Indus River Valley Civilization

The Geography of South Asia India is often referred to as a subcontinent because the mountain ranges- Hindu, Kush, Himalaya- separate it from the rest of the continent Flat, fertile plain formed by the Indus and Ganges rivers = Indus-Ganges plain In center of peninsula is a high plateau called the Deccan plateau, where rivers flow Monsoons- seasonal winds- dominate India’s climate

Environmental Challenges Indus river flows southwest from the Himalayas to the Arabian Sea Yearly flooding left silt but also unpredictable flooding Had to deal with wet and dry seasons of the Monsoon Natural boundaries with tallest mountains- Himalayas- and desert to west Traded with Mesopotamia using links of the Arabian Sea

Civilization Emerges on the Indus Less known about this civilization because no one has deciphered the system of writing, so everything is based on archaeological evidence Earliest Arrivals Historians unsure of how settlement began in India Evidence of agriculture and domesticated sheep dating back to 7000 BCE 3200 BCE people farming in villages along the Indus

Planned Cities Kalibangan, Mohenjo-Daro, and Harrappa were the largest settlements along the Indus Evidence of sophisticated city planning Precise grid system Fortified area called a citadel Separate residential districts Buildings constructed of oven-baked bricks in standard sizes Plumbing and sewage systems All this suggest strong central government

Culture and Trade along the Indus Social divisions not great because of uniformity in housing Wooden toys suggest prosperous society that produced non-essential goods Few weapons found, suggesting limited conflict Religious artifacts show links to Hindu culture, figures of fertility goddess, mother goddess Stamps and seals suggest long-distance trade Trading began as early as the reign of Sargon of Akkad around 2350 BCE

Mysterious End to Indus Valley Culture Around 1750 BCE quality of building declined No one knows what happened but it could have been that the river changed course or the land was overgrazed Around 1500 BCE could have been a natural disaster or invaders, since unburied bodies were found and we know that the Aryans invaded India at this time