Indus River & Ganges River …

1. Indus River & Ganges River … SSWH1 Analyze the origins, structures, and interactions of societies in the ancient world from 3500 BCE/BC to 500 BCE/BC.. b. Describe the societies of India and China, include: religion, culture, economics, politics, and technology. Student Learning Target: The Student Will Describe the societies of India and China, include: religion, culture, economics, politics, and technology

3. 2.3: Planned Cities on the Indus The first Indian civilization builds well-planned cities on the banks of the Indus River.

4. A. The Geography of the Indian Subcontinent 1. Indian Subcontinent • Subcontinent—landmass that includes India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh • World’s tallest mountain rangesseparate it from rest of Asia 2. Rivers, Mountains, and Plains • Mountainsto north, desertto east, protectIndus Valley from invasion • Indusand Gangesrivers from flat, fertile plain – the Indo-Gangetic • Southern India, a dry plateau flanked by mountains • Narrow strip of tropical land along coast

7. continued The Geography of the Indian Subcontinent 3. Monsoons • Seasonal winds— monsoons—dominate India’s climate • Winter winds are dry; summer winds bring rain can cause flooding 4. Environmental Challenges • Floods along the Indusunpredictable; river can change course • Rainfallunpredictable; could have droughts or floods

8. B. Civilization Emerges on the Indus 1. Indus Valley Civilization • Influenced an area larger than Mesopotamia or Egypt 2. Earliest Arrivals No one is sure how human settlement began in the Indian subcontinent. Perhaps people who arrived by sea from Africa settled the south. Northern migrants may have made their way through the Khyber Pass in the Hindu Kush mountains. • About 7000 B.C., evidence of agriculture and domesticatedanimals • By about 3200 B.C., people farming in villages along Indus River 3. Planned Cities • By 2500 B.C., people build cities of brick laid out on grid system • Engineers create plumbingand sewagesystems • Indus Valley called Harappan civilization after Harappa, a city

10. continued Civilization Emerges on the Indus 4. Harappan Planning • City built on mud-brick platform to protect against flood waters • Brick walls protectcity and citadel —central buildings of the city • Streets in grid system are 30 feet wide • Lanes separate rows of house (which featured bathrooms) Plumbing in Mohenjo-Daro In most ancient cities, people retrieved water from a river or a central well and dumped waste into open drainage ditches. By contrast, the Indus peoples built extensive and modern-looking plumbing systems. In Mohenjo-Daro, almost every house had a private bathroom and toilet. No other civilization achieved this level of convenience until the 19th and 20th centuries.

11. C. Harappan Culture 1. Language • Had writing systems of 400 symbols; but scientists can’t decipher it! Scientists believe the symbols, like hieroglyphs, are used both to depict an object and also as phonetic sounds. Some signs stand alone and others seem to be combined into words. Artifacts help to explain some aspects of the culture. Elephant Seal Animal symbols on seals were commonly used to represent a special clan or official. The elephant shown here was probably used by minor administrative officers to keep record over traded goods. 2. Culture • Harappan cities appear uniform in culture; no great social divisions • Animalsimportant to the culture; toys suggest prosperity Few weapons of warfare have been found, suggesting that conflict was limited.

12. continued Harappan Culture 3. Role of Religion • Priestsclosely linked to rulers Archaeologists think that the culture was a theocracy. But no site of a temple has been found. Priests likely prayed for good harvests and safety from floods. • Some religious artifacts reveals links to modern Hindu culture 4. Trade • Had thriving trade with other peoples, including Mesopotamia Gold and silver came from the north in Afghanistan. Semiprecious stones from Persia and the Deccan Plateau were crafted into jewelry. The Indus River provided an excellent means of transportation for trade goods. Brightly colored cotton cloth was a desirable trade item since few people at the time knew how to grow cotton. Overland routes moved goods from Persia to the Caspian Sea. NEXT

14. D. Indus Valley Culture Ends 1. Harappan Decline • Signs of decline begin around 1750 B.C. • Earthquakes, floods, soil depletion may have caused decline • Around 1500 B.C., Aryansenter area and become dominant • Aryans lived in tribal groups in Northern India • Strong warriors • Eventually spread over all India 1500-1000 B.C

15. New Way of Life • Nomadic (The Aryans) people become farmers • Iron tools and irrigation made possible • North crops- wheat, barely, millet, and rice • South crops- grain, vegetables, cotton, pepper, ginger, and cinnamon • 1000 B.C. writing in Sanskrit • Aryans had no recorded language they started writing in Sanskrit. Having a written language enabled them to record the legends and religious chants and rituals that had been passed down orally from earlier generations. • Vedas 1500-400 B.C. These early writings, known as the Vedas, reveal that between 1500 and 400 b.c., India was a world of many small kingdoms. Various leaders, known as rajas (princes), had carved out small states. These kingdoms were often at war with one another as alliances shifted between them. They attacked one another’s for- tresses and seized treasure. Not until the fourth century b.c. would a leader be able to establish a large Indian state.