1. Early Societies in South Asia
Harrapa, Mohenjo-Daro, Aryan, and Dravidian Civilizations
Chapter 4

2. Question 1.
Q: What is a civilization and what are defining characteristics of a civilization? How did the civilizations of your chapter develop and grow more complex before 600 BCE? What were the effects of this increasing complexity.
A: Civilization first started in this region when people from the recently fallen Babylonian society immigrated into the Indian Peninsula and brought over agricultural techniques. Farming allowed it develop more through increase in food supply, thus increasing population. After the decline of the first southern Asian societies, nomadic tribes immigrated into the land and fought and eventually integrated with society and began developing what will be modern day India. A civilization is defined by its ability to unify and collaborate as a cohesive system. As the system becomes more developed, it becomes more complex.

3. Question 1 cont.
A: As a society becomes more complex, it begins to make advances in law, religion, and science, all of which were intertwined in early societies. But like many states like Rome and the British empire, once a society became too large and complex, it crumbles apart, which is what happened with the Harappan and Mohenjo-Daro city states, they became too big and didn’t have a central government, or military.

4. Question 2.
Q: Where did early civilizations of your chapter develop and why did they develop in those locations
A: Much like the early Chinese and Mesopotamian societies, people settled along rivers where the soil was rich in nutrients and was replenished often. These locations made agriculture easier and humanity was able to develop in culture and science.

5. Question 3.
Q:What is a state? Who ruled the early states of your assigned chapter? Which segments of society usually supported the ruler?
A: A state is a self-sustaining settlement consisting of a large population with a central government, sufficient economy, and most likely a dominant religion. The early rulers of states include elder members of societies, “raja” in Indian regions, and chiefs of villages. Harappans had great development in society which came from successful villages from supported leaders. Aryans and Dravidians also had an influence on the states. Their leaders and priests were highly influential on the society and the states.

6. Question 4.
Q: Was your state able to expand and conquer neighboring states? Why or why not?
A: Early stages of South Asian societies such as the city-states of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro did not have a large military present. They did have small private militias owned by the people. The Aryans had the advantage of having horses so they were able to use these as a cavalry advantage. They would often raid small agricultural societies but never stay in one place. Aryans were pastoral and had to move in and out of the land to breed horses, lamb, and cattle. Later in the Vedic age, Aryans became more militant and clashed with Dravidian society. Aryans also fought amongst themselves. Aryans later settled with Dravidians and blended cultures.

7. Question 5.
Q: What role did pastoral civilizations play in regards to building empires in your assigned chapter.
A: The Aryans brought over chariots, horse mounted troops (cavalry), metal weaponry purchased from other societies.

8. Question 6.
Q: How did culture play a role in unifying populations in your chapter?
A: Religion and worship served as a strong platform of unification in south Asian society, and like most early cultures, deities were formed out of respect for nature. Most deities stemmed from fertility, and as society grew more advanced, so did religion.

9. Question 7.
Q: What architectural forms did your early civilization produce?
A: The Harrapan and Mohenjo-Daro peoples produced:
City walls - Used to protect the cities and see approaching peoples
A fortified citadel - Centers for political authority
A large granary - To store grain taxes taken by authorities
Pools - Likely used for religious rituals
Sewage Systems - It took filtered waste away from the towns

10. Question 8.
Q: Which social class encouraged the development of art in your ancient civilization?
A: The rich and religious leaders likely encouraged the development of art, as most of the art was intricate and usually had religious themes. As shown in the Vedic Age with a sculpture of Indra, a deity, in a very large and complex pattern of her riding an elephant. Most non-religious art were rock and metal sculptures depicting women in their daily lives, as shown in Harrapan and Aryan cultures.

11. Question 9.
Q: What form of writing developed in your ancient civilization?
A: In Harrapa the language they used is still unknown, but it was made up of over 400 symbols for words and sounds.
Early Aryans used Sanskrit for religious texts, such as the Vedas, and mostly used Prakit for everything else.

12. Question 10.
Q: What was the relationship between literature and culture in your ancient civilization?
Indian culture was influenced by the literature through many books. Several of these include Vedas which are a combination of prayers, rituals, and songs. Another form of literature was Sanskrit. This had an impact on their ways of communication through society. Sanskrit also influenced the manner of government through the ways and names of chiefs and elders of a village.

13. Question 11.
Q: What pre-600 BCE religions strongly influenced later eras?
The Vedas were collections of songs, hymns, prayers and rituals honoring the Aryan gods
The lackluster spirituality and expense of old Aryan sacrificial rituals led people to ponder over the Vedas and a more fulfilling religion
Dravidian religious ideas and values became an early influence and foundation for Hinduism (which has stayed a prominent religion for over two thousand years)
One of the most significant ideas that carried over and intrigued people was reincarnation: the idea that a human soul could return in another physical form
Later on a body of works called the Upanishads came about, which encouraged people to improve their actions to be reincarnated into a better or more comfortable life in the future, while also teaching a respect for all living things because of the possibility of an animal incarnation due to karma
Overall, the Upanishads encouraged better morals and ethics while also providing a fulfilling outlook on spirituality and the nature of the world

14. Question 12.
Q: What trade routes and outside peoples did your early civilization utilize?
The Indo-European Aryans who settled into India began to intermarry and interact with the already established Dravidians
This would result in a cultural and social exchange that would help lead to modern Indian society
In terms of trade, horses couldn’t breed well in India but were highly sought after for their meat and usefulness in transportation and combat
To replenish them, horses were traded in from central Asia
Foreign people who entered India later on were able to easily fit into India’s caste system without issue

15. Question 13. Development of: Social Identities: Gender Identities:
Harappan society’s classes relied on wealth
Aryans had a well defined social order/caste, with four (but, centuries later, five) main groups/varnas determined by profession
Brahmins were priests, kshatriyas were warriors and aristocrats, vaishyas were cultivators, artisans, and merchants, shudras were landless peasants and serfs, and later another class, the “untouchables,” were people with dirty jobs
The “untouchables” were thought to be so tainted that their touch would defile someone of higher standing
A religious hymn (from the Rig-Veda) stated that the varnas were created by the gods, and that brahmins and kshatriyas were the most honorable groups created and were meant to lead, which helped those groups gain influence (though later religion would give different reasoning for why people were born into different lives)
Gender Identities:
Aryans established a strict patriarchal social order, with men already dominating their society and representing families
Men were the only chiefs, priests (women only rarely had formal education,) and warriors, and were the only ones who could inherit property or lead rituals regarding the departed
According to the Lawbook of Manu, men were to respect women, but women were to be subservient to the men in their lives (their fathers, their husbands, and their sons)
Women’s most important duties were to have children and keep a wholesome home
“Sati” involved a widow throwing herself onto her husband’s funeral pyre to join him in death and demonstrate her devotion (it was usually recommended for women with important husbands, but wasn’t widely done)

16. Names & Period Medina Malik Slides 2-5
Justus Lertphraewphun Slides 6-8
Jeffrey Ortega Slides 9-12
Chloe Desens Slides 13-15
Period 2