The Indus and the Ganges River Valleys

1
The Indus and the Ganges River Valleys

• Sec. 1

2
Indias Geographic Setting

• India is a subcontinent because it is surrounded
  by water on 3 sides
• At first, India was isolated from the world
  because of 2 important mountain ranges, the
  Himalayas and the Hindu Kush Mts.

3
A Climate of Monsoons

• Monsoons, strong winds and rain, are a major
  element of the climate
• Winter monsoons blow dry winds from October to
  May
• Summer monsoons blow winds from the south picking
  up moisture from the India Ocean drenching the
  land

4
Barriers and Pathways

• Passageways through the Hindu Kush Mountains
  served as highways for invaders
• The Ganges and the Indus Rivers begin in these
  mountains and flow across the lands to provide
  fertile soil for farming

5
Life in the Indus River Valley

• A surplus of food was harvested from the Indus
  River Valley
• Mohenjo-Daro was a city that developed around
  2500B.C.
• Clay pipes ran under the streets that carried
  waste away from the city
• Canals controlled the flooding

6
Living in Mohenjo-Daro

• Life was busy with merchants selling goods
• People lived in homes with open courtyards
• Religion and form of government were unknown
  because their language could not be understood

7
A Mysterious Decline

• By 2000 B.C. farmers started to leave their land
• From 2000 B.C. to 1500 B.C. invaders from the
  north entered the valley

8
Conquest by the Aryans

• Aryans migrated from central Asia to India
• Aryans conquered the people of the Indus Valley
• Aryans moved into the Ganges River Valley to the
  east
• Thick forests were cleared with iron weapons and
  new villages were settled

9
Aryan Life

• Aryan culture comes from religious books called
  Vedas
• Priests called Brahmins performed religious
  ceremonies
• Society was organized into 3 classes, priests,
  warriors, and ordinary people
• Conquered people made up a 4th class, which also
  included farmers, laborers, and servants

10
The Caste System

• By 500 B.C. there was a strict division of
  classes called a caste system
• Each caste had special work and duties to perform
• Children had to stay in the caste of their
  parents
• Over time, the caste system was divided into
  hundreds of groups
• Each group had the same occupation