Transcript Indus River Valley Civilization

Indus River Valley Civilization
Indus River
Geographic Features
• Indus River
• Flows southwest from the Himalayan
Mountains
• The Delta flows into the Arabian Sea
• Natural Barriers
• Himalayan and Hindu Kush Mountains
• Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean
Indus Environment
• Sub Continent – Separated from the rest of Asia by natural barriers
• Monsoon- a seasonal wind
– June to September(summer monsoon) dropping
torrential rains
– October to May(winter monsoon) dry hot air bring
temperatures of over 100
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
• Large cities existing from 2500B.C. to
1500B.C
• Unable to decipher the written language
• First planned cities in history
– Wide, straight streets divided into square
city blocks
– Strong central government
– Established standard weights and
measurements
Well Planned Cities
Unknown Language
City Streets
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
• Economic Life
– A thriving agricultural economy
– Built channels to bring water from
rivers to fields
– Food surpluses increased trade
– Indus valley the first to grow cotton
Irrigated fields
Hinduism
• Founded around 1500B.C.-1000B.C.
• Polytheistic
– Brahma-Creator, Vishnu-Preserver,
Shiva-destroyer
• Religious texts include the Vedas and the
Upanishads
• Reincarnation- rebirth of the soul
• Karma- the sum of all actions in a person’s
life will affect his or her fate in the next life
Reincarnationrebirth of the soul
Caste