early river civilizations
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Early River Civilizations. Indus Valley. Physical geography of India. India is a subcontinent of Asia (attached to the continent but surrounded on 3 sides by water) Ancient Indian myth River god/goddess. Brahmaputra River. Starts high up in the Himalayas - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
India is a subcontinent of Asia (attached to the continent but surrounded on 3 sides by water)Ancient Indian myth
River god/goddess
Brahmaputra RiverStarts high up in the HimalayasMonsoon: large wind that often brings a high volume of rainEventually joins the Ganges River
Deccan Plateauarea between the Eastern and Western GhatsPlateau: elevated area of land that is flatter than a mountainDifferent areas to the plateau
Eastern & Western Ghats
Western Ghats: higher, steep slopes, narrow valleys, thick forests, wet climateEastern Ghats: climate not as wet, several rivers that rarely flood
Ganges RiverFlows across most of northern IndiaCarries rich sediment to the northern plains of IndiaKnown to flood during the rainy season
Hindu Kush MountainsKhyber Pass : 28-mile long gap between the mountains
Connects central Asia to the Indian subcontinent
Indus RiverBegins in the HimalayasFlows through Pakistan and empties into the Arabian SeaIndus River Valley contains some of the best farmland in the world
Thar DesertIn Northern India – mostly sand and stoneHeat is usually unbearable; dust storms commonVariety of wildlife: lizards, snakes, gazelles, quail, ducks, geese
Harappan CultureIndus valley
not desertwell-watered and heavily forested
500 miles along the river valley
Foundations of Harappan Society
The Indus RiverSilt-enriched water from mountain ranges
Major society built by Dravidian peoples, 3000-2500 BCEMajor cities: Harrapa and Mohenjo-Daro
Agriculture: flood-controlsignificant industry and trade
cities very commonLack of Sources
literate culture
Major CitiesHarappa and Mohenjo-Daro
surrounded by smaller cities, towns, and villages
one situated in the northone situated in the south
Mohenjo-Daro RuinsLocated in the Indus River valleyPopulation c. 40,000Regional centerStandardized weights evident throughout region
Cities, con’tuniform culture over a wide areacities built on a common plan
a grid: always NS and EW axesCitadelBelow citadel – many houses and workshops
The Great BathLocated in the citadel39’ long x 8’ deepHad available dressing rooms and drains to empty dirty water
Monumental architecture
very-large scale buildingwalled cites, with fortified citadelsalways on the same scalepalaces, temples
Sewer SystemCarried waste away from housesHad a complex system of drains, pipes, wells, and bathrooms
Citiesvery densely populatedhouses: two to three stories; flat roofsevery house is laid out the same
Culture and Societyadvanced agriculturesurplus productiontextilesdomesticated animals and fishmen and women also dressed in colourful robes
Societydominated by priests from the fortified palaces and temples ?power base?deities: male and female, both nudebull worship and phallic symbols
Combination of Changesclimate shift: the monsoon patternsfloodingdestruction of the forestsmigrations of new peoples: the Aryans
The Early AryansPastoral economyReligious and Literary works: The Vedas
SanskritPrakritFour Vedas, most important Rig Veda
Aryans and HindusAryans give rise to Hindu societybut different characteristics
cows: they ate themclasses, but no castespriests subordinate to the nobility
the Mahabharata
The Iron Age: new sources
the Vedasthe Brahamanas: interpretations on the Vedasthe Upanishads: interpretations and symbolic studies
Strain of changeIron Age change causes strain on the class systemblurring of lines between Aryans and Dasa
Caste System (“Varnas”)Brahmins: the priestsKshatriyas: the warriorsVaisyas: merchants and peasantsSudras: non-Aryans
Caste system in practicewarrior class did not always accept itthe most powerful organizer of Indian society