7 Charas. of Civilization: Indus River Valley Ms. Engelberth

Significance: why study India? Today, India has the world’s second largest population—over 1 billion people. Buddhism and Hinduism, the world’s 3rd and 4th largest religions, both originated in India. About 1% of the U.S. population is Indian. Globally, India is growing in economic and political importance.

Review geography India is a subcontinent colliding with the Eurasian plate Monsoon = a seasonal wind that blows across Asia The effects of monsoons: the same mountains in the dry season (above) and three months later in the wet monsoon season (right)

A forgotten past… In the 1920s, people stumbled across some mysterious mud bricks in the area around the Indus River—between modern India and Pakistan. After archaeologists began to investigate the sites, they discovered evidence of an ancient civilization that had been forgotten for thousands of years…

Developed Cities Harappa and Mohenjo- daro were the two largest cities in the Indus River Valley civilization. Each city could hold up to 35,000 people. Both Harappa and Mohenjo Daro are laid out in a grid pattern (oriented north- south, east-west), showing careful planning.

Mud bricks Mud bricks were the usual building material. Each one was uniform (exactly the same size), which made them easy to build with. The bricks were baked in kilns to harden them. The entire city was elevated on mud brick platforms to protect against flooding A view of Mohenjo-Daro; note the grid shape and brickwork

Advanced Plumbing Engineers designed a plumbing and sewage system with indoor toilets, wells (up to 70 wells in some of the larger cities,) and drains. To the left: drains would run down the center of city streets Bottom: drains were originally covered by stones. Dug-out well

Writing It reads left-right, right-left, and is mostly found on seals. We have not yet deciphered this writing system, so many aspects of the civilization not well understood. What do you think are some things that historians and archaeologists could figure out without understanding the writing system? What are some things that would be difficult? Seals from Mohenjo-Daro

Religion We do not know much about the Indus River Valley religion. Some historians think that it influenced early Hinduism. There are written records about Hinduism (that we can read) from after the Indus River Valley civilization mysteriously declined.

Religion Water appears to have been very sacred. The Great Bath in Mohenjo-daro was coated with a tar-like substance and was probably used for religious ceremonies. The above artifact is called the “Priest-King.” However, we aren’t sure if that is what he actually represents.

Organized Government Was there a single ruler? Did he have ties to the religion? How was power handed down? Who planned the cities? We are still not sure about these questions. Again, name of the statue called “Priest-King” is just a guess. There is not much evidence of warfare. Few weapons have been found. However, there is extensive evidence of trade.

Social Classes While there were richer and poorer people, there are not many obvious signs of a big difference in social classes (palaces, wealthy furnishings, etc.) Some historians think this was a very egalitarian society, where everyone was equal.

Specialized Jobs Harappan people could carve beads, make jewelry, farm, write, make bricks, throw pots, weave cloth, make metal tools (including bronze), and more. However, most were farmers and traders.

Trade (Art) There is evidence of trade with Mesopotamia dating back to at least 2,600 BCE. Beads from the Royal Tombs at Ur appear to have Indus River Valley origins, and seals from Mesopotamia have been found in the Indus River Valley and vice versa. They were certainly acclaimed as bead-makers; they could also work with copper and cloth.

Architecture We haven’t found any monumental architecture like the Ishtar Gate or the pyramids of Egypt. Everything seems practical, orderly, and well-planned, not grand. To the left is a recreation of what Harappa might have looked like.

End of the Indus River Valley Around 1900 BCE, the Indus River Valley civilization disappeared. Historians are not sure why. What are your theories? Invaders—violent takeover Change in weather/climate; no longer good for growing sickness

The Vedic Age (1500-500 B.C.E.) The name “Vedic” comes from the Vedas, which are early religious writings that describe Hinduism. Aryan tribes probably came from the northwest around 1500 B.C.E. and settled in the Indus River Valley and in the Ganges River Valley. Hinduism, one of the world’s oldest living religions, definitely took shape around this time. Aryan also established an early version of the caste system, with the Harappan people at the bottom of the social pyramid.

The Classical Age (500 B.C.E.—321 B.C.E.) Northern parts of India were taken over, first by the Persians, then by Alexander the Great and his army.

Mauryan Empire (321—185 B.C.E.) The Mauryan Empire was founded by Chundragupta, who seized power from the Greeks in 321 B.C.E.

Ashoka the Great Grandson of Chundragupta Asoka, his grandson, was a famous king. After many military victories, he began to regret the death and destruction he had caused. He converted to Buddhism and tried to rule according to peaceful principles.