1. Ch. 6 Ancient India Lesson 1b The Indus Valley Civilization
Aryan Migrations and Settlements
Ancient Indian Society pp

2. B. The Indus Valley Civilization
About 5,000 years ago, nomads settled in Indus River
Modern day Pakistan

3. Indus Valley Civilization
Indus River Valley
2600 B.C. – 1900 B.C.
Most were farmers
Very fertile soil
Grew wheat, barley, and beans
With abundant crops, not all needed to farm, so the division of labor led to specialization of jobs
Craftsman - Many made tools
Builders - Constructed houses
Merchants – trading extra food and goods
Spread over western India
and Pakistan

4. Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
We know the Indus culture flourished from studying the ruins of 2 major cities:
1 – Harappa
2 – Mohenjo-Daro
Large cities
Populations of 35,000
Like twin cities in design
Large streets paved with mud bricks; small streets unpaved
West side of the city stood a fortress built on brick platform surrounded by strong, thick walls
*Ruins – the remains of something was destroyed or disintegrated

5. Studying the ruins of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro cities
Highly skilled engineers and builders built the Indus people’s homes
Used large ovens to bake the mud into bricks build = mud brick homes
Some were several stories tall
Flat wooden roofs
Enclosed courtyards
Wells supplied water so every house had Indoor plumbing
Waste flowed through pipes to pits outside the city walls
Each house had garbage chutes connected to bins in the streets

6. No written records found in these cities.
So, what did archaeologists learn about the culture from studying the ruins of the city?
Found ruins of royal palaces and temples that were enclosed in a fortress – this tells us that that their religion and government was important to them
Found villages surrounding the cities -- this tells us that they were farmers outside the city
Found Copper and Bronze tools – this tells us that they mixing metals -- making Alloys so they must be studying Metallurgy
Found in the city walls = copper and bronze tools, clay pottery, cotton cloth, toys, and even jewelry made out of shells, ivory, and gold – this tells us that they were weavers, carpenters/ builders, merchants, shopkeepers, and artisans.
Found items from civilizations as far away as Mesopotamia, Phoenicia, Egypt, and China – this tells us that they were traders and merchants

7. C. Aryan Migrations and Settlements
c.1900 B.C Indus Valley people left and abandoned their cities and villages
Why might they have left?
- drought ; starvation
- earthquakes and floods
Meanwhile c BC, groups of people called Aryans migrated to India from Asia
Raised cattle for meat, milk, and butter
Moved from place to place to find pastures and water fro their cattle
Expert horse riders and hunters
Fierce warriors – raided villages from food
Eventually, they mixed with the Indus Valley people and began to settle down and farm
BUT they saw their cattle as sacred and banned them as food
Made iron tools to clear the forests for farm land
Built irrigations systems
Turned the Ganges River valley into productive farmland
Lived in Tribes
Each tribe is ruled by rajas (prince)
Created own small kingdoms, which often fought each other over cattle, treasure, and land

8. Writing Aryans developed a written language, Sanskrit Vedas
Recorded sales, trade, and land ownership
Vedas
- sacred texts
- songs, stories, and prayers
“Let us call upon today, to aid our labor, the Lord of Speech…may he hear kindly all our prayers who gives all bliss for aid, whose works are righteous.”

9. D. Ancient Indian Society
The Aryans eventually set up towns along the Ganges River.
Still farming
Some specialized in crafts such as carpentry or weaving
Others are trading
So this means…
The economy is growing and a system of social classes will develop

10. Caste System Aryans developed social classes or groups called varnas
Could never change groups
Groups were hereditary – passed down from father to son
Rules for life (marriage, work, and friendship)
4 classes called the varnas

11. Caste System – Who belonged in each varna?

12. Caste System The Brahmins were at the top - priests - most power
Next were the Kshatriyas or the warriors
Ran the government and army

13. Caste System Vaisyas - common people
- farmers, craftspeople, and merchants
Sudras
manual workers and servants
few rights
largest group

14. Caste System Untouchables - too low to even be part of the system
- live apart
- did the dirty work

15. The Untouchables Video
7 mins

16. 12 Facts Family Life Family is the center of life
Grandparents, parents, and children all live together
Oldest male in the family was in charge of the entire household
Men had more rights than women
Males inherited property
Men attended school or became priests
Women educated at home
In leading families, a boy had a guru (teacher) until he attended school in the city
Men could only marry after finishing 12 years of school
Parents arrange the marriages even today
Married in their teens
No divorce = it was NOT allowed

17. Research Questions: Prepare for possible test questions
When the Aryans migrated / invaded, how did the way of life change?
Describe each class of the social structure of the caste system.
Explain what family life was like?
India’s ancient people relied on three major rivers for what 3 things?
Which was a nomadic people that entered the Indus River valley around 1500 B.C.?
Under which group of people did the caste system emerge in India?
As the Aryans settled in India, many of them began to build towns along what River?