Transcript Early Civilizations of India

Ms. Susan M. Pojer
Horace Greeley HS Chappaqua, NY
The Harappan Civilization
3000 BC - 1500 BC
Geography
• These civilizations developed along
the Indus River Valley
• it is a subcontinent of Asia
• its most important climatological feature
is the monsoon.
• it is cut off from the rest of Asia by
high mountain ranges.
• Harappa was India’s first civilization
• Both Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
were carefully planned cities that
were only 400 miles apart
• Mohenjo-Daro’s carefully planned
cities is evidence that it had a wellorganized government
• The arrival of the Aryans brought
an end to these civilizations
Citadel
Of
Mohenjo-Daro
Aerial View of Mohenjo-Daro
Wide View, Mohenjo-Daro
The Great Bath,
Mohenjo-Daro
Bath Area, Mohenjo-Daro
Well, Mohenjo-Daro
A Main Street, Mohenjo-Daro
Granery, Mohenjo-Daro
pottery, Mohenjo-Daro
Bison Seal, Mohenjo-Daro
A Horned-God Seal,
Mohenjo-Daro
A Male Head, Mohenjo-Daro
Dravidian
A Priest-King, Mohenjo-Daro
Necklace, Mohenjo-Daro
Public Well, Harappa
Drain, Harappa
Unicorn Seal, Harappa
Female Figures, Harappa
Bull Figurine, Harappa
Elephant Figurine, Harappa
Burial Pottery, Harappa
Male Skeleton, Harappa
Female Skeleton with Child,
Harappa
Harappan Writing
Undecipherable to date.
“Peking Man”
(750,000 – 500,000 BC)
Sinanthropus
pekinesis
The 4 Old-World
River Valley Cultures
Yellow River
Civilization
Neolithic Pottery
3000 BC to
2000 BC
“Chung Kuo”
(The “Middle Kingdom”)
Start here
Emperor is
defeated !!
Rebel bands find
strong leader who
unites them.
Attack the emperor.
Poor lose
respect for govt.
They join rebels
& attack landlords.
A new
dynasty
comes to power.
The emperor
reforms the govt.
& makes it more
efficient.
The
Dynastic
Cycle
Droughts,
floods,
famines occur.
Lives of common
people improved;
taxes reduced;
farming encouraged.
Problems begin
(extensive wars,
invasions, etc.)
Taxes increase;
men forced to
work for army.
Farming neglected.
Govt. increases
spending;
corruption.
Xia Dynasty
•Historians
consider this as
the beginning
of Chinese
civilization.
•Little is known
about this
civilization.
Xia Plaque, 1700 BC
Bronze Age Empires
Shang:
1523-1028 BC
Writing system developed that
used pictographs which were
symbols or characters
representing an object.
Pictographs
Semantic-Phonetics
• Clear social divisions : Wealth was
based on land.
• Farming society ruled by aristocracy.
• They had a belief in super natural
forces.
• To communicate with the gods rulers
made use of oracle bones.
Oracle Bones
Oracle Bones Calendar
Silk making and bronze
working were
technological
contributions of this
dynasty
Axe Scepter – 1100 BCE jade
Ceremonial Dagger – 1028
BCE
Shang
Urn
Shang Bronzes
Ritual Wine Vessel – bronze, 13c
BC