Indus River Valley Civilization

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Indus River Valley Civilization
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Indus River
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Geographic Features

• Indus River
• Flows southwest from the Himalayan Mountains
• The Delta flows into the Arabian Sea
• Natural Barriers
• Himalayan and Hindu Kush Mountains
• Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean

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Indus Environment

• Sub Continent -
• Separated from the rest of Asia by natural
  barriers
• Monsoon- a seasonal wind
• June to September(summer monsoon) dropping
  torrential rains
• October to May(winter monsoon) dry hot air bring
  temperatures of over 100

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Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro

• Large cities existing from 2500B.C. to 1500B.C
• Unable to decipher the written language
• First planned cities in history
• Wide, straight streets divided into square city
  blocks
• Strong central government
• Established standard weights and measurements

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Well Planned Cities
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Unknown Language
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City Streets
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Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro

• Economic Life
• A thriving agricultural economy
• Built channels to bring water from rivers to
  fields
• Food surpluses increased trade
• Indus valley the first to grow cotton

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Irrigated fields
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Hinduism

• Founded around 1500B.C.-1000B.C.
• Polytheistic
• Brahma-Creator, Vishnu-Preserver, Shiva-destroyer
• Religious texts include the Vedas and the
  Upanishads
• Reincarnation- rebirth of the soul
• Karma- the sum of all actions in a persons life
  will affect his or her fate in the next life

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Reincarnation- rebirth of the soul
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Caste