India: Notable Groups (inc. Tribes, Civilizations, Peoples, Alliances, Leagues, Types of People, Types of Places, Types of Professions, Military Groups, etc.)

Indo-Aryans (All Facts)

• Tribe that arrived in Punjab, they emerged around the same time the Indus River Valley Civilization collapsed, around 1500 BCE

  • Having first appeared in modern-day India and Pakistan, they spread through northern India having eventually reached the Ganges River Valley where, after clearing dense forests, laid the basis of an urban civilization around 800 BCE

  • As the populations near the Ganges plains expanded rapidly, they create numerous small kingdoms

    • Each of these states centered on a capital city, surrounded by ramparts and moats

    • In these states, there was a tendency towards specialized employments, with workers becoming artisans, merchants, or artists

    • In these states, the royal power’s influence was limited early on by the Brahmans, palace officers, and courtiers

• Characterized by their use of the tough little Steppe horse

  • As a result of its use, their small peasant farmers gave up tilling the soil for the wide open spaces of the Steppe and became nomads, taking their flocks and herds with them hundreds of miles

  • Used it for riding and pulling chariots, in which they showed their military superiority by using war chariots

  • Revered it, evident due to the fact that they were buried along with their wealthy owners

  • Had changed their way of life entirely while in the grassland and semi-desert from the Black Sea to India to Syria

  • Had allowed them to introduce a new culture into the namesake region

  • Had thus made them become pastoral nomads as well as animal breeders

• Its tribes traded with the cities and towns on the fringe of the steppe

• Learned many skills and were able to cast their own bronze tools and weapons by 1400 BCE

• Integrated with the local agricultural population and established permanent farming settlements by 800 BCE

• After having settled in India, they summarized their religious beliefs via the composition of the “Rig-Veda”

  • Worshipped the ancient gods of Mitra, Varuna, and Indra

Vakatakas (All Facts)

• Were located in central India 

Nagas (All Facts) 

• Were located in northern India 

Maghas (All Facts) 

• Located in Kausambi 

Kosalas (All Facts)

• Located in the Ganges