ANCIENT INDIA

GEOGRAPHY Great size and diverse landscapes = cultural diversity and hard to unite Indian subcontinent Subcontinent = a large landmass that is part of a continent Three major geographic zones Himalaya and Hindu Kush mountain systems Deccan Plateau Northern Plains Monsoons = seasonal winds in India that bring rain in the summer

.

Indus River Valley Civilization Two large cities have been discovered by archaeologists – Harappa and Mohenjo Daro Cities were well-planned and laid out Streets ran in a grid pattern Community wells and public drainage systems A large walled citadel (fortress) enclosed buildings such as granaries and meeting halls Economy based many on farming and trade Was believed to be a single society rather than a collection of independent city-states The civilization declined and cities were abandoned Floods? Disappearance of a river? Invasions?

Developed Sanskrit, their writing system around 1000 BC The social structure was based on the caste system Caste system = a set rigid categories in ancient India that determined a persons occupation and position in society Caste = social class

Society was divided into four social classes called varnas Brahmans = priestly class in charge of religious ceremonies, is the highest ranking Kshatriyas = warriors and rulers Vaisyas = commoners, mostly farmers and merchants Sudras = people who were not Aryans, mostly peasants with limited rights in society, servants The four varnas are also subdivided into hundreds of smaller castes Untouchables = people who are not part of the caste system, lowest part of society Are given menial, degrading tasks that other Indians would not accept (trash collecting, handling dead bodies)

Valued Cattle – Cows were sacred Women had less rights and were not equal Job was to have children and obey and respect their husbands at all times Sati Virtuous woman who joined her husband on his funeral pyre In ancient India the dead were burned in a funeral pyre Suttee required a wife to throw herself on her dead husbands flaming body to join him in death Women who refused were considered disrespectful

The Aryans were polytheistic One of their main gods was Indra, the god of war Brahman = single spiritual power beyond the gods The Aryans practiced the religion of Hinduism