India: 5.1 Bell-Ringer: What do you know of India?

 Most populated country in the WORLD!  Two main religions are: Hinduism and Buddhism  Developed a caste system  Constant battles  One of its natural boundaries are the Himalayan Mountains.

 India is located: (Fin, google earth it)  It’s place is:  HI!  Movement  Region

 HUGE!  Subcontinent: a large landmass that is smaller than a continent.  Put your pencil down after you are finished.

 Many rivers flow out of the mountain range.  This helped create the Indus Valley, which in turn is home of one of the first civilizations.  With the flooding of the rivers…this created fertile soil (silt) for farmers.

 No, it is not an animal (that’s a mongoose)  They are wind patterns that create very dry and very wet seasons.  The weather can bring severe flooding and anywhere from inches of rain PER YEAR!

 The Harappan’s controlled the Indus valley region.  We do not have a lot of information on the Harappan society but what we do know comes from two cities: Harappa and Mohenjo Daro.  Both cities were surrounded by a towering fortress.

 Had indoor plumbing and bathrooms.  High quality tools  Weights and measures  Developed India’s first writing system

 Harappan society disappeared around 1700 B.C.  Aryan’s were from Southeast Asia and took over Hindu Kush around 1200 B.C.  What we know about Aryans are from vedas: religious writings. These are poems, hymms, myths, and rituals.

 Aryans were nomadic.  Each group had its own leader: Raja  Aryans were like siblings: constantly fighting each other rather than an enemy.  Aryans did not know how to read and write so they had to memorize EVERYTHING!  First language was Sanskrit: oldest and most famous language of ancient India.