The Indus Valley Civilization

Geography Part of the Indian sub-continent, shaped like a triangle Subcontinent- a large landmass that juts out from a continent Features:

Himalayas- mountains Hindu Kush- mountain ranges Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass- passages that allowed migration Ganges region Deccan- hilly dry and sparsley populated plateau Plateau- raised area of level land Ghats- low mountains

Monsoons Defining feature of Indian life Seasonal winds that regularly blow from a certain

direction October: winter monsoon Mid-June: summer monsoon Picked up moisture over the Indian Ocean and

drenched the land with downpours

First Civilization Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa (3000-1300 BCE)

Major cities that flourished in Indus Valley 35-40,000 people Well planned cities with main streets, walled neighborhoods,

public wells, drainage systems Organized government Able to flourish for hundreds of years due to well-organized

government, careful ubran planning, location in a river valley

Rulers and Economy Rulers based their power on divine assistance Holy temple and Royal Palace were combined in one

fortress Economy: based on farming- wheat, barley, and peas Trade was carried on with Mesopotamia We know very little about Indus Valley because we

cannot decipher their writing

Decline of the Indus Valley Not sure why it decline Perhaps changes in climate and course of Indus River Evidence of major floods and earthquakes Probably not one single cause Invasion of Aryans

Aryan Migrate into India 1500 BCE- nomadic and warlike people- Aryans- arrived in

India Traveled through the northwest mountain passes Spoke the Indo-European languages Most of what we know comes from the Vedas- collection of

hymns and chants Priests memorized the Vedas 1500-500 BCE known as the Vedic Age **Foundation of Hindu religion**

Aryan Ways of Life Aryan people were mixed Settled into villages and learned farming (from

Harappans) Iron plow and irrigation Crops: wheat, barley, rice, cotton, spices Developed a writing system called Sanskrit by 1000 BCE Recorded their history and legends Aryan tribes were led by chiefs called rajas

Caste System From the Vedas- learned that the Aryans divided their

society into ranked groups based on occupation. Caste System:

Rigid categories Based in part on skin color- determined a person’s

economic, social, and religious status No social mobility

Family in Ancient India Family- basic unit of Indian life Ideal was an extended family with three generations

living under the same roof Patriarchal society- only males could own property, could

be educated Women married early Women threw themselves on their husband’s funeral

pyre in a ritual **Culture placed little value on women as individuals**

Religious Beliefs Polytheistic Worshipped gods who embodied natural forces such as

sky, sun, storm, and fire Chief Aryan diety- Indra- the god of war Animal deities After Vedic Age- religion moves to brahman- single

spiritual power