1. Indus Early River Valley Civilization
Yay for Planned Cities!

2. Objectives: Why did the Indus develop in a river valley?
Where was the Indus civilization located?
What were the social, economic, and political characteristics of the Indus civilization?
What religious traditions developed in the Indus civilization?

3. Geography

4. Map of Early River Valley Civilizations

5. Geography
Subcontinent: A large landmass that can be part of a continent such as India is to Asia. The subcontinent of India is separated by the Himalayan Mountains
Monsoons: Seasonal winds that are either dry air or heavy rains. Monsoons affect India by either pushing dry air through or moist air through the country.
Dry air comes from NE from October to May
Moist air comes from SW in middle of June till October

7. Environmental Challenges

8. Environmental Challenges
Unpredictable flooding
Indus sometimes changed course
Monsoons brought extreme dry and wet seasons
too little rain was bad for crops and brought hunger
too much rain meant flooding and death

9. Natural Barriers

10. Natural Barriers Himalayas in the North
Desert in West (modern day Pakistan and Afghanistan)
Indian Ocean to the South
THINK ABOUT IT: What did these natural barriers prevent AND allow for the Indus civilization?

12. Complex Institutions

13. Complex Institutions
Government: No evidence of a single ruler, but they must have had a centralized government.
Planned cities point to a centralized government
Religions: Not a lot of evidence, but were polytheistic and connected to modern day Hindu Gods

14. Advanced Cities

15. Advanced Cities Major Cities: Kalibangan Mohenjo-Daro Harappa
Cities in Indus are unique because they were planned in a grid system.
Grid System: Planned streets that form a grid.
Separated residential districts
Plumbing and sewage system
Buildings made out of standard sized bricks
Citadel: fortified area that contained major buildings

17. Society and Technology

18. Society and Technology
Uniform housing suggests no divisions in society
Clay and wooden toys suggest a prosperous society
Few weapons of warfare suggest limited conflict
Technology
Stamps/Seals: made of carved stone, used by Indus to identify goods
Sign of long-distance trade---these stamps were found in Sumer, while Sumer goods were found in Indus