Ancient India

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Ancient India

• Chapter 6.1
• Geography of India

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Bellwork THINK! 1. From where are the first
people said to have migrated?2. After early
people decided to stop hunting and gathering
their food, why do you think they chose to settle
in these areas of the world?3. Can you name
these ancient civilizations?
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After migrating north from Africa, early people
settled along the Indus River to start their
communities. Just like other civilizations, they
started to farm and build their own communities
by setting up a unique written language, trade
system, and government.
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The Geography of India

• India is a subcontinent
• Large landmass
• Smaller than a continent
• Part of the continent of Asia

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Mountains, Plains, Valleys, and Rivers Oh my!To
what region in India would you migrate?

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Major Geographic Landforms

• Himalayas- northern border
• Ganges and Indus Rivers most important rivers
• Deccan Plateau makes up southern part

Himalayas
Deccan Plateau
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Mountains

• Himalayas
• Tallest mountain range in the world
• Contains Mt. Everest
• Tallest mountain peak in the world
• 29,000 feet tall (5.5 miles)

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Mountains

• Hindu Kush
• Border India to the northwest

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Plains and Valleys

• Fertile plains at the foot of the mountains
• Ganges Plain, Indus River Valley
• Owe rich soil to 3 great rivers
• Indus River
• Ganges River
• Brahmaputra River
• Rivers provide farming, transportation, trade

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3 Major Rivers

• 1) Indus River major river in Asia
• Flows through Pakistan
• Fed from glaciers in Himalayas

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2) Ganges River

• Located in plains of northern India
• Holy River of Hinduism
• For most of its course it is a wide and sluggish
  stream, flowing through one of the most fertile
  and densely populated regions in the world.
  Despite its importance, its length of 1,560 miles
  (2,510 km) is relatively short compared with the
  other great rivers of Asia or of the world.

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3) Brahmaputra River

• major river of Central and South Asia.
• It flows some 1,800 miles (2,900 km) from its
  source in the HIMALAYAS to its confluence with
  the GANGES (GANGA) RIVER,
• For most of its length, the river serves as an
  important inland waterway it is not, however,
  parts of it you can not travel on
• In its lower course the river is both a creator
  and a destroyerdepositing huge quantities of
  fertile soil but also causing disastrous and
  frequent floods.

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Other Landforms

• Along west coast, fertile lands
• Inland are two chains of mountains (Western and
  Eastern Ghats)
• Between mountains Deccan Plateau

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Climate

• Monsoons-seasonal winds
• Winter-monsoons blow cold, dry air from Himalaya
  east to west
• Summer-warmer land temperatures cause the winds
  to change direction. Winds blow west to
  east-bring warm, wet air and pouring rains

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The Indus Valley Civilizations

• About 5,000 years ago, nomads settled in Indus
  River Valley
• Think -- 3 reason Why do you think they settled
  here?
• Modern day Pakistan
• Spread over western
• India and Pakistan

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Work on and study all your student notes on Ch. 6
India (2 pages)

• Quiz tomorrow over India Vocab and Map

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(No Transcript)
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The Indus Valley Civilizations

• About 5,000 years ago, nomads settled in Indus
  River
• Modern day Pakistan
• Spread over western India and Pakistan

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Indus Valley Civilization

• Indus River Valley
• 2600 B.C. 1900 B.C.
• Most were farmers

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Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro

• Large cities
• Houses made of mud bricks
• Indoor plumbing
• Left no written records

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Aryan Migrations and Settlements

• c.1900 B.C Indus Valley people left
• - drought
• - earthquakes and floods
• Aryans came from Asia
• - Ruled by rajas (prince)

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Writing

• Aryans developed a written language, Sanskrit
• Vedas
• - sacred texts
• - songs, stories, and prayers

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Caste System
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Caste System

• Aryans developed social classes or groups
• Could never change groups
• Rules for life (marriage, work, and friendship)
• 4 classes called the varnas

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Caste System

• The Brahmins were at the top
• - priests
• - most power
• Next were the Kshatriyas or the warriors
• Ran the government and army

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Caste System

• Vaisyas
• - common people
• - farmers, craftspeople, and merchants
• Sudras
• manual workers and servants
• few rights
• largest group

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Caste System

• Untouchables
• - too low to even be part of the system
• - live apart
• - did the dirty work

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The Untouchables Video

• http//youtu.be/j31veR74gSo 7 mins