Ancient India

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Ancient India

• Geography and Early India
• Mohenjo-Daro Harappa

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India- Physical
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Indus Valley Civilizations

• Thrived between 2300-1700 BC

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Indus River Today
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Geography of India

• The geography of India includes high mountains,
  great rivers, and heavy seasonal rain.
• India is so large that it is referred to as a
  subcontinent. A subcontinent is a large landmass
  that is smaller than a continent. Subcontinents
  are usually separated from the rest of their
  continents by physical features. India is
  largely separated from Asia by the Himalayan
  Mountains in the north and the Hindu Kush
  Mountains in the west.
• West of the Himalayas is a vast desert.
• The rest of India is covered by fertile plains
  and rugged plateaus.

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Geography of India (cont.)

• The Indus Valley was the location of Indias
  first civilization.
• The Indus Valley is west of India in present-day
  Pakistan.
• When heavy snows in the Himalayas melted, the
  Indus River flooded. Like Mesopotamia and Egypt
  the flooding left a layer of fertile silt. The
  silt created ideal farmland for early settlers.

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Climate

• In summer some parts of India receive as much as
  100-200 inches of rain.
• The climate of India is mostly hot and humid.
  Indias monsoons (seasonal wind patterns that
  cause wet and dry seasons) influence Indias
  climate.
• In winter, the winds that blow down the mountains
  force moisture out of India to create warm, dry
  winters.

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Harappan Civilization

• Historians called the civilization that grew up
  in the Indus Valley the Harappan civilization.
• Like other civilizations, towns and cities grew
  once food surpluses resulted from progress in
  irrigation and agriculture.

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Mohenjo-daro Civilization
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Harappan Civilization

• Dancing girl statue and childs toy found at
  excavation.

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Well and Courtyard
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Harappan Priest King
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Indias First Cities

• The Harappan civilization is believed to have
  thrived between 2300 and 1700 BC.
• The Harappan civilization consists of two large,
  and similar cities, Harappa and Mohenjo Daro.
  Both cities lay on the Indus River 300 miles
  apart.
• What are some characteristics of the cities of
  Harappa and Mohenjo Daro?
• 1. well planned
• 2. protected by fortresses
• 3. brick streets that crossed at right
  angles
• 4. storehouses
• 5. workshops, market stalls, and houses
• 6. public wells

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Mohenjo-daro Today
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Harappan Achievements

• What were the achievements of Harappan society?
• 1. houses with bathrooms
• 2. pottery, jewelry, ivory objects, cotton
  clothing
• 3. high-quality tools
• 4. system of weights and measures
• 5. Indias first writing system
• 6. believed to have a strong central
  government
• Harappan civilization ended around 1700 BC.

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Ancient Harappan Civilization

• Ancient Bath and Latrine

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Ferry Boat

• Todays boats are very similar to ancient ones.

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Granary
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Ancient Harappan Beads
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Aryan InvasionGovernments and Society

• A new group of people called the Aryans took
  power in the Indus Valley.
• The Aryans were invaders from Central Asia. It
  is possible they caused the end of the Harappan
  civilization.
• How were the Aryans different from the Harappans?
• 1. the Aryans were nomadic and more warlike
  (used advanced weapons and chariots)
• 2. didnt farm at first, didnt build
  cities
• 3. no single ruling authority-society was
  based on family ties. Each group had its own
  leader
• 4. no written language
• 5. village leaders were called rajas

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Aryan Religion

• Aryan priests wrote the Vedas.
• What were the Vedas?
• They were a collections of poems,
• hymns, myths, and rituals written by
• Aryan priests.

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Aryan Language

• Because the Aryans did not have a written
  language at first, they had to memorize the poems
  and hymns.
• The first Aryan language was Sanskrit, the most
  important language of ancient India.
• Sanskrit started as a spoken language.
  Eventually people figured out how to write it
  down so they could keep records.

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Summary

• The earliest civilizations in India grew in
  the Indus Valley. At first the Harappans and
  then the Aryans lived in this fertile valley.