1. Early River Civilizations Indus Valley

2. Physical geography of India

4. India is a subcontinent of Asia (attached to the continent but surrounded on 3 sides by water) Ancient Indian myth River god/goddess

5. Brahmaputra River Starts high up in the Himalayas Monsoon: large wind that often brings a high volume of rain Eventually joins the Ganges River

6. Deccan Plateau area between the Eastern and Western Ghats Plateau: elevated area of land that is flatter than a mountain Different areas to the plateau

7. Eastern & Western Ghats Western Ghats: higher, steep slopes, narrow valleys, thick forests, wet climate Eastern Ghats: climate not as wet, several rivers that rarely flood

8. Ganges River Flows across most of northern India Carries rich sediment to the northern plains of India Known to flood during the rainy season

9. Himalaya Mountains Located along India’s northern border Mt. Everest Natural barrier

10. Hindu Kush Mountains Khyber Pass : 28-mile long gap between the mountains Connects central Asia to the Indian subcontinent

11. Indus River Begins in the Himalayas Flows through Pakistan and empties into the Arabian Sea Indus River Valley contains some of the best farmland in the world

12. Thar Desert In Northern India – mostly sand and stone Heat is usually unbearable; dust storms common Variety of wildlife: lizards, snakes, gazelles, quail, ducks, geese

13. Farming settlements sprang up in the Indus valley region as early as 6500 BCE

14. Harappan society and its neighbors, ca. 2000 B.C.E.

15. Harappan Culture Indus valley not desert well-watered and heavily forested 500 miles along the river valley

16. Foundations of Harappan Society The Indus River Silt-enriched water from mountain ranges Major society built by Dravidian peoples, 3000-2500 BCE Major cities: Harrapa and Mohenjo- Daro

17. Agriculture: flood-control significant industry and trade cities very common Lack of Sources literate culture

18. Seals Carved pictographs Many animals found Unclear what they were used for

19. “Unicorn” seal + writing

20. More seals

21. …and more seals...

22. rapid development: early 2,000s B.C.E. roughly contemporary with Egypt and Mesopotamia

23. cities dominated both economic and political activity origins of the people are unclear

24. Major Cities Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro surrounded by smaller cities, towns, and villages one situated in the north one situated in the south

25. Mohenjo-Daro Ruins Located in the Indus River valley Population c. 40,000 Regional center Standardized weights evident throughout region

26. Cities, con’t uniform culture over a wide area cities built on a common plan a grid: always NS and EW axes Citadel Below citadel – many houses and workshops

27. Grid map of Mohenjo-Daro

28. Mohenjo-Daro : aerial view

29. The Great Bath Located in the citadel 39’ long x 8’ deep Had available dressing rooms and drains to empty dirty water

30. The “Great Bath”

31. view of a small, side street

32. A bathroom on a private residence

33. A large drain or sewer

34. Monumental architecture very-large scale building walled cites, with fortified citadels always on the same scale palaces, temples

35. Architecture, con’t large grain storage facilities near temples a theocracy ??

36. Harappan granary

37. Sewer System Carried waste away from houses Had a complex system of drains, pipes, wells, and bathrooms

38. Cities very densely populated houses: two to three stories; flat roofs every house is laid out the same

39. Culture and Society advanced agriculture surplus production textiles domesticated animals and fish men and women also dressed in colourful robes

40. Entertainment Toys Dice Gaming pieces Figurines

45. Bronze Age technology no swords spears and bows stone arrow heads

46. Society dominated by priests from the fortified palaces and temples ? power base? deities: male and female, both nude bull worship and phallic symbols

47. Trade with lower Mesopotamia but gradually declined

48. Decline domination of an indigenous people ? foreign invasion? comets?

49. Combination of Changes climate shift: the monsoon patterns flooding destruction of the forests migrations of new peoples: the Aryans

50. The Aryan “Invasion” Aryans Dravidians, darker-skinned sedentary inhabitants of Harappa

51. Possible route of the Aryan invasions

52. The Early Aryans Pastoral economy Religious and Literary works: The Vedas Sanskrit Prakrit Four Vedas, most important Rig Veda

53. Settlement, con’t gradual infiltration new society by 1,200 B.C.E. or so not literate no record system

54. Oral Tradition passed down from priests and singers written down in the 500’s The Vedas

55. early Aryan tradition later Hindu religion four “vedas” the Rig Veda is the oldest

56. The Vedas oral poetry provide some historical information

57. The Aryans restless, warlike people tall, blue-eyed, fair-skinned

58. The Aryans, con’t villages and kingdoms constantly fighting War chiefs aristocrats and freemen

59. The Aryans, con’t fond of fighting, etc. fond of taking soma

60. Aryans and Hindus Aryans give rise to Hindu society but different characteristics cows: they ate them classes, but no castes priests subordinate to the nobility the Mahabharata

61. The Iron Age: new sources the Vedas the Brahamanas: interpretations on the Vedas the Upanishads: interpretations and symbolic studies

62. Strain of change Iron Age change causes strain on the class system blurring of lines between Aryans and Dasa

63. Caste System, 1000 BCE skin color ritual purity “Us--Them” feelings divine order of four castes

64. Caste System (“Varnas”) Brahmins: the priests Kshatriyas: the warriors Vaisyas: merchants and peasants Sudras: non-Aryans

65. Caste system, con’t literature emphasized the divine order hierarchical relationship

66. Caste system in practice warrior class did not always accept it the most powerful organizer of Indian society

67. Castes define a person’s social universe define a person’s standard of conduct define a person’s expectations define a person’s future define how a person deals with others