Transcript Indus Valley

Indus River
Valley
Bell Ringer
Which Mesopotamian
invention do you think is
most important?
irrigation
wheel
sailboat
plow
cuneiform
calendar
Ancient India
Map Activity:
 Hand
in your Venn-Diagram
and thesis statements
 Use book – page 42
 Use colored pencils to
complete map activity
Indus Valley
(2500 – 1500 BCE)
The Indian Subcontinent
Subcontinent
Hindu-Kush & Himalaya Mts.

Natural barrier between Huang He and Indus RVC
Located near 2 rivers – Indus and
Ganges
Monsoons of India
Monsoons are seasonal winds that blow
across the subcontinent.
Winter – blows from North & West; bring
cool, dry air
 Summer – blow from South & East; bring hot
moist air; rainy season

Evidence
People settled around
3000 BCE
writing undeciphered
must rely on archaeology
and artifacts
Harappan Culture
Written language – pictograms
Little division in social class
 Similar housing
 Extra goods (children’s toys)
Strong central government – theocracy;
similar to later Hindu tradition
Seal from Mohenjo-Daro
Cities
Harappa & Mohenjo-Daro
well-planned grid pattern
standard size bricks,
extensive plumbing system
uniform weights &
measures
Mohenjo - Daro
Set of weights from Harappa
Economy
Farming: grew wheat, barley,
melons, dates
Trading: cotton cloth, grain,
copper, pearls, ivory
Trade with other cultures including
those in Mesopotamia is evident
(soapstone seals found in Sumer)
Religion
polytheistic
included a mother goddess
of creation -- Shiva
sacred animals
Disappearance
What Happened to Harrapa???
 Examine theories in groups
Use your textbook p. 45 “Mysterious End to Indus…”
 Name each of theories
 Identify key points of each theory

 As
an Individual:


Use key points of each theory to write your own theory of
what happened to the Harrapa
Use notes to back up your theory
Disappearance
Theories
damage to environment
 volcano eruption blocks Indus
 earthquake
 Nomadic invaders overrun
Indus valley


Aryans (c.a. 1500 BCE)
Tour of Harappa:
http://www.harappa.com/indus/indus0.ht
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Aryan Civilization
(1500 – 500 BCE)
Aryans
an Indo-European people
invaded India through
Khyber Pass
Vedas – prayers, hymns,
religious teachings
Society
divided by occupation
Brahmins – priests
 Kshatriyas – warriors
 Vaisyas – herders, farmers,
artisans, merchants
 Sudras – Dravidians, nonAryans, laborers, servants

Society
warriors on top at first,
priests rise when people
settle into the area
hierarchy develops into
caste system
Religion
polytheistic
Brahmins offered
sacrifices to the gods
ideas will evolve into
Hinduism & Buddhism
Religion
developments
brahman – single spiritual
force beyond all the gods
 mystics – people who devote
their lives to seeking spiritual
truth

Writing
Sanskrit writing developed
by 500 BCE
priests write down the
Vedas
still maintained oral
traditions
Gupta Empire
Golden Age of Classical
India
Contributions of Gupta
 Mathematics
 Textiles-elaborate
designs
 Literature-Mahabharata