Ms Hos-McGrane's Grade 6
Social Studies Class
Welcome to our Ancient India
Internet Resources Page
[History of
Ancient India] [Indian Art]
[Indian Culture]
[Indian Religion] [Indian
Literature] [Indian Writing]
[Return to Ancient History Menu]
Ancient Civilizations:
Virtual Museum
Grade Six students from William Penn Charter School produced an online museum of ancient civilizations from Africa, China, India, Israel, Mesoamerica. and Mesopotamia. Student reports included : culture, daily life, geography, government, and examples of student artwork.
The Himalayas: Where the Earth Meets the SkyThinkQuest '97 Finalist. This award-winning site was written and produced by students from India, the Netherlands and the US. The site affords visitors with a visually rich and highly informative online tour of this fascinating part of India, Nepal and Tibet.
Fulbright-Hays Seminar Abroad to India, Summer 1998Join teachers from the United States as they explore the history and culture of India through images, journal entries and interviews with people in Dehli, Khajuaho, Varanasi, Bombay, Ahmedabad, Calcutta, Jaipur, and Agra. There is also a section on Classroom Activities about India with suggested activities about education in India, Hindu mythology, sacred places and more.
Ancient India Resources on the Web
Please note: some of the links below may have moved or disappeared
since we created this resource. For an updated list of Internet resources
on Ancient India we recommend the CORE VALUES > Ancient India Resources
Internet Library.
Click on this image to open library. 
or go to http://tlc.ousd.k12.ca.us/library/india/
History of Ancient India
A wealth of information including essays and and an extensive slide tour of the region and the ancient cities of Lothal, Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.
History, Mystery, and Diversity
of India > Timeline
of India : Kamat's Potpourri
Extensive material on the history, culture, and diversity of India. Includes
a timeline with links, a picture of the week, information on Indian religion,
epics and more. See article on Mauryan
Empire.
Daily Life
in Ancient India
This site shares daily life in three major time periods of ancient India history; the mysterious Indus Valley Civilization, the Vedic & Epics Periods, and the Age of Empires. It is part of a larger resource Daily Life in Ancient Civilizations by Lin Don and Mr. Don's Ancient History Site.
History of IndiaA timeline with links to illustrated articles (click on the images) on Indian history including: Prehistoric India , Indus Valley Civilization (2500 BC - 1500 BC), Vedic Age (1500 BC - 1000 BC), Epic Age (1000 BC - 600 BC), Hinduism and Transition (600 BC - 322 BC), The Mauryan Age (322 BC - 185 BC), The Invasions (85 BC - 320 AD), The Gupta Dynasty (320 AD - 520 AD) and more. For a less graphical version click here.
Ancient India HistoryA good collection of articles on Harappa Civilisation, Rise of the Mauryas, Reign of King Ashoka, and several essays on the Gupta Empire and its rulers.
Ancient IndiaInformation from an online course by Richard Hooker for his World Cultures Class at Washington State University. Topics include: Harappa and the Indus Civilization, The Mauryans, 321-185 BC, The Age of the Guptas as well as a historical atlas and a glossary. (Note: Some sections are still under construction.)
Discover India (History)This is part of a larger site Discover India which offers visitors an introduction to the country, its history, the arts and cultures, languages, media, tourism, and governmental agencies. The section on history includes: The Indus Valley Civilisation, Aryans and the Vedic Age, The Mauryan Empire, The Gupta Age and more.
The Edicts of King Asoka: An English RenderingBiography of King Ashoka and translation of his famous edicts.
Introducing Indian Archaeology
What is the history of this search for India's past? Who were the Searchers of the Past? Where does Indian Archaeology stand today? What lies ahead? This article is part of a larger site: Discover India Gallery which covers the latest Indian research..
Ancient India: Chapter fiveCourse notes from Dr. Silvestri, Instructor, Buckley School,Sherman Oaks, California. There is an outline of the history and culture of Ancient India,the development of Hinduism and Buddhism, and the epic poetry of classical India--the Mahabharata and Ramayana.
Ancient Indian Art and Architecture 
Early India, Hinduism & Literature, Origins & Development of Buddhism
A series of annotated slides from a course on World Civilizations by Paul Brians at Washington State University. Click on the image if you want to see an enlarged version of the slide.
The Life of Buddha in Indian ArtA beautifully illustrated narrative on the life of Prince Siddhartha with text and images from a wide range of classical Indian art.
Arts of IndiaThe Getty Education Institute for the Arts highlights a selection of five works of art from India. Information on each object includes: Biographical Information, Cultural Context, Discussion Questions and Activities , Medium, References, Theme, and a Timeline.
Hindu Deity PaintingsA collectioin Hindu miniature paintings from Lakshmi International, a firm which sells Indian art. Visit also the animated graphics section: Shiva as the Lord of Dance and Vision of the Divine Mother.
The Hindu TempleAn article from the July '97 online edition of TempleNet: The Ultimate Source of Information on Indian Temples which provides information on the significance of Hindu temple architectural styles.
Discover India (Arts)Information from the web of the Indian Government, Ministry of External Affairs about paintings, sculptures, craft traditions plus a gallery of Indian miniature painting.
Indian Culture
India's Contribution to the World's Culture
Full text of a richly illustrated book by Sudheer Birodkar which describes Indian contributions to math, astronomy, physics, chemistry, medicine, engineering, architecture, philosophy, sports, and fine arts. Also includes what the human spirit in Ancient India has given to the world, like the values of non-violence, religious tolerance, and renunciation etc.
Indian Religion, Culture and HistoryThe second book of Sudheer Birodkar investigates the origin of various Indian customs, beliefs, rituals, folklore, festivals, etc. It looks at what Indians do in their daily lives and tries to answer why they do these things.
Discover India (Culture)Here is a catalogue of everything Indian: religions, festivals, rituals, artifacts, monuments, costumes, music and dance, language and literature. There is also a section on Sports in Ancient India.
Indian CultureInformation on dance, arts, clothing, festivals, religion and language. There is also a section on India's contribution to the world
India Arts, Culture & LiteratureSite which tackles a range of topics from India including: Music, Dance, Hindu Pilgraimages, Festivals, Beliefs & Concepts: Vishnu Customs & Ceremonies: Annaprashana, Religious Texts: Upanishad, Nature Worship: Banyan Tree
The Pilgrimage Places of India
Photographer and anthropologist has published an introduction the practice of pilgrimage in India as well as photographs and information on a number of pilgrimage sites including: Srisailam, Rameshvaram, Sadhu, Dakshineshwar, Ellora caves, Kumbha Mela festival, Sravanabelagola, Shatrunajaya, Arunachaleswar Temple, and The Golden Temple. This is part of a larger web site on Sacred Sites which includes stunning photographs of Buddhist shrines, additional sacred sites from Nepal, Thailand, Burma and much more.
Life of BuddhaThis site has been written for secondary school students. There are exercises with each story which teachers can elaborate on when it is used as a textbook. It is part of an award-winning site BuddhaNET one of the best Web sites for information on Buddhism on the Internet. Other relevant articles include Buddhist Studies and Art Gallery of Buddhist Artwork.
Buddha's Life: An Illustrated Narrative in Eleven PartsFrom the 1995-96 issues of an online e-zine, Buddhist Door- Buddhist WWW Magazine, comes an illustrated life of Buddha in eleven parts. [Part 1] .. [Part 2] .. [Part 3] .. [Part 4] .. [Part 5] .. [Part 6] .. [Part 7] .. [Part 8] .. [Part 9] .. [Part 10] .. [Part 11]. These is also a listing for each of the sixty-four illustrations of the Life of Buddha.
Puja: Expressions of Hindu DevotionThe Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the national museum of Asian art at the Smithsonian, have developed a Web site on Hindu worship. Designed to complement the award-winning exhibition "Puja: Expressions of Hindu Devotion," the site includes background information on Hindu deities, video footage of worship, lesson plans, and classroom activities.
Hindu MythologyOver 250 entries from the Encyclopedia Mythica pertaining to Hindu gods and practices.
The Art of Tibetan Sand PaintingA mandala (click here for image) is a circular diagrams which is used in both Hinduism and Buddhism to increase spiritual awareness. Here monks from the Seraje Monastery drew the Mandala of Hayagriva, a symbolic work of art which represents the god that protects their monastery. Originally from Tibet, the monastery has now moved to South India. Site produced by the Houston Chronicle, Virtual Voyager at the Museum of Fine Arts
Glossary of Terms in Eastern PhilosophyWritten by James Fieser for the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, here is an explanation of terms used in Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, and Taoism.
Buddha's LifeSiddhartha's life told through enchanting illustrations. The images and titles in the section of Buddha's Life are taken from "The Illustrated History of Buddhism" by The Young Men's Buddhist Association, Rangoon. There is also a section on Buddhist art containing images of several Buddhist statues from China.
Life of BuddhaIllustrated narrative on the life and teachings of Siddhartha Gautoma.
The Ramayana, An Enduring Tradition: Its Text and Context
For the past two thousand years the Ramayana has been among the most important literary and oral texts of South Asia. This poem provides insights into many aspects of Indian culture and continues to influence the politics, religion and art of modern India. During a 1997 summer institute, program participants designed related material to provide an entry for teachers and students into the study of this tradition. The institute was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities; the American Forum for Global Education and Syracuse University collaborated on the program.
Exile in the ForestAn illustrated presentation on the theme of Rama's wanderings in exile and his adventures in the forest, as narrated in the great epic, Ramayana. Part of an excellent site on Indian painting entitled Black Peacock.
The Ramayana StoryTen images which tell the story (each is clickable to see a full screen image) with links to two lesson plans, "Rama and the Ramayana: Lessons in Dharma" (includes a 10 item summary with images) and "Understanding Karma, Dharma, and Samsara.
Buddhist Tales for Young and Old - King FruitfulThis is a selection from the Jataka Tales which were used by Buddha himself to explain concepts like kamma and rebirth and to emphasise the importance of certain moral values. This site is part of the award-winning site BuddhaNet: Buddhist Information Network..
Reader's Theatre: Tales of Ancient India:A collection of scripts adapted from stories by Aaron Shepard and others -- mostly humor, fantasy, and retold tales from a variety of cultures. In addition to the scripts you will find color photographs, the text of the original stories and Real Audio files of the author reading from the tales. (see additional resources).
Stories from Indian Mythology. India's Festivals and Stories from Panchatantra, Jataka and HitopadeshIllustrated tales including classic stories such as The Ramayana, Breaking the Vanity of the Gods, The Knowledge of Brahman, The Life of Buddha, The Festivals of Dashera & Diwali and popular fables such as Shuddha's Donkey, The Lioness &the Jackal Cub, The Lion, the Jackal & the Donkey, The Tiger and the Woodpecker and many other stories written for young people.
The Fables of BidpaiWisdom, cleverness, and stupidity compared in an animal fable taken from The Fables of Bidpai, ancient India's version of Aesop's Fables. First published in Sanskrit, the collection of fables dates back to the 4th century A.D.
Another tale from the collection The Panchatantra - The Brahmin's Tale was translated and illustrated by an Indian artist, Vaibhav Kodikal and is available from a site Candelight Stories.
Indian Writing This site deals with the development of writing systems and covers many ancient cultures. Here visitors will find information on the Brahmi Script, the Devanagari Script and the Indus Valley Script.
