Chapter 3: Ancient Indian Civilizations

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Chapter 3 Ancient Indian Civilizations

• 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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Section 1 Indus River Valley Civilization

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

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I. Geography and Climate

• Physical Geography
• The Indian subcontinent extends southward from
  central Asia into the Indian Ocean

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A. Physical Geography

• High mountain ranges like the Himalayas cut India
  off from immigrants and invaders

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A. Physical Geography

• South of the mountains flow two great rivers
• the Ganges flowing southeast, and the Indus
• flowing southwest

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A. Physical Geography

• The region drained by these two rivers is the
  Indo-Gangetic Plain

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A. Physical Geography

• South lies the Deccan plateau, bordered by the
  Eastern Ghats and the 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

• Monsoon - seasonal winds that blow from the
  northeast from November until March, and from the
  southwest from June until October

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B. Climate

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

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B. Climate

• The Southwest (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 and floods
  destroy 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

• A great civilization developed in the Indus River
  valley from 2500 B.C. to 1500 B.C.

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

• The Harappan Civilization is named for one of the
  two discovered cities - Harappa and Mohenjo Daro

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

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

Ruins of Harappa
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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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Harappa Ravi and Kot Diji Phase Seals
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II. Early Civilizations in the Indus River Valley

• Harappans developed a written language
  (pictographs) but scholars have not been able to
  read it or connect it to other languages

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II. Early Civilizations in the Indus River Valley

• No temples or religious writings have been found,
  but it is believed the people worshiped a great
  god

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II. Early Civilizations in the Indus River Valley

• They used animal images and there is evidence of
  a mother goddess of fertility

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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
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