Planned Cities on the Indus Chapter 2 Section 3

Subcontinent Refers to a smaller part of a larger landmass. South Asia is called the Indian Subcontinent because of its geographic isolation from the rest of Asia.

Monsoon Seasonal Wind Summer Monsoons: prevailing winds from the Indian Ocean bring drenching rains. Winter Monsoons: prevailing winds from central Asia, bringing very little moisture.

Harappan Civilization Another name for the Indus Valley Civilization. Harappa is one if the most well known, most studied, advanced cities of the Indus Valley.

Add this term: Aryans Indo-European nomadic people who crossed the Hindu Kush Mts and invaded the Indus Valley about 1500 B.C. These nomadic people introduced the caste system & the importance of cattle to Hindu culture (holy cows)! May have taken over the Indus Valley Cities due to their lack of defenses (few weapons found).

3. Monsoons (seasonal winds) can cause several problems: The wet (summer) monsoon often causes flooding due to the volume of rain that falls. BUT if the summer monsoon does not develop draught is caused and crops fail. The cycle of wet and dry monsoons was unpredictable. The Effect: sophisticated plumbing and sewer systems.

4. The planned cities of the Indus Valley were different because: They were planned! Meaning that they were well thought out using a grid system of organized streets. Had a plumbing and sewer system than ran below the streets. Houses were often several stories tall – used advanced technology - oven baked bricks (stronger – superior to sun dried mud bricks)!

Evidence of Planning: Straight streets, city blocks, & sewers!

5. There were many possible reasons for the disappearance of the Indus Valley Civilization: A shift in tectonic plates caused The Indus River to change course causing cities to be left without water resources. Invaders: The Aryans, a nomadic people from beyond the Hindu Kush Mts. Invaded the Indus valley in 1500 BC. A combination of both is most likely (Invaders take advantage of a weakened population due to the natural disaster)!

6. Evidence that the Indus Valley Civ’s had strong centralized government: First ADD: What is a centralized government? A C.G. is a government in which a central authority, like a king or our Federal Government, has total power over the smaller parts of the country – like the provinces or states) The Evidence (needs to show sophisticated planning): Large projects such as irrigation systems require a lot of planning. Well planned cities using a grid system. Strong fortified city centers (the Citadel) for administration of government.

A Fortified city center:

7. Construction of well planned cities would require an army of specialized workers like: Civil Engineers for surveying the layout and planning the grid. Construction crews for building houses several stories tall. Plumbing experts for the sewage systems. Masons for the creation of the oven baked bricks.