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Early River Civilizations Indus Valley
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Physical geography of India
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India is a subcontinent of Asia (attached to the continent but surrounded on 3 sides by water) Ancient Indian myth River god/goddess
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Brahmaputra River Starts high up in the Himalayas Monsoon: large wind that often brings a high volume of rain Eventually joins the Ganges River
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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
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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
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Ganges River Flows across most of northern India Carries rich sediment to the northern plains of India Known to flood during the rainy season
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Himalaya Mountains Located along India’s northern border Mt. Everest Natural barrier
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Hindu Kush Mountains Khyber Pass : 28-mile long gap between the mountains Connects central Asia to the Indian subcontinent
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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
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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
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Farming settlements sprang up in the Indus valley region as early as 6500 BCE
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Harappan society and its neighbors, ca. 2000 B.C.E.
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Harappan Culture Indus valley not desert well-watered and heavily forested 500 miles along the river valley
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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
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Agriculture: flood-control significant industry and trade cities very common Lack of Sources literate culture
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Seals Carved pictographs Many animals found Unclear what they were used for
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“Unicorn” seal + writing
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More seals
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…and more seals...
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rapid development: early 2,000s B.C.E. roughly contemporary with Egypt and Mesopotamia
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cities dominated both economic and political activity origins of the people are unclear
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Major Cities Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro surrounded by smaller cities, towns, and villages one situated in the north one situated in the south
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Mohenjo-Daro Ruins Located in the Indus River valley Population c. 40,000 Regional center Standardized weights evident throughout region
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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
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Grid map of Mohenjo-Daro
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Mohenjo-Daro : aerial view
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The Great Bath Located in the citadel 39’ long x 8’ deep Had available dressing rooms and drains to empty dirty water
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The “Great Bath”
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view of a small, side street
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A bathroom on a private residence
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A large drain or sewer
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Monumental architecture very-large scale building walled cites, with fortified citadels always on the same scale palaces, temples
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Architecture, con’t large grain storage facilities near temples a theocracy ??
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Harappan granary
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Sewer System Carried waste away from houses Had a complex system of drains, pipes, wells, and bathrooms
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Cities very densely populated houses: two to three stories; flat roofs every house is laid out the same
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Culture and Society advanced agriculture surplus production textiles domesticated animals and fish men and women also dressed in colourful robes
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Entertainment Toys Dice Gaming pieces Figurines
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Bronze Age technology no swords spears and bows stone arrow heads
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Society dominated by priests from the fortified palaces and temples ? power base? deities: male and female, both nude bull worship and phallic symbols
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Trade with lower Mesopotamia but gradually declined
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Decline domination of an indigenous people ? foreign invasion? comets?
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Combination of Changes climate shift: the monsoon patterns flooding destruction of the forests migrations of new peoples: the Aryans
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The Aryan “Invasion” Aryans Dravidians, darker-skinned sedentary inhabitants of Harappa
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Possible route of the Aryan invasions
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The Early Aryans Pastoral economy Religious and Literary works: The Vedas Sanskrit Prakrit Four Vedas, most important Rig Veda
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Settlement, con’t gradual infiltration new society by 1,200 B.C.E. or so not literate no record system
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Oral Tradition passed down from priests and singers written down in the 500’s The Vedas
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early Aryan tradition later Hindu religion four “vedas” the Rig Veda is the oldest
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The Vedas oral poetry provide some historical information
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The Aryans restless, warlike people tall, blue-eyed, fair-skinned
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The Aryans, con’t villages and kingdoms constantly fighting War chiefs aristocrats and freemen
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The Aryans, con’t fond of fighting, etc. fond of taking soma
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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
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The Iron Age: new sources the Vedas the Brahamanas: interpretations on the Vedas the Upanishads: interpretations and symbolic studies
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Strain of change Iron Age change causes strain on the class system blurring of lines between Aryans and Dasa
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Caste System, 1000 BCE skin color ritual purity “Us--Them” feelings divine order of four castes
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Caste System (“Varnas”) Brahmins: the priests Kshatriyas: the warriors Vaisyas: merchants and peasants Sudras: non-Aryans
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Caste system, con’t literature emphasized the divine order hierarchical relationship
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Caste system in practice warrior class did not always accept it the most powerful organizer of Indian society
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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
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