Explore the Ancient World Student Research Guide

Key Words: ancient India, Mauryan Empire, Gupta Empire, Asoka, Chandra Gupta, Hinduism, Buddhism, caste system, Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharata, Indian literature

Fiction Books

Alexander, Lloyd. The Iron Ring. New York: Puffin Books, 1999. This mythical adventure tale draws on the literature and folklore of India. Tamar, the young king of Sundari, must make a dangerous journey to the kingdom of Mahapura after he gambles away his life and freedom. 283 pages. Fiction.

Demi. One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale. New York: Scholastic Press, 1997. This beautifully illustrated picture book tells the story of Rani, a clever girl who saves her village with her quick wits. Makes a good read-aloud book. 40 pages. Fiction.

Griesser, Jean Vishaka. Our Most Dear Friend: An Illustrated Bhagavad-gita for Children. Torchlight Publications, 1996. Through the simple yet captivating paintings, text, and photographic montages, this picture book introduces children to one of India's greatest epic stories. Makes a good read-aloud book. 32 pages. Fiction.

Krishnaswami, Uma. The Broken Tusk: Stories of the Hindu God Ganesha. North Haven, CT: Linnet Books, 1996. Krishnaswami retells stories of the lively and mischievous god Ganesha, who has the body of a human and the head of an elephant. Makes a good read-aloud book. 100 pages. Fiction.

Shepard, Aaron. Savitri: A Tale of Ancient India. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman, 1992. The intelligent and beautiful Princess Savitri must outwit the god of death in order to save her husband. Makes a good read-aloud book. 40 pages. Fiction.

Weitzman, David. Rama and Sita: A Tale from Ancient Java. Boston: David R. Godine Publisher, 2002. This book is a retelling of the Hindu epic "The Ramayana" for children. 32 pages. Fiction.

Nonfiction Books

Ali, Daud. Step into...Ancient India. London: Anness Publishing, 2001. Young readers will discover many aspects of Indian culture. Several hands-on projects in the book help the past come alive. 64 pages. Nonfiction.

Ganeri, Anita. Exploration into India. Langhorne, PA: Chelsea House Publications, 2000. Ganeri explores the history, politics, culture, and religions of India. 48 pages. Nonfiction.

Smith, Huston. The Illustrated World's Religions: A Guide to Our Wisdom Traditions. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1995. This comprehensive book covers all the major world religions and can be used in Units 3-6. A good chapter on Hinduism covers the basic aspects of the religion. 256 pages. Nonfiction.

Web Sites

http://www.ancientindia.co.uk/
Ancient India—The British Museum. An excellent resource for all kinds of information related to ancient India. Includes facts about the Indus Valley, Buddhism, early Hinduism, and Indian script. See some of the artifacts that archaeologists found in Mohenjo-Daro, and read stories that are both interesting and educational. The map of India in the geography page is interactive; zoom in for close-up views, select an area to study in greater detail, and identify the major river systems in the country.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/history/index.shtml
BBC—Religion & Ethics: History of Hinduism. Get a brief overview of the history of Hinduism from 3000 B.C. to the present on these pages. You can also read about the main Hindu gods, holy days honored by Hindu worshipers, and a short explanation of the caste system in India.

http://regentsprep.org/Regents/global/themes/goldenages/gupta.cfm
Regents Prep Global History—Golden Ages: Gupta Empire. Read a short summary about advancements in India during the Gupta Empire. Some of the achievements include: progress in medicine, mathematics, and art and literature. If you click on the underlined words, they will be defined for you.

http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/ANCINDIA/CONTENTS.HTM
Ancient India. This site has a wealth of information on the religion and history of ancient India. When you explore, focus on the pages that discuss the Mauryan Empire and the Guptas. Also, pay special attention to the "Historical Atlas of Ancient India" link under "Resources." There you will find some useful maps.

http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/ent/A0843528.html
Sanskrit Literature. During the golden age of India, a great amount of high quality literature was written. Before and after the golden age, people were creating important writings as well. The articles on these pages talk about this literature, written in the language of Sanskrit. Read the brief summaries to learn a little about what made this classic poetry and drama so special.

http://www.bhagavad-gita.org/Gita/intro.html
Bhagavad-Gita. The Bhagavad-Gita, an important religious text for Hindu worshipers, appears on these pages. You can see all eighteen chapters of the Sanskrit text and also hear recordings of it. You can read the translation of each verse in English, too.

http://www.krysstal.com/writing_evolution.html#map
KryssTal—Writing: Evolution of Scripts. See a graph about how writing has developed, from ancient languages that are no longer used, to modern languages that people still speak and write today. Many of the languages shown here are linked to pages of examples, so you can get an idea of how the scripts actually appear. Don't forget to click on "Sanskrit" to see what the writing of ancient India looked like.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
National Geographic. Discover maps of the world, historical photographs, and interactive adventures on the National Geographic site.