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India’s First Civilizations Chapter 4-1 Page 239
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Geography of India Subcontinent – part of a continent that is separated from the rest of a continent –India Himalaya – highest mountain range in the world, separates the Indian subcontinent from the rest of Asia
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Himalaya, Tibetan Plateau
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Mount Everest
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Best place for civilizations ***Ganges River Valley ***Indus River Valley –Two river valleys fed from the melted snow of the Himalaya
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Indus River
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Deccan Plateau – Dry hilly plains south of the river valleys
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Monsoons – strong wind –Winter monsoons: cold, dry air from the mountains –Summer monsoons: warm, wet air from the Arabian Sea and provides drenching rains ***Monsoon rains help the farmers
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India’s first civilization Began near the Indus River 3000-1500 B.C. Harappan civilization The cities Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro helped scientists learn about India
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The city of: Harappan Large, about 35,000 people Walls, fortresses Wide streets, narrow lanes Mud brick houses, courtyard in the middle Wells Drains, indoor bathrooms! Garbage chutes Granaries to store grain
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Harappan society –Writing not decoded –Royal palace, temple –Farmers –Traded with Mesopotamians –Harappan city ruined by earthquake and floods ***Aryans settled on the land They came from central Asia and raised and herded animals Good warriors, horse riders and hunters
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Cattle: prized possessions to the Aryans What did they use cattle for? –Used as money –Meat –Milk –Butter –Wealth measured by how many cows a person owned
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A cow free to roam the street.
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Aryans make changes ***Improved farming Invented the plow ***Brought the language of Sanskrit to India Organized into tribes Tribes led by a Raja (prince) ***Created the caste system (a social group that someone is born into and cannot leave)
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Caste System Rules/Guidelines Your social level in society Dictates a person’s job Dictates marriage Dictates friends Possibly started based on skin color Thousands grouped together into four levels
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Why was the caste system developed? Aryans thought they were better Color of skin People in India outnumbered them Kept groups separate Set rules for behavior Helped Aryans maintain control
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Varnas - Classes Brahmans – priests Kshatriyas – warriors, rulers Vaisyas – common people –Merchants, farmers Sudras – unskilled workers, servants –Not Aryans, Indians –Had few rights
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Rulers
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Not even a varna… Pariah – Untouchables ***Performed work other Indians would not do Examples: - Collecting trash - Handling dead bodies - No one wanted to come near a Pariah
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Photograph by William Albert Allard "Her fate scripted by Hindu law, an Untouchable girl can imagine little else than working along the Yamuna River in Delhi as a Dhobi. Members of this clothes-washing caste handle items 'polluted' by blood or human waste." —From "India's Untouchables," June 2003, National Geographic magazine
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Families Family the center of life Oldest male head of house Guru – teacher for boys in top Varnas Girls educated at home Arranged marriages Suttee – practice where wife leaped into the cremation flames of her dead husband
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Mumbai
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Taj Mahal
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