Chapter 3: Ancient Indian Civilizations

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Chapter 3 Ancient Indian Civilizations
Harappan Excavations
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Section 1 Indus River Valley Civilization

• The Story Continues
• Thousands of years ago near the Indus River
  valley there existed a village called Amri, whose
  citizens were makers of fine pottery. Indus River
  valley people like those in Amri helped lay the
  foundation for cultures in the modern countries
  of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan,
  and Sri Lanka.

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I. Geography and Climate

• Indian civilization developed in the Indus River
  valley about 4,500 years ago

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A. Physical Geography

• The Indian subcontinent extends south from
  central Asia into the Indian Ocean

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A. Physical Geography

• High mountain ranges cut India off from
  immigrants and invaders

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A. Physical Geography

• Two great rivers - the Ganges and Indus rise
• in the mountains and drain Indo-Gangetic Plain

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A. Physical Geography

• South of the I-G Plain is the Deccan Plateau,
  bordered by the Eastern and Western Ghats

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A. Physical Geography

• Narrow coastal plains lie along the Arabian Sea
  and the Bay of Bengal

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A. Physical Geography

• The peoples of these coastal plains became sea
  traders

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B. Climate

• Two features dominate Indias climate monsoons
  and high temperatures

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B. Climate

• Monsoons - seasonal winds that blow from the NE
  Nov. to Mar. and from the SW June to Oct.

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B. Climate

• The NE (dry) monsoon drops moisture on the
  Himalayas before reaching India

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B. Climate

• The SW (wet) monsoon carries warm, moist air from
  the Indian Ocean and brings heavy rains

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B. Climate

• The wet monsoon brings most of the years
  rainfall and is important for agriculture

20cm 7.9in 100cm 39.4in 400cm 13.2ft 800cm
26.3ft 1000cm 32.8ft
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B. Climate

• If the wet monsoon arrives late or brings little
  rain, crops fail too much rain, flooding
  destroys the countryside

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B. Climate

• Temperatures can reach 120ºF in the Indo-Gangetic
  Plain

Aurangabad, India 15 C 59 F 30 C 86 F 45
C 113 F
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II. Early Civilizations in the Indus River Valley

• 2500 BC to 1500 BC the Harappan Civilization
  developed in the Indus River valley

An artistic conception of ancient Lothal
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II. Early Civilizations in the Indus River Valley

• The named derives from one of the two discovered
  cities - Harappa and Mohenjo Daro ("Mound of the
  Dead)

Early settlements date to 7000 BC
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II. Early Civilizations in the Indus River Valley

• Both cities were planned with wide streets, water
  systems, public baths, and brick sewers

Ruins of Harappa
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This map shows the layout of Mohenjo-Daro, one of
the principal cities of the Indus Valley
civilization. The larger eastern area contained
the residential and commercial sections of the
city, which were laid out in a grid of large
rectangular blocks. Rising more than twenty feet
to the west stood the citadel, built on a mound
of mud brick and rubble. Fortified by a brick
wall and towers, the citadel contained the citys
shrine, assembly hall, baths, and granary.
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The Great Bath was entered using two wide
staircases, one from the north and one from the
south. The floor of the tank is watertight due to
finely fitted bricks laid on edge with gypsum
plaster.
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II. Early Civilizations in the Indus River Valley

• Each city had a strong central fortress, or
  citadel, on a brick platform

Excavated ruins of Mohenjo-daro
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II. Early Civilizations in the Indus River Valley

• Storehouses for grain indicate careful planning
  and a strong central government

Harappa granary
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II. Early Civilizations in the Indus River Valley

• Harappan farmers grew crops in irrigated fields
  and raised livestock

Ceramic sculpture of a small cart with vases and
tools pulled by oxen, from Mohenjo-daro
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II. Early Civilizations in the Indus River Valley

• As early as 2300 B.C., the Harappans traded with
  the people of the Tigris-Euphrates valley

This seal, found in Mesopotamia, indicates a
product was made in Harappa, indicating trade
took place between the two regions
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Indus Valley Seals
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II. Early Civilizations in the Indus River Valley

• A written language was developed but it has not
  been deciphered or connected to other languages

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II. Early Civilizations in the Indus River Valley

• No temples or religious writings have been found,
  just animal images and some evidence of a mother
  goddess of fertility

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Terracotta Figurines
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II. Early Civilizations in the Indus River Valley

• The Harappan civilization disappeared - theories
  include changes in the Indus River, earthquakes,
  or invasion

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II. Early Civilizations in the Indus River Valley
Harappan Excavations A Walk through
Mohenjo-Daro A Walk around Harappa