflowed their banks, flooding everything around them.

Due to its consistently hot and humid climate with high rainfall, rice and cane have long been grown in the country.

Rice. 1. Agriculture in Ancient India.

In ancient times, farmers had a hard time, because they constantly had to fight with lush tropical vegetation, conquering land for crops. Nature and people were very closely connected with each other, and this connection was reflected in the unusual culture of Ancient India.

TOP 4 articles that are read along with this

• 1. Culture of Ancient India
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Since ancient times, the people of India have had great respect for the water element. After all, thanks to water, it was possible to get a good harvest, and, therefore, the opportunity to survive in difficult conditions. Until now, Indians sacredly revere the country's deepest river, the Ganges, and consider it sacred.

Lesson summary "Ancient India"

Grade: 5 History Lesson: HISTORY OF THE ANCIENT WORLD

Section: Ancient India and China.

Topic: Nature and people of Ancient India.

Lesson type:

Lesson on learning new material

Lesson type:

Lesson-travel.

The purpose of the lesson:

To introduce students to a new country - India, its natural features, beliefs and activities of the Indian population.

Lesson Objectives

:

• the formation of ideas about the location, natural conditions and occupations of the inhabitants of Ancient India; introduce new terms and concepts
• development of cartographic skills, perception, attention, broadening horizons; continue work on developing the ability to work with historical sources and textbooks
• cultivate interest in the culture and life of the people of another state.

Form of organization of activity:

• frontal,
• individual

Lesson structure

1. Organizational stage.

2. Preparation for active assimilation of new knowledge.

3. Studying a new topic:

• India location;
• natural conditions of India;
• occupations of the inhabitants of ancient India
• Indian beliefs.

4. Summing up

5. Explanation of homework

Equipment

• textbook: Vigasin A.A. "Ancient world history". Education, 2011;
• computer;
• multimedia projector;
• presentation, film clip;
• excerpts from the document “Diodorus Siculus. Historical Library" by number of groups;
• excerpts from the poem "Mahabharata" for each student;
• poster with a ship, sails, map of India, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Phenicia, Palestine, colored magnets;
• work plan for each group;
• “Magic chest”: bags with symbols of India, sugar, tea, spices, cotton, rice;
• handouts for each student for the game “Blurred Letter”, “Bottle”

Methods

• verbal,
• visual,
• practical.

Expected result:

1. Mastering program material on the topic “Nature and people of Ancient India” by class students.
2. Expanding your horizons.
3. Introduction to the achievements of ancient Indian civilization.

DURING THE CLASSES.

1.Organizational moment.

(before the lesson, students are divided into groups and go to their workplaces)

1.Greeting.

My friends, the bell is ringing

And I'm glad to start the lesson

Openings are waiting for us ahead,

So, go ahead and have a good trip!

2. Updating knowledge.

Teacher: Guys, today we will continue to travel around the Ancient World and get acquainted with the most ancient civilization, but first let’s remember which states you have already met. To do this, I will give each group a card, read it carefully and try to answer which state it talks about, and also show it on the map. (Complete the task in 2 minutes (Appendix 1.), name the state and show it on the map: Egypt , Phenicia, Palestine, Mesopotamia.)

3.Motivation.

Teacher. Well done. Now I see that we can go on a journey. You and I will sail on this ship. But where? You can answer this question yourself after watching the film clip. (watching a film excerpt from the film “Sadko”) A map of India is posted

Teacher: What do you guys think, what country’s history are we starting to get acquainted with in this lesson? (Children answer: “India”).

4. Preparation for active assimilation of new knowledge.

Teacher: The theme of our trip is “Nature and people of Ancient India.” (Presentation - slide No. 1). Write down the date and topic in your notebook (On the board there is a map of India.) (on slide No. 2 there is a diagram - support for setting the goal of the lesson) What do you think we will talk about in class today?

(Children themselves make assumptions: “Where is India, what are the main rivers that flow through the territory of India, what did the inhabitants of Ancient India do”).

Teacher: Today we have to look at the following questions on our journey: (Presentation - Slide No. 3) 2 support plans are distributed for each group (support plans are distributed on tables, 2 for travel:

D Travel plan:

• Geographical location of Ancient India.
• Natural features of India.
• Occupations of the population of Ancient India.
• Indian beliefs.

Attention, we are going to a wonderland (slide No. 4), this is what the Greeks called it, and we will try to answer why at the end of our journey.

II. Presentation of new material.

So, we begin our journey through Ancient India. But in order not to get lost, we need to know where this country is located and be able to find its main geographical features.

1.Learning new material:

Teacher: For work we need a map. It is in the textbook on page 92. And on my board. India is located in the southern part of Asia. On the Hindustan Peninsula. We'll find it on the map. A peninsula is a part of land washed on three sides by water: seas and oceans.

Teacher: Now we will work with the document. This is an excerpt from the work of Diodorus Sicilian "Historical Library". Each group has its own text of the document) (Appendix No. 3).

Reading the first passage: India is washed by waters on three sides...

Teacher: What have we learned from this passage? What is the name of the part of land washed on three sides by water? Look at the map, which ocean is India washed by? (peninsula, Indian Ocean)

Answer. Indian Ocean.

It is true that it is washed by the Indian Ocean on three sides.

Reading the second passage

: India has many wide, fertile plains, distinguished by beauty and crossed by many rivers.

Teacher: What have we learned from this passage? (Children answer: “In India there are plains and rivers”)

Teacher: That's right, and you already know that people settle where there are rivers. Why? (student responses) Two large rivers flow in India: the Indus and the Ganges. (Presentation, slide No. 5-6). Let's write down their names in a notebook, highlighting them with a colored pen. Pay attention to the signals on the board (green and blue magnets and chalk!) The country got its name from the name of the Indus River. The people of India consider the waters of the Ganges sacred.

Reading the third passage:

“In India there are many large mountains covered with all kinds of fruit-bearing trees.”

Teacher: What have we learned from this passage? (Children answer: “In India there are mountains”)

Teacher: Look at the map. What are the names of the mountains mentioned by Diodorus Siculus? (Children answer: Himalayas). (Presentation, slide No. 7) let's write down their names in a notebook.

Teacher: The peaks of the Himalayas are completely covered with ice and snow. By the way, the word “Himalaya” means “dwelling of snow.” The Himalayas contain the highest peak on earth. Chomolungma - translated as “heavenly dwelling of the gods”. The ancient Indians believed that gods lived at the top of the mountain. The Himalayas prevent cold winds from the north from entering India. (Presentation, slide No. 8).

Reading the fourth passage:

“India, they say, has never known famine. .. After all, every year there are two rainy seasons - one is winter:, the other is summer:"

Teacher: What have we learned about the climate of India? (Children answer: “It rains there”).

Teacher: It rains often in India, the Himalayas do not allow cold winds from the north to penetrate into India. This is why India is humid and very hot. Due to these climate features, most of the country is covered with impenetrable forests - jungles. (Presentation, slide No. 8). Write down the new term and its definition using a colored pen.

RESULT

, So you and I learned that India is located in the south of Asia on the Hindustan Peninsula, on three sides it is washed by the Indian Ocean, and in the north of India there are the Himalayas. Two large rivers, the Indus and the Ganges, flow through its territory. (one representative from the group to the map and show) Show on the map. Where is India? (in the south of Asia, on the Hindustan Peninsula) What rivers flow through its territory? (Indus and Ganges) What ocean washes its shores? (Indian)What mountains are in northern India (Himalayas). What are the difficult forests in India called? (Jungle)

2.Independent work of students with a historical source (the poem Mahabharata) and a textbook

I invite you to look into the jungle.
Working with the text of the textbook (point 2.pp91-92), you will find information about the flora of the jungle. Conversation with students about what they read.
-What is a jungle? (dense, difficult to pass places) - What fruits could a person who stayed overnight in the jungle eat? Read the answer. (bananas, mangoes, coconuts)

And to get acquainted with the animal world, you need to get acquainted with a historical document and answer questions. I read, you follow the text. (Does everyone understand the task?) Let’s work. Birds of the forest nested in the branches of the trees, made noise, fluttered and sang, and everywhere... in the wild wilderness one came across a wild boar, a jackal, a buffalo, a lynx, a panther... And the light moisture was boiling with many fish, crocodiles and snakes... ...and their tails entwined around the branches , Monkeys swung screaming at them, parrots crawled along the branches of trees, their feathers shining brightly...

Conversation on the document. - Name the representatives of the animal world that lived in the jungle? - How dangerous was the jungle? (poisonous insects, snakes, various predatory animals)

Teacher: That's right. A man trapped in the jungle was not afraid to die of hunger. You can always find food here, because nuts, berries, bananas, mangoes, and citrus fruits grow in the jungle. But in the jungle danger awaited man: (Presentation, slide No. 9-10). There are many animals and birds there. Terrible tigers and panthers, agile monkeys, and poisonous snakes live here. Indians were especially afraid of snakes and tried to appease them. They placed pieces of food around their houses and said: “Help yourself, but don’t touch us.” There was also an elephant in India. (Presentation, slide No. 11). The Indians tamed the elephant. He carried heavy loads and even took part in battles - warriors sat on the back of an elephant and showered the enemy with arrows. Among the Indians, the elephant was one of the sacred animals. Even one of the main gods was Ganesha, who was depicted with the head of an elephant. (Presentation, slide No. 12). Guys, there is a wonderful book that talks about the life of the jungle. This book is called “Mowgli”, its author is Kipling, films and a cartoon were made based on this book. I advise you to read it.

Fizminutka:

Teacher: Let's take a walk through the jungle. Repeat the movements after me:

• We go into the twilight of the jungle and at first we don’t see anything, we close our eyes and open them (several times);
• we walk along the path (walking in place); we try to raise our legs high in case we encounter a snake (walking in place with a high hip lift);
• saw a bird on the left, on the right (turn the head left to right);
• we saw a beautiful flower ahead, let’s smell it (we stretch our neck forward and inhale air through our nose);
• we move the vines apart along the way (we spread our hands: right, left, two);
• They came out of the jungle, saw the sun, smiled at it and stretched their arms up (stretching).

Teacher: We walked through the jungle and came to a village. (Presentation, slide No. 13). The Indians hunted, gathered, and raised livestock. They treated the cow with special love. She gave milk from which they made yogurt and butter. But Indians did not eat cow meat; it was considered a sacred animal. Anyone who killed a cow was considered a criminal. But the main occupation of the inhabitants of Ancient India was agriculture (Presentation, slide No. 14). And now we’ll play a little, the game is called “I Believe - I Don’t Believe.” I will give you more information about the life of ancient Indians. And you will tell me whether I believe it or not.

One of the travelers who returned from mysterious India said:

What an amazing country India is. There is white wool growing on the bushes. He saw with his own eyes: farmers cut white wool from the bushes and make beautiful and durable fabrics from it:

Teacher: Do you believe it? (answers) But in fact it was cotton fabric, which is made from cotton (Presentation, slide No. 15).

Teacher: And in India they learned to extract powder from plants and it is sweeter than honey. Do you believe it? What do you think it is? (answers) Of course it is sugar, it is extracted from sugar cane. (Presentation, slide No. 16).

In addition to wheat and barley, which are well known to us, the people of India grow strange crops, and we are now learning which ones.

"Wonderful chest":

The chest contains rice, tea, sugar, pepper. The students take out the bags and comment..
(During the process of guessing, the slides change on the screen:
(Presentation, No. 17).

RESULT.

Teacher: That's how many wonderful plants grow in India. Who remembers what plants these are?

Teacher: But in addition to villages, there were also cities in India that were found during excavations. What are the scientists who do excavations called (Archaeologists). (Presentation, No. 18-21). Wide straight streets, two-story brick houses with sewerage, and in the houses there are decorations, children's toys and seals with mysterious writings that have not yet been read by anyone. No one knows why people left these cities. This is a mystery to scientists. But who knows, maybe one of you will grow up, get an education and reveal this secret?

Teacher: You know, some Indians walked along the streets with brooms in their hands. Why do you think? (one answer per group) Read the answer on page 95. last paragraph of the paragraph. (read aloud) Why? Find the answer in the first paragraph on page 95 and read it.

Bottom line.

Indeed, the Indians believed in the transmigration of souls and treated all living things with mercy, so as not to pay for their poor attitude towards animals after death.

IV. Consolidation.

Well, our journey is coming to an end, but overboard we caught a bottle, and there was text in it, like sometimes sailors sent letters, but some of the words were blurred, apparently water got into the bottle. We need to restore this blurry letter, you have 3 minutes to do this, please sign your last name at the top. (completing the task) (Peer check on slide No. 22)

Summing up
the lesson.
Guys, do you remember what question we were looking for the answer to on our journey. c. (slide No. 4) Why did the Greeks call India the Land of Wonders?

(Students' answers)

CONCLUSION: The Greeks considered India a wonderland because

- India had favorable natural and climatic conditions,

- fertile lands;

- full-flowing rivers,

— protection from enemy attacks (Indian Ocean, Himalayas);

- amazing plants and animals.

V.
Reflection
Guys, it's time for us to return, but let's raise colored sails, one from each group. Red sail - if you were interested and everything worked out, yellow - it was interesting, but something didn’t work out, blue - you didn’t learn anything interesting.

VI. Homework. On the slide.

Evaluation and comments.

1. This state was located in northeast Africa, the Nile River flows through its territory. This state was ruled by a pharaoh. Pyramids and a sphinx have survived to this day on its territory. This state is called -_______________

2. This state was located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. There were no large rivers on its territory, but there were three large cities: Tire, Byblos and Sidon. Its inhabitants made clear glass, purple paint from sea shells, and also created an alphabet. This state was called - ____________________

3. This state was located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of Phenicia. The Jordan River flowed through its territory and flowed into the Dead Sea. Among the kings who ruled this state, the most famous is King Solomon, famous for his wisdom. The people of this state worshiped one God and even built him a beautiful temple in Jerusalem. This state was called ____________________

4. This country was located in Western Asia. The large rivers Tigris and Euphrates flowed through its territory. Its population, the Sumerians, turned this country into a prosperous land. They also built stepped temple towers - ziggurat - from clay bricks. The writing system of the Sumerians was called cuneiform. This country was called…..

Excerpt from the work of Diodorus Sicilian “Historical Library”.

1.Read the passage.

India is washed by waters on three sides...

2. Answer the questions.

• What did you learn from this passage?
• What is the name of the part of land washed on three sides by water?
• Look at the map of which ocean India is washed by.?

Excerpt from the work of Diodorus Sicilian “Historical Library”.

1.Read the passage.

India has many wide, fertile plains, distinguished by their beauty and crossed by many rivers...

2.Answer the questions.

• What did you learn from this passage?
• Why did people choose to settle near rivers?

Excerpt from the work of Diodorus Sicilian “Historical Library”.

1.Read the passage.

“In India there are many large mountains covered with all kinds of fruit-bearing trees.”

2. Answer the questions.

• What did you learn from this passage?
• Look at the map. What are the names of the mountains mentioned by Diodorus Siculus?

Excerpt from the work of Diodorus Sicilian “Historical Library”.

1.Read the passage.

“India, they say, has never known famine. .. After all, every year there are two rainy seasons - one winter, the other summer:"

2.Answer the question.

• What have you learned about the climate of India?

India is located in the south…………..

The northern border of India is the highest mountains…………..

Coasts of India from the west, east and south

washes………………….. the ocean.

The most abundant rivers in India are ………….. and …………….

The people of India learned to grow………….and make light fabrics from it.

From sugar cane they obtained…………………..

India is located in the south…………..

The northern border of India is the highest mountains…………..

Coasts of India from the west, east and south

washes………………….. the ocean.

The most abundant rivers in India are ………….. and …………….

The people of India learned to grow………….and make light fabrics from it.

From sugar cane they obtained…………………..

India is located in the south…………..

The northern border of India is the highest mountains…………..

Coasts of India from the west, east and south

washes………………….. the ocean.

The most abundant rivers in India are ………….. and …………….

The people of India learned to grow………….and make light fabrics from it.

From sugar cane they obtained…………………..

India is located in the south…………..

The northern border of India is the highest mountains…………..

Coasts of India from the west, east and south

washes………………….. the ocean.

The most abundant rivers in India are ………….. and …………….

The people of India learned to grow………….and make light fabrics from it.

From sugar cane they obtained…………………..

India is located in the south…………..

The northern border of India is the highest mountains…………..

Coasts of India from the west, east and south

washes………………….. the ocean.

The most abundant rivers in India are ………….. and …………….

The people of India learned to grow………….and make light fabrics from it.

From sugar cane they obtained…………………..

India is located in the south…………..

The northern border of India is the highest mountains…………..

Coasts of India from the west, east and south

washes………………….. the ocean.

The most abundant rivers in India are ………….. and …………….

The people of India learned to grow………….and make light fabrics from it.

From sugar cane they obtained…………………..

India is located in the south…………..

The northern border of India is the highest mountains…………..

Coasts of India from the west, east and south

washes………………….. the ocean.

The most abundant rivers in India are ………….. and …………….

The people of India learned to grow………….and make light fabrics from it.

From sugar cane they obtained…………………..

India is located in the south…………..

The northern border of India is the highest mountains…………..

Coasts of India from the west, east and south

washes………………….. the ocean.

The most abundant rivers in India are ………….. and …………….

The people of India learned to grow………….and make light fabrics from it.

From sugar cane they obtained…………………..

India is located in the south…………..

The northern border of India is the highest mountains…………..

Coasts of India from the west, east and south

washes………………….. the ocean.

The most abundant rivers in India are ………….. and …………….

The people of India learned to grow………….and make light fabrics from it.

From sugar cane they obtained…………………..

India is located in the south…………..

The northern border of India is the highest mountains…………..

Coasts of India from the west, east and south

washes………………….. the ocean.

The most abundant rivers in India are ………….. and …………….

The people of India learned to grow………….and make light fabrics from it.

From sugar cane they obtained…………………..

An excerpt from the poem
Mahabharata ...Forest birds nested in the branches of trees, made noise, fluttered and sang, and everywhere... in the wild wilderness one came across a boar, a jackal, a buffalo, a lynx, a panther... And the light moisture was boiling with many fish, crocodiles and snakes... ...and the branches wrapped around their tails, Monkeys swung screaming on them, parrots crawled along the branches of the trees, their feathers shining brightly...
An excerpt from the poem
Mahabharata ...In the branches of the trees, Birds of the forest nested, made noise, fluttered and sang, and everywhere... in the wild wilderness one came across a wild boar , now a jackal, now a buffalo, now a lynx, now a panther... And the light moisture was boiling with many fish, crocodiles and snakes... ...and the branches wrapped around their tails, Monkeys swung on them screaming, parrots crawled along the branches of the trees, their feathers shining brightly...
Excerpt from poems
of the Mahabharata ... Birds of the forest nested in the branches of trees, made noise, fluttered and sang, and everywhere... in the wild wilderness one came across a boar, a jackal, a buffalo, a lynx, a panther... And the light moisture was boiling with many fish, crocodiles and snakes... ...and The branches, with their tails wrapped around them, monkeys swung on them screaming, parrots crawled along the branches of the trees, their feathers shining brightly...

Features of the state

In the 3rd millennium BC. e. On the Hindustan Peninsula there were two centers of Indian civilization - the largest cities of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa. Most of the population was represented by Dravidians, who were known as excellent farmers.

In the first half of the 2nd millennium, Aryan tribes arrived on the territory of Ancient India. Over the course of several centuries, they settled throughout the peninsula, and gradually mixed with the local residents, forming a single Indian people.

Each Aryan tribe had its own leader - a rajah. At first they were elected, but over time the rule began to be inherited. The Rajahs were interested in expanding their lands and strengthening their kingdoms, and therefore were in a state of continuous wars with each other.

Rice. 2. Raja.

In Ancient India, there were two forms of courts: higher (royal) and lower (intracommunal). A party dissatisfied with the decision of a lower court could appeal to the king and close brahmanas to reconsider the case.

During this period, a religion called Brahmanism was formed, at the center of which was the god Brahma - the highest deity, the creator of the universe, the very first and most powerful among the gods in Hindu myths.

Under the influence of Brahmanism, the entire society in Ancient India was divided into social groups - varnas:

• Brahmins were priests who lived in temples on income from sacrifices.
• Kshatriyas are a caste of warriors who were excellent at wielding weapons, drove chariots, and were excellent horsemen.
• Vaishyas are farmers and artisans. Shepherds and traders also belonged to this varna.
• Shudras are the lowest and most disrespected varna, consisting of servants.

Belonging to a varna was inherited and could not be changed in any way. Thus, social inequality crystallized even more strongly in the society of Ancient India.

Dharma, a set of rules necessary to maintain cosmic balance, was of great importance in Hindu religions. This is a righteous path, moral principles, the observance of which will help a person achieve enlightenment.

History 5th grade lesson 28: Ancient India. presentation for a history lesson (grade 5) on the topic

Lesson 28. Ancient India.

Organizational structure of the lesson

Resource material for the lesson.

Annex 1

"Nature and people of Ancient India"

India is located in South Asia. Its shores from the west, east and south are washed by the Indian Ocean, its border is the Himalayas. The Himalayas are the highest mountains. India is very hot most of the year. The Himalayas prevent cold winds from the north from penetrating. The only time of year when it rains in India is July and August, the rains are torrential, so rivers often overflow their banks. The rest of the time it rarely rains in India.

The widest and deepest rivers in India are the Indus and the Ganges. Indians settled on the banks of these rivers in ancient times. They considered these rivers sacred, giving life. They believed that gods lived on the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas.

Working with the map on page 96 “India in ancient times”

Appendix 2

"Jungle"

The jungle was located on the banks of the Ganges. It was hot and humid in the Ganges valleys. It was covered with dense, impenetrable forests - jungles. Some of the trees in them grew to extraordinary thickness. The dense foliage made it dark even during the day. Fragrant flowers were blooming in the forest, and birds could be heard singing. They could eat bananas, mangoes, coconuts and various sweet roots. But not everything was so wonderful there, because there were many dangers in the jungle - predatory animals, poisonous insects, and snakes.

There were also villages in the jungle. To prepare settlements, the Indians had to burn out the forest and uproot huge stumps. This work became easier when iron axes, hoes, and shovels appeared. The appearance of iron in India occurred approximately a thousand years BC.

The Indians planted rice in swampy river valleys because this plant loves moisture and its shoots grow directly from the water. They grew sugar cane and cotton. Fluffy and soft white fibers similar to cotton wool were collected from cotton bushes. From these strands of thread were woven into cotton fabrics. Where it was drier, wheat and barley were sown. Villages and fields were surrounded by jungle. The Indians went there to gather fruits and firewood for the hearth, and grazed cows and goats on the forest edges. Armed with a bow, they hunted deer and fallow deer in the jungle, and caught birds with nets.

Appendix 3

"Animals, gods and belief in the transmigration of the soul"

Tigers, lions, and leopards lived in the jungle. Monkeys jumped on tree branches, and snakes crawled along the ground: huge pythons, poisonous cobras and vipers. The Indians were very afraid of snakes and therefore tried to appease them in every possible way. They laid out piles of boiled rice around their houses and prayed: “Help yourself to the snake, but don’t touch us.”

Some gods were represented in the form of wild animals - a mighty lion or a cunning monkey.

The elephant was domesticated in India. He carried heavy loads and participated in battles. Sitting on the back of an elephant, the warriors from above showered the enemy with arrows. The Indians worshiped the elephant: one of the main gods in India was Ganesha with the head of an elephant. (see figure on page 98).

They treated cows with special respect. She gave people milk, from which they made yogurt and butter. Later the cow was called mother, divine nurse. The most pious Indians did not eat meat, and the one who killed a cow was considered a terrible criminal with whom no one dared to talk.

The Indians believed that animals, birds and insects thought, felt and talked to each other, just like people. When someone dies, he does not actually stop living, but only changes his appearance, turning into another creature. After death, a person can be reborn as an animal, and an animal as a human. Well, who a person becomes after death depends on his behavior during life. For bad deeds, after death he may turn into a quadruped or an insect. The drunkard will become a worm, and the thief will become a crocodile. Anyone who slaughters a goat will himself be born again as a kid. Only those who fully atone for their guilt will be able to become human at their first birth. The Indians treated all animals with love; they believed that if you hurt any animal, it might contain the soul of your father. Some Indians walked with a special stick so as not to accidentally split a worm or bug on the road.

Appendix 4

"The Myth of the Origin of the Four Castes"

Caste is a group of people with certain rights and responsibilities. Belonging to a caste was inherited.

Each of the Indians at birth belonged to one of the castes :)

1) Priests

2) noble warriors

3) farmers

4) servants

They believed that each caste originated from some part of the body of the god Brahma (see figure on page 101).

The Brahmin priests emerged from his mouth and therefore he knows how to say prayers.

Warriors come from the mighty hands of Brahma and therefore they know how to fight.

Farmers are the same. Those who plow the land and herd cattle arose from his thighs.

Servants are lower than everyone, so they are created from the soles of Brahma's feet.

The Indians also believed that people of different castes also differed from each other by birth, like animals of different breeds, that is, if a person’s parents were farmers, then he could never become a priest or a noble warrior. The children of brahmanas grew up to become priests, and the children of servants became servants.

The Brahmas were considered the wisest and most honorable in India. They were invited to every house where they wanted to make a sacrifice to the gods. The owner of the house offered a rich gift for this, usually a cow. The Brahmas first lit the fire by rubbing wooden sticks. Then they sang a song of praise to the gods and invited them to visit. The Indians appeased the gods, throwing grains of rice, barley, butter, milk into this fire, thinking that all this would not burn, but would be carried away with smoke to heaven - to the gods. If the gods are full and satisfied, they will give people a good harvest in the fields in gratitude. This is how people and gods fed each other.

Working with the textbook on pp. 102-103 “Periods of life of the Brahmins” and the document “The Legend of Buddha”

Appendix 5

"The Untouchables"

The worst situation was for those servants who were called “untouchables.” They were not even allowed to live in the village. They slept in shacks and ate garbage. No one sat at the same table with them. The “untouchables” wore special clothes so that no one would accidentally come up to them and touch them. And when they entered the village to remove garbage or do menial work, people tried to get off the street so as not to see these despicable creatures.

If a person from a lower caste dared to raise his hand against a Brahman, the king ordered his hand to be cut off. If he did not pay homage to the brahmana, boiling oil was poured down his throat or a hot iron was pierced through his tongue.

But some ancient Indian sages did not attach much importance to caste differences. Thus, Buddha, the founder of the religion of Buddhism, taught that the main thing is a person’s personal merits, and not his origin.

Culture of Ancient India

The most important achievement of the culture of Ancient India was the creation of an alphabetic letter consisting of 50 characters. Literacy was available only to brahmins, who guarded their knowledge very jealously.

The rich literary language Sanskrit, which means “perfect” in translation, was as if specially created for writing lyrical works. The most famous were the two great poems of the ancient world - the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, which had a huge influence on the development of Indian culture.

Scientific knowledge in the fields of medicine, mathematics, and chemistry has also received great development. Astronomy was especially well developed in Ancient India - already in ancient times, Indians knew that the Earth was spherical and rotated around its axis.

The art of Ancient India is, first of all, represented by unique architecture. The majestic palaces and temples were distinguished by incredibly meticulous decoration. Columns, gates and walls were decorated with carvings, gilded images of fruits, flowers and birds, many details were cast in silver.

Rice. 3. Temples in Ancient India.

Monasteries and temples were even built in caves. Ancient architects carved out vast corridors and halls in the mountains, monumental columns, which were then decorated with filigree carvings.

Theatrical art, which was a mixture of acting, poetry and dance, also received great development in Ancient India.

The works of ancient sculptors and painters were mostly of a religious nature, but there were also images and sculptures made on secular themes.

Interesting facts about ancient India

• In addition to Hinduism and Buddhism, India is home to a huge number of different philosophical and religious teachings. Therefore, India is sometimes called the “land of a thousand religions.”
• It was from ancient India that chess, yoga, tea came to us (according to legend, an Indian monk was meditating under a tea tree, there was a bowl of water lying next to it, and a leaf accidentally fell from the tree into the bowl; after tasting the bowl of water and a tea leaf, the monk came to amazement at the delicious drink, and that’s how tea appeared).
• Among the sciences in ancient India, mathematics received special development, and ancient Indian mathematicians were the first to invent the decimal number system, the number 0, the rules for extracting square and cube roots, and also calculated the number “Pi” with great accuracy.
• No less skillful were the ancient Indian astronomers, who were able to determine the phases of the Moon without a telescope.
• India is one of the centers of origin of writing; Indian Sanskrit, in which Indian scientists and priests - Brahmins wrote, became especially popular. However, the development of writing in ancient India began already in the post-Harappan period, with the arrival of the Aryans.