Planned Cities on the Indus KEY IDEA People of the first civilization in India built cities on the banks of the Indus River.

The Geography of South Asia South Asia—modern India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh—lies separated from the rest of Asia by tall mountains, the Hindu Kush Mountains, Himalayan Range and the Karakoram Mountains. Just below the mountains are two large plains that hold the Ganges and Indus rivers- the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Deccan Plateau. The high mountains gave the people safety from invaders. Because they lived close to the sea, the people could travel over the water to trade with other peoples.

Environmental Challenges The people along the Indus River had many of the same challenges that the people in Mesopotamia had. Their river flooded each year and left soil good for farming, but the floods did not occur at the same time each year. In addition, the river sometimes changed course.

Monsoon The region’s weather caused problems also. Seasonal winds called monsoons were responsible for the wet and dry seasons of the sub-continent. Each winter, strong winds blew dry air across the area. Each spring, the winds brought heavy rains.

Winter Monsoon- Dry Season Between October and May, the winter monsoon blows from the north bringing cold dry continental air from the European continent.

Summer Monsoon- Wet Season Between June and September, the wind direction shifts and blows from the south and southwest carrying warm moist air onto the subcontinent.

Little Is Known Historians have not learned much about the people who settled in the Indus Valley because they cannot understand their way of writing.

Early Arrivals They do know that people were farming along the river by about 3200 B.C. It is most likely that these people came from north through the Hindu Kush Mountains through the Khyber Pass They also know that the culture of these people covered an area larger than either Mesopotamia or Egypt.

What We Do Know About 2500 B.C., these people began building their first cities. The cities showed careful planning. In Mesopotamia, cities were a jumble of streets laid down without thinking first. In the Indus Valley, however, the builders of cities followed a grid of streets. They built a strong area called a citadel that was easy to defend and held all the important buildings. They also had systems for carrying water and sewage.

The Citadel The cities of the Indus Valley had fortified areas called citadels which contained major buildings of the city.

Built in Water main that flowed from the river into the city

Underground Sewage System Wastes drained through clay pipes into brick sewers running below the streets. These sewers had manholes through which sanitation workers could inspect the drains and clean them out. This same type of sewage system did not come back into use until the late 1800s.

No Significant Social Differentiation Historians believe the civilization of the Indus was peaceful for the following reasons: The houses were mostly like one another suggesting that the Indus culture did not have sharp differences between social classes. Few weapons have been found at the sites of these ancient cities. This suggests that warfare was not common.

Artifacts From Indus Valley Jewelry Toys – replicas of carts and boats.

Important Contributions These early people left an important mark on the region. Some religious objects include symbols that became part of the culture that developed later in India. Historians also think that the people of the area traded with the people of Mesopotamia because they found seals from Mesopotamia at the archeological site

Mysterious Decline Around 1750 B.C., though, the cities began to show signs of trouble. The Indus Valley civilization collapsed around 1500 B.C. No one knows the reason, but there are three possibilities: 1. The Indus River may have changed its course, ending the good effects of the yearly floods. 2. The people may have over-worked the land and left the soil too poor to produce crops any longer. 3. Perhaps a group of invaders defeated the Indus civilization.

3500 (3,000) BC Nile River Indus River Briefly compare the Indus Valley Civilization to those of Egypt and Sumer.   Briefly compare the Indus Valley Civilization to those of Egypt and Sumer.     Sumer Egypt Indus Valley Timeline 3500 (3,000) BC 3200 (2660) BC 2,550 -1550 BC River System Tigris and Euphrates Rivers Nile River Indus River Environmental Factors No natural barriers against invaders. Unpredictable flooding Few natural resources Desert provided a natural defense against invaders Nile river flooded very predictably Great natural barriers (mountains)  Unpredictable flooding.  River Changed course routinely  Monsoons Environmental Defenses against raiders No natural barriers desert Hindu Kush Mtns Karakorum Mtns Himalaya ranges High plateaus Technological Achievements Irrigation Sail Wheel Writing (cuneiform) Ziggurat Plow Writing (hieroglyphics) Written numbers Geometry Columns in construction 365-day calendar medicine/surgery Regularly shaped oven baked bricks City planning (grid) Sewage systems Social Structure Great social division Great Social divisions No evidence of a great social divisions Power and Authority Structure Strong central government:  1st led by priests  2nd led by kings Strong Central government led by the Pharaoh Strong Central Government