India’s First Civilizations Chapter 4-1 Page 239

Geography of India Subcontinent – part of a continent that is separated from the rest of a continent –India Himalaya – highest mountain range in the world, separates the Indian subcontinent from the rest of Asia

Himalaya, Tibetan Plateau

Mount Everest

Best place for civilizations ***Ganges River Valley ***Indus River Valley –Two river valleys fed from the melted snow of the Himalaya

Indus River

Deccan Plateau – Dry hilly plains south of the river valleys

Monsoons – strong wind –Winter monsoons: cold, dry air from the mountains –Summer monsoons: warm, wet air from the Arabian Sea and provides drenching rains ***Monsoon rains help the farmers

India’s first civilization Began near the Indus River B.C. Harappan civilization The cities Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro helped scientists learn about India

The city of: Harappan Large, about 35,000 people Walls, fortresses Wide streets, narrow lanes Mud brick houses, courtyard in the middle Wells Drains, indoor bathrooms! Garbage chutes Granaries to store grain

Harappan society –Writing not decoded –Royal palace, temple –Farmers –Traded with Mesopotamians –Harappan city ruined by earthquake and floods ***Aryans settled on the land They came from central Asia and raised and herded animals Good warriors, horse riders and hunters

Cattle: prized possessions to the Aryans What did they use cattle for? –Used as money –Meat –Milk –Butter –Wealth measured by how many cows a person owned

A cow free to roam the street.

Aryans make changes ***Improved farming Invented the plow ***Brought the language of Sanskrit to India Organized into tribes Tribes led by a Raja (prince) ***Created the caste system (a social group that someone is born into and cannot leave)

Caste System Rules/Guidelines Your social level in society Dictates a person’s job Dictates marriage Dictates friends Possibly started based on skin color Thousands grouped together into four levels

Why was the caste system developed? Aryans thought they were better Color of skin People in India outnumbered them Kept groups separate Set rules for behavior Helped Aryans maintain control

Varnas - Classes Brahmans – priests Kshatriyas – warriors, rulers Vaisyas – common people –Merchants, farmers Sudras – unskilled workers, servants –Not Aryans, Indians –Had few rights

Rulers

Not even a varna… Pariah – Untouchables ***Performed work other Indians would not do Examples: - Collecting trash - Handling dead bodies - No one wanted to come near a Pariah

Photograph by William Albert Allard "Her fate scripted by Hindu law, an Untouchable girl can imagine little else than working along the Yamuna River in Delhi as a Dhobi. Members of this clothes-washing caste handle items 'polluted' by blood or human waste." —From "India's Untouchables," June 2003, National Geographic magazine

Families Family the center of life Oldest male head of house Guru – teacher for boys in top Varnas Girls educated at home Arranged marriages Suttee – practice where wife leaped into the cremation flames of her dead husband

Mumbai

Taj Mahal