1. Ch 6 Section1 India’s First Civilizations

2. The Land of India
India is a subcontinent of Asia, divided by the Himalayas and Hindu Kush mountains.
Five nations occupy the subcontinent today
India
Pakistan
Nepal
Bhutan
Bangladesh
Two fertile river valleys, the Ganges and Indus provide fertile soil for farming

3. Land cont.
South of the river valleys lies the dry and hilly Deccan Plateau
East and West coasts of India have lush fertile plains
Monsoons are common and bring cold, dry air from the mountains in the winter and hot, wet air from the Arabian Sea in the summer
Monsoons are celebrated by the people. If rainy season is long enough there will be good crops, if too short, drought will occur

5. India's First Civilizations
Grew up near the Indus river, monsoons left rich, fertile soil for farmers to grow crops.
People had a plentiful food supply so they began to develop new trades, such as making tools and building houses
Trade developed as people became craftsman and artisans
3000B.C B.C.- more than a 1000 villages and towns were part of the Indus civilization( Harappa and Mohenjo Daro were largest cities)

7. Harappa and Mohenjo- Daro
Populations as big as 35,000 people
Carefully planned cities with streets, walled neighborhoods, fortress for protection, sewer systems, restrooms & wells in the homes, water reservoirs, water collection systems, garbage bins and aqueducts for water.
Cities were agricultural and trading centers

9. Harappan Society
Written records have been discovered but have not been deciphered
Royal palace and temple were enclosed within the fortress( religion and government were connected)
Most were farmers( wheat, rice, barley, peas and cotton)
City dwellers made copper& bronze tools, clay pottery, cotton cloth, jewelry from gold, shells and ivory
No weapons found, thought to be a peaceful and prosperous society

11. Aryans Invade
Harappan civilization collapses around 1500B.C. from earthquakes, floods or drought
Aryans conquer what is left of the civilization
Who were the Aryans?
Lived in central and south Asia
Hunters and herders, not farmers
Cattle were a prized possession( milk, meat, butter)

12. Aryans Invade Excellent warriors and horsemen Skilled iron workers
Conquered much of India, except the southern tip
Aryans bring change:
Cattle become a sacred animal and were forbidden to be used as food
Develop the iron plow and tools to make irrigation canals
Develop a new written language called Sanskrit, which allowed songs, stories, poems and prayers to written down
Aryans organized people into tribes, led by a raja or prince

13. Society in Ancient India
The Aryans developed a caste system that separated Indians into social classes
A caste dictates what job you do, whom you will marry, and with whom you can socialize.

14. Social Levels of the Caste System
Brahmans- priests, only people who can perform religious ceremonies
Kshatriyas- warriors and rulers who ran the government and the army
Vaisyas- commoners, usually farmers and merchants
Sudras- were not Aryans ( dark skinned people)
Pariahs- untouchables
Performed duties too dirty for others( butchers, animal skinners, garbage men and handling of dead bodies)

15. Role of men and women Family was the center of life
Man was most important
Boys were schooled by private teachers- gurus
Arranged marriages
Divorce was not allowed, men could have a second wife if no children with the first
Death- men were cremated and wife was expected to leap into the flames- Suttee