Indus River Valley

Review  Rivers Names, Geographic Features  Writing Systems  Nomads  Architecture-Buildings What was their purpose?

What We Will Learn Today: How did geography effect the Indus River Valley civilization?

- Himalayan Mountains are in the North. -Ghats Mountains are east & west. -India is a sub-continent plateau I.Introduction: India’s Geographical Setting:

India’s Geographic Features  The Indian subcontinent is a large, wedge-shaped peninsula that extends southward into the Indian Ocean.  Subcontinent: A large region that is part of a continent, but is separated from the rest of the content in some way.

Identification of Geographic Features in India Indus River Ganges River Peninsula and/or Subcontinent

Himalayan Mountains  This peninsula is surrounded on the north and northwest by huge mountains, the Himalayan Mountains.  This has often limited India's contact with other cultures. This is known as cultural isolation.  You decide! How would isolation impact the people on Ancient Indus?

Seasonal winds known as monsoons bring rain every summer. India is dependent upon monsoons to grow their crops. Not enough rain brings drought. When there is too much rain, rivers rise and cause deadly floods and destruction of crops.

Civilization in the Indus River Valley Begins  About 2500 BC, about the time when the pyramids were rising in Egypt, the first Indian civilizations were forming in the Indus River Valley.  Little is known about these civilizations, but Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were most likely twin capital cities.

Basic chronology  c BCE: farming settlements appear along the valley of the river Indus in what is now Pakistan  c BCE: high point of the Indus Valley civilization  c BCE: some Indus sites showing signs of decline  c BCE: the Aryan invasions

Indus Valley civilization  Right: artist’s recreation of Mohenjo-Daro  Below: Great Bath ruins

Traded with Iran and neighboring regions in India to the east. Harappa:

Mohenjo-Daro Traded with the Persia Gulf and Sumer to the west.

Mohenjo-Daro  City Life

Everyday life

Mysterious signifiers  Examples of the multitude of Harrapan clay seals whose meaning(s) still elude us

Aryan invaders  Below: an illustration of a scene from the Rig-Veda

Alien gods and values  Below: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva  Right: the monkey god

Ancient India

Purpose of Early Cities  Each city was large in area and contained a large structure located on a hilltop.  Many believe these structures could have served as a fortress or even a temple.

Film: Early History of India

Complexities of the Cities  The most historically striking feature of these two cities were the way in which they were both well planned.  Each city was laid out in a grid pattern, the blocks similar to those seen in modern cities.  The homes seem to have been built with bricks and in a pattern repeated throughout the city.

Plumbing In the Cities  In addition, these cities seem to contain houses with plumbing systems, including baths, drains and water pipes.

Trade with Sumer  Most of the people of the Indus valley were farmers. They were the first people to grow cotton and weave it into cloth.  There is early evidence of trade with other civilizations including Sumer.

Aryans Take over Indus Valley  Just like not much is known about the development of this region, not much is known about its decline.  For unknown reasons, around 1750 B.C. the Indus Valley began to decline. Then about 1500 B.C., nomadic warriors known as the Aryans conquered the Indus Valley.

“The Ruins Keep Some Secrets”  Begin Reading Now & Finish for Homework!  Questions 1-5. Make sure to use complete sentences!

China’s Geographic Features Huang He or Yellow River Yangzi River ~ Chinese civilization grew up in the river valley of the Huang He River (a.k.a.the Yellow River) and the Yangzi River.

Huang Ye River or Yellow River

The mountains, deserts, jungles and other geographic features have isolated Chinese culture. Having little contact with others, the Chinese believed their culture was the center of the earth.

Reasons for the caste system: - It was an attempt by the upper class to freeze the economic system. -It was imposed by a coalition of priests and warrior-kings to maintain control over the local population. -It was created as an alternative to open slavery.

Writing system Indus Valley Achievements:

Trading Seals Writing developed from earlier trading seals, which had the merchants name and symbols of trade items.

Terra Cotta Trade Seals.

Peaceful items like toys jewelry. ( Terracotta toy cow with Moveable head.)

Jewelry made of gold, agate, jasper, and garnets.

Wheel technology ca B.C.E.

Standard weights and measures based on ratio of 1/16 th.

The first civilization to cultivate cotton and make cotton clothing.

First matrilineal society (female led society.)

Huang He River Valley

~ Although China covers a huge area, until recent times, most people lived only along the east coast or in the river valley.

Early Views  The Chinese called themselves “The Middle Kingdom” because they believed they were at the center.  This is an example of ethnocentrism.

Shang Dynasty  About 1650 BC, the Shang gained control of northern China. Ruling families began to gain control, similar to small kingdoms.  The Shang set up the first dynasty. Dynasty: A series of rulers from a family.

 The ancient civilization was much like others with nobility owning the land, merchants and craftspeople trading and living in the cities and a large population of peasants living in surrounding villages.

Polytheistic Peoples  Early Chinese people were polytheistic, and prayed to many Gods and nature spirits.  They also looked to dead relatives to help them in daily life and to help them please the Gods.

Ying and Yang  Many Chinese also believed that the universe held a delicate balance between opposing forces.  The Ying and Yang must be in balance for prosperity and happiness to occur in one’s life.

Early Writing System  The Chinese civilizations made achievements in early writing systems that include both pictographs and ideographs and is now as one of the earliest writing systems.

Belief Systems

What you will learn today What are the characteristics of major religions? How are they similar and different? How have major religions affected culture? How have belief systems spread over large areas?

Animism Animism is the belief that all living and nonliving things in nature have a spirit. Animism was the belief system of many early civilizations. Animism in early civilizations was often combined with ancestor worship.

Animism dates back to earliest humans and still exists. It can be practiced by anyone who believes in spirituality, but does not proscribe to an organized religion. Animist gods and beliefs often explain natural earthly things. The presence of holy men or women, visions, trances, dancing, sacred items and places are often characteristic of animist societies. Animism exists in traditional African, Asian, American and Aboriginal cultures.

Hinduism

Hinduism has no single founder, but originated from the mixing of Harappan and Aryan cultures in ancient India around 1500 BCE. Hindus believe in one unifying spirit, Brahman. Brahman can manifest in many, polytheistic, forms or in one, monotheistic.

Hinduism is based on the concept of reincarnation (Spirits return to earth many times in different forms trying to become one with Brahman). The soul moves up or down a hierarchy depending on their behavior in life. A person moves closer to Brahman by obeying the law of karma. Karma is the sum of all your deeds, good and bad. Good deeds involve following your dharma, or duties dependent on your position, gender and occupation.

The caste system (outlawed since 1948) was an important part of Hinduism. Castes are social classes into which a person is born and lives their entire life. If a person has a good karma they may be reincarnated into a higher caste. This life Next life Born into A caste Good Karma Bad Karma Higher caste Lower caste

The caste system separated Indian society into distinct social classes in which everyone knew their place and believed that if they followed the dharma of their caste, they would be reincarnated into a better caste. Brahmin Kshatriya Vaisya Sudra Untouchables

Over the centuries Hindu beliefs were recorded into a number of sacred texts including the Vedas and the Upanishads. The Ramayana is a Hindu creation story.

Hindus believe the Ganges River is sacred and often wish to be cremated and have their ashes sprinkled in the river upon death.

Buddhism

 Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama in northern India around 560 BCE.  Gautama was born into a wealthy Hindu family, but renounced his wealth to seek spiritual enlightenment.

~Buddhism spread through cultural diffusion to eastern Asia, including China, Thailand, Korea and Japan. ~In other areas, Buddhism was adapted and took on new forms.

Buddhism is based on the Four Noble Truths. 1. All life is suffering. 2. Suffering is caused by desire for things that are illusions. 3. The way to eliminate suffering is to eliminate desire. 4. Following the Eightfold path will help people to overcome desire.

Buddhism like Hinduism: Reincarnation Karma Dharma But not Caste system Hindu gods Hindu priesthood Buddhism has much in common with Hinduism, but important differences.

Buddha did not record his teachings, but after he died, his followers collected them into the Tripitaka.

Today’s Tibetan Buddhists are led by the Dalai Lama, who advocates for freedom from China.

Judaism

Judaism originated in the Middle East around 1000 BCE. According to Jewish tradition, God chose the Hebrews and helped them to escape slavery in Egypt. Judaism was one of the first monotheistic religions.

Basic Beliefs of Judaism ~The Torah is a sacred scripture recording laws and events in Jewish history. ~The Old Testament of the Bible includes the Torah.

~God gave Hebrews the 10 Commandments through Moses. ~The Ten Commandments describe how people should behave toward God and one another.

God made a covenant, or promise to Abraham to be the God of the Hebrews. Judaism had a great influence on the later development of Christianity and Islam.

Jews were discriminated against in the Roman Empire and eventually kicked out of their homeland, Israel, in what is known as the Diaspora.

Christianity

Christianity originated from Judaism about 30 CE. Christians believe that Jesus was a Messiah, or savior Sent by God to bring eternal life to anyone who would follow him. Jesus accepted the Ten Commandments and also preached equality of man before God. The sacred text of Christianity is the Bible. Although the Romans originally felt threatened by the Christians, and therefore allowed Jesus to be crucified, Christianity eventually became the official religion of the Roman Empire.

Islam

Islam originated in the Middle East around 622 CE with the Prophet, Muhammad. Muhammad was born in Mecca and traveled to Medina in a journey called the hijra, that became the founding of Islam. Muslim worshippers follow scriptures called the Quran, or Koran. The collection of Islamic laws is also known as the Sharia.

Five Pillars of Islam 1.Faith in one God, Allah — monotheism 2. Five times daily prayer toward Mecca 3.Help for the poor 4.Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan 5.Pilgrimage to holy city of Mecca

Spread of Islam-- In the 150 years following the death of Muhammad, Islam spread through trade, missionaries and conquest into Asia and Africa.

Questions: 1.What do all these belief systems have in common? 2.Which three all originated in the Middle East? 3.Which two originated in India? 4.Which religion gave rise to the caste system? 5.How do religions spread? 6.What is the similarity between the Five Pillars of Islam and the Ten Commandments? 7.How are Hinduism and Buddhism alike and different?