1. India

2. India’s Geography Subcontinent Himalayas to North Ganges River
Mountains
River valleys
Dry interior plateau
Fertile coastal plains
Himalayas to North
Barrier and protector
Ganges River
South of Himalayas
Indus Valley
in West (in present day Pakistan)
Deccan Plateau
South of river valleys
Hilly and dry
Similar to Mesopotamia and Egypt: Yes!
River valleys and dry

3. Monsoon! Seasonal winds that bring the heavy rains to Southern Asia
People depend upon these rains for their agriculture

4. Material Culture
2600 – 1900 BCE
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro (largest and best known sites)
Writing system existed, but no source to decipher it

5. Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
3.5 miles circ, pop 35,000
Mohenjo-Daro
Several times larger
Both surrounded by brick walls
Streets in grid pattern
Drainage / sewer systems carried away waste
Citadel (fortress) center of authority
Grain storage, barracks, protection
Both controlled surrounding farmlands
Pastoral economies

6. Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
Trade in copper, tin, precious stones (more access to metals than Egypt of Meso.) often with nw mtn area of Afghanistan and Iran, also Meso.
High degree of standardization in city planning, architecture, even size of bricks
Strong authoritarian control (?) or result of extensive trade (?)

7. The Early Harappan Civilization 4,000 BC to 3,000 BCE

9. Technologies Irrigation systems Potter’s wheel, kiln Bronze metallurgy
Writing system

10. Aryans Indo-European nomads From Central Asia Warlike
Conquered Harappan civilizations

11. Aryan Life Aryans Economy Pastoralists (and great warriors)
Became agriculturalists (farmers)
Crops
Wheat
Barley
Millet
Rice (in south)
Cotton
Spices (pepper, ginger, cinnamon)
Inventions
Use of iron
Iron plows
Irrigation
Language
Sanskrit (written language by 1000 BCE)
Used to pass down rituals, legends, religion)
Leadership
Many warrior kingdoms (switching alliances)
Led by rajas (warrior princes) who controlled states

12. Ancient Indian Society
Caste: Class (same as varna)
Caste System: a rigid set of social classes (status)
Based on occupation, economic potential, skin color
Aryans were lighter skinned and looked down on darker skinned subjects (though more advanced than Aryans)

13. Caste System 1. Brahmans (priests) 2. Kshatryias (warriors)
3. Vaisyas (commoners)
4. Sudras (majority, non-Aryans, darker skinned)
5. Untouchables (not even part of system, 5%)

14. Ancient Indian Society
Basic Unit of Society
Family
Extended Families
3 generations living together (grandparents, parents, children)
Patriarchal!!!! (male dominated)
Role of Males
Only could inherit property
Could only serve as priests
Received education (upper class)
Could take more than one wife if 1st couldn’t bear kids
Role of Females
Subordinate to males
No education
No role in politics or religion
Domestic duties, family needs
Marriage
Arranged at young age
Daughters viewed as economic drain
Sent with dowry
Have many children!
Suttee (or Sati)
Dead placed on funeral pyres and set on fire
Widows expected to fling selves on dead husband’s burning pyre

15. Hinduism Polytheistic Main creative force in the universe
Brahman (creator), Vishnu (preserver), Siva (destroyer)
Reincarnation: individual soul will be reborn as another after death
Karma: “You are where you deserve to be”
What goes around comes around
What you do in this life depends what you come back as in next life
Dharma: divine law that states you must be the best you can in your given situation (status)
Gives religious basis for class distinctions
Temples (not like Christian masses)
Main religion of most Indians today

16. Hinduism