geographic setting of india
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Geographic Geographic Setting of Setting of
IndiaIndia
Indian subcontinent is a large peninsula
Surrounded on three (3) sides by the Arabian Sea, Indian Sea, and Bay of Bengal
In north, the Himalayan Mountain Ranges separate India from the rest of Asia
Hindu Kush Mountains on the northwest also present barriers to travel
This barriers allowed first Indian civilization to develop mostly on its own, yet India was not totally isolated
Indian subcontinent has diverse geographic features
Three major regions are the Northern Plain, Deccan Plateau, and Coastal Plain
Three great rivers the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra
The chief feature of the Indian climate is the monsoon,a seasonal wind system
Indus Valley covered an area larger than te Old Kingdom of Egypt (1,500 sq km)
Physical Map of Physical Map of IndiaIndia
The Two CitiesThe Two Cities1. Harappa2. Mohenjo-daro The ruins of Harappa and Mohenjo-daro revealed that they were products of careful planning
Excavated were houses, granaries, and public halls, which suggest a high level of civilization
HarappaHarappa
Mohenjo-DaroMohenjo-Daro
Government and Government and ReligionReligion
Scholars assume that a priest-king headed the government and that the rulers must have a considerable power
The two cities were polytheistsThey also worshipped animals such as the bull and certain sacred trees
Economic LifeEconomic LifeAgricultural economy thrived in the Indus Valley civilization
Food surpluses supported the large population and prompted the growth of trade
Merchant classes acquired wealth from trade and commerce in the cities
End of Indus Valley End of Indus Valley CivilizationCivilization
Finally it ended in 1500 BCEScholars believe that in 1500 BCE, Aryans invade Indus Valley
Dravidians were the survivors of the Indus Valley civilization
Their civilization, as revealed from the remains of the Mohenjo-daro, showed a static society
Geographic Setting of Geographic Setting of Ancient ChinaAncient China
Four outlaying regions Manchuria, Mongolia, Sinkiang, and Tibet surrounded the heartland of china
Geographic barriers surrounds china1.Himalayas in Tibet, world's highest mountain ranges2.Deserts such as Gobi3.Pacific Ocean to the east
Chinese considered themselves unique and believed that their land was at the center of the world. They called it Chung-kuo, which means the "Middle Kingdom"
Huang Ho or Yellow River provides water for irrigation, fishing, and transportation
Rainful is not regular, so the area suffers from both drought and floods
Chinese called this as the River of Sorrows
The Shang CivilizationThe Shang Civilization
The first ruling family in china, and it survived until 1122 BCE
They were political leadersThey prayed made offerings
Performed sacrifices to gain good harvest
They had also special powers of calling upon their ancestors
The emperor ruled over their capital city and the surrounding regions
Early Chinese Early Chinese CivilizationCivilization
System of WritingSystem of Writing
During the shang dynasty that the chinese developed a system of wrting
Early chinese wrote pictograms like the Egyptians and Sumerians
They also added ideograms as symbols that expressed ideas
Under Shang dynasty, Chinese writing included over 3,000 symbols or characters
Religious BeliefsReligious Beliefs
They believed that many gods and spirits lived in nature
Main god is Shang-ti presided over heaven and the other gods
They believed their gods to be powerful that they could caused flood
As Chief priest shang king made daily sacrifices
Shang priest also tried to tell the future
A priest scratched a question on an ox bone, then he carved notches on the bone and touched the notches with a heated bronze rod. The heat caused the bone to crack.
The priest interpreted the cracks to find an answer to the question. Bones used for telling the future were called "oracle bones"
Daily LifeDaily LifeExtended family was the focus of village life
Family members of different generations lived in the same household
Headed by the eldest male, this is because they respect their anestors and they have great respect for age and a deep feeling of duty to family
Among the royal families and nobles, men often have more than one wife
Her sons were the most important
Among peasant families, men normally married only one woman