1. Geography of India The people of ancient India lived in a land of extremes. The terrain was varied and often presented great challenges. Occasional extremes of weather such as monsoons were also part of life in this land. The Winter Monsoons are hot and dry and the Summer Monsoons consist of a lot of rain. However, great civilizations developed and flourished amidst the rivers, mountains, plains and deserts of the subcontinent. Many rivers also flowed through ancient India making the land fertile. One of the main rivers to be used in ancient times was the Indus river in the north-west (what is now north-western India and Pakistan). It was on the banks of the Indus river that the earliest civilization in India to use writing, build large buildings and organize cities flourished for nearly one thousand years. Another important river in ancient India was the Ganges. Settlements, cities and towns developed on the banks of this powerful river from as early as prehistoric times In geology and earth science, a plateau also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain.

2. Early Indus Civilization Around 2600 B.C, the Indus River Civilization emerged along the Indus River Valley. The Indus Valley Civilization is also known as the Harappan Civilization, as the first of its cities to be unearthed was located at Harappa, excavated in the 1920s in what was at the time the Punjab province of British India (now in Pakistan). Excavation of Harappan sites has been ongoing since 1920, with important breakthroughs occurring as recently as Among the settlements were the major urban cities were Harappa and Mohenjo-daro (UNESCO World Heritage Site). The Harappan language is not directly attested and its affiliation is uncertain since the Indus script is still undeciphered.

3. Excavate the Indus Valley Task: You are an archaeologist on a dig in Mohenjo-Daro. Your boss wants a report on what you have discovered about the Harappan Civilization.

Find A

Find B

Find C

Find D

4. Society City streets crossed each other in a neat grid with square corners. The Indus Valley civilization had large, planned cities, which means that cities were carefully designed before they were built. In Harappan cities, almost every house contained a bathroom and a toilet. Underground sewers carried away the waste. Instead of bartering (trading goods for goods), Harappan people used standard weights and measures to determine amounts of goods and their prices for trade Archaeologists have found seals from the Indus Valley as far away as Mesopotamia. These stamps and seals made of carved stone were probably used by the Indus merchants to identify their goods (like barcodes today!). *** In the Right upper corner of your paper: Draw a picture of what you think the layout of a indus city might look like. Include streets and sewage pipes… etc. Use the clue you just learned about.

5. Aryans The Aryan Civilization began around 1500 B.C. The Aryans were nomadic people who migrated to India with their horses from southern Russia. The nomadic Aryans eventually started to farm and colonize the Ganges river basin. They used iron tools to clear the land for villages. Veda” means wisdom, knowledge or vision, and it manifests the language of the gods in human speech. The laws of the Vedas regulate the social, legal, domestic and religious customs of the Hindus to the present day. All the obligatory duties of the Hindus at birth, marriage, death etc. owe their allegiance to the Vedic ritual. They draw forth the thought of successive generation of thinkers, and so contain within it the different strata of thought. The Aryans wrote the Vedas, a collection of hymns, chants, rituals, and religious teachings. The Vedas describe the Aryans as warriors who love to eat, drink, and have fun. Aryan tribes were led by chiefs called Rajahs. Indian people were divided into social classes in what was called the Caste System. A person could not change their place in the Caste System. They remained the Caste that they were born into for their entire life. Two major religions emerged in Ancient India – Hinduism and Buddhism.

6. Maurya In 321 B.C., Chandragupta Maurya began the first Indian Empire called the Maurya Empire. The population of the empire has been estimated to be about million making the Mauryan Empire one of the most populous empires of the time. The most important Maurya emperor was Asoka. Asoka was a Buddhist who did not believe in violence and ruled through moral example. Asoka’s Edicts ~ commands that described how the Maurya Empire would be ruled. The following is one of his edicts: “All men are my children. Just as I seek the welfare and happiness of my own children in this world and the next, seek the same things for all men.” What do you think this edict means: Write your answer on your paper below your notes:

7. Gupta Empire The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from approximately 320 to 550 CE and covered much of the Indian Subcontinent. Founded by Maharaja Sri Gupta, the dynasty was the model of a classical civilization. The peace and prosperity created under the leadership of the Guptas enabled the pursuit of scientific and artistic endeavors. This period is called the Golden Age of India and was marked by extensive inventions and discoveries in science, technology, engineering, art, dialectic, literature, logic, mathematics, astronomy, religion and philosophy that crystallized the elements of what is generally known as Hindu culture. About 500 years after the Maurya, the Gupta dynasty united most of India. The Gupta emperors organized a strong central government that promoted peace and prosperity. Trade and farming flourished under the Gupta Empire, which contributed to a growth of arts and learning. Gupta artists were best known for their sculptures and paintings in temples. Indian mathematicians began the concept of zero and developed the decimal system.