Geography, Civilization, & Culture India Geography, Civilization, & Culture

Constructive Response Question #5 Describe the geography of the Indian Subcontinent. Are there any similarities you see between the Indus River Valley and Mesopotamia? Trace the development and significance of the civilizations that developed in the Indus River Valley. Describe their culture and how it has progressed. 6-8 sentences

What will we learn? Geography of India Indus River Valley Civilizations & Culture

I. Geography of India Setting the Stage Historians know less about the origins and eventual decline of early Indian cultures because the language of the culture has not been translated yet. What we do know is that the first Indian civilization built well-planned cities along the banks of the Indus River

Indian Sub-Continent

I. Geography of India The Geography of the Indian Subcontinent The countries of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh make up the landmass considered to be the Indian subcontinent This region is separated from Asia by several mountain ranges, some of which are the tallest in the world Hindu Kush Karakorum Himalayas The tallest peak in the world – Mount Everest – is located within the Himalayan Mountain Range These mountain ranges to the north and a vast, large desert to the east help protect the Indus Valley from invasion Thar Desert

Indian Sub-Continent Mountain Ranges

I. Geography of India 3. The River Systems a. Indus River Farming is only possible in the areas directly watered by the Indus Flows southwest from the Himalayas to the Arabian Sea 1,976 miles long – 19th longest river system in the world

I. Geography of India b. Ganges River The Ganges River flows from the Himalayas and flows across northern India It joins the Brahmaputra River as it flows into the Bay of Bengal 1,569 miles long – 34th longest river system in the world

Indian Sub-Continent River Systems

I. Geography of India 4. More Geography Together these rivers make up a large area called the Indo- Gangetic Plain - which was great for agriculture, transportation, and irrigation Seasonal winds called monsoons dominate India’s climate Environmental challenges Yearly floods - unpredictable The rivers sometimes change course Monsoons brought unpredictable cycles of wet and dry seasons

There’s A Problem, However… Dealing with these river systems comes a major issue that modern India is facing 70% of households in India do not have a toilet This documentary (we’ll only be watching a part of it) opens our eyes to these issues and what problems India is facing because of it Cry of a River

Early Civilization Along the Indus

II. Indus River Valley Civilizations Civilization Emerges on the Indus Still unclear when civilization began but evidence shows that people were using domesticated goats and sheep around the year 7000 BCE The Indus Valley civilization is sometimes called the Harappan Civilization because of many archeological discoveries made at the site of Harappa City planning was one of their most remarkable achievements They used a grid system unlike Mesopotamia’s maze of winding streets Engineers used an advanced plumbing system that rivaled 19th century plumbing This uniformity suggests that the Indus people had a strong central government

Grid System Mohenjo-Daro

Plumbing

II. Indus River Valley Civilizations Harappan Culture Unlike cuneiform and hieroglyphics, the Harappan language has been impossible to decipher. Why? Linguists have not found any bilingual inscriptions. Up to 400 symbols/characters Housing units suggest that social divisions in society were not great Artifacts of toys and clay pots suggest a relatively prosperous society = afford to produce nonessential goods Few items of warfare found suggesting that conflict was limited Animals were very important – seen on pottery, toys, and seals used to mark trade items. The meaning of these images has remained a mystery. Evidence found in the 1970s suggests that a shift in tectonic plates may have caused earthquakes, flooding, and caused the Indus to change course Some cities survived the disasters but other cities’ food supplies were affected

II. Indus River Valley Civilizations 3. The Indo-Europeans Indo-Europeans were a group of nomadic peoples who lived on the steppes north of the Caucasus Mountains Tamed horses (domestication) and rode them into battle by use of the chariot They began to migrate, or move from region to another, somewhere between 1700 and 1200 BCE A group of nomads, known as the Aryans, migrated from an area between the Caspian and Aral Seas eastward to the Indus River Valley, leaving behind a vast culture and society

II. Indus River Valley Civilizations 4. The Aryans Sacred literature – the Vedas – allow us to know characteristics of their life The Vedas – four collections of spells, prayers, and instructions on performing rituals Aryan society had four social classes (castes) – Brahmins (priests), warriors, landowners, and peasants/traders As time went on, these castes became more complex with hundreds of subdivisions, leading us into a vast and diverse culture today

Constructive Response Question #5 Describe the geography of the Indian Subcontinent. Are there any similarities you see between the Indus River Valley and Mesopotamia? Trace the development and significance of the civilizations that developed in the Indus River Valley. Describe their culture and how it has progressed. 6-8 sentences