Early South Asia Harappa and MohenjoDaro

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Early South AsiaHarappa and Mohenjo-Daro
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I. The Subcontinent

• The Indus River Valley civilization reached its
  height between 2500-1500 B.C.
• B. India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh trace their
  roots to the Indus Valley civilization.
• C. Natural barriers, including water to the east
  and west and mountain ranges (the Himalayas and
  Hindu Kush)to the north, separate the South Asian
  subcontinent from the rest of Asia.

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I. The Subcontinent (Cont)

• Three Rivers in South Asia, fed by rain and
  melting mountain snows, have supported large
  numbers people over the ages.
• E. The northern mountains ensure generally warm
  weather in South Asia, but two seasonal winds
  called monsoons shape the pattern of life on the
  subcontinent.

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The Subcontinent (Cont)

• The northeast, or winter, monsoon brings dry air
  from the mountains, while the southwest, or
  summer, monsoon brings wet air off the ocean.
• The people of the plains are dependent on the
  monsoons for the growth of their crops.

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II. The Indus Valley Civilization

• The Indus Valley civilization, also known as the
  Harappan civilization, had two major cities,
  Harappa,located in present day Pakistan,and
  Mohenjo-Daro, located near the Arabian Sea.

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The Indus Valley Civilization (cont)

• B. Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro are outstanding
  examples of urban planning. Harappan cities
  typically had gridlike layouts and underground
  sewer systems.

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II. The Indus Valley Civilization (Cont)

• Most of the Harappan people worked the land, but
  Harappan city dwellers engaged in industry and
  commerce. Evidence of this is found on Harappan
  seals found on soapstone seals found in
  Mesopotamia.
• Scientists have yet to decipher the written
  language of the Harappan civilization making
  knowledge rather limited.

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II. The Indus Valley Civilization (Cont)

• The lack of written records has made it difficult
  to learn as much about Harappan civilization, but
  artifacts have provided some clues such as the
  worship of gods associated with natural forces.
• Historians are not sure why the Harappan
  civilization disappeared by 1500 B.C., but
  massive flooding and hostile invasions are
  possible reasons.