India’s Geographic Setting

India is a subcontinent that is separated from the rest of Asia by the Himalaya and Hindu Kush

mountains. Water runs down these mountains, creating two great rivers, the Indus and the

Ganges, and bringing silt for rich farmland along the rivers’ banks. In winter, monsoons from the

northeast bring dry air. In summer, monsoons from the Indian Ocean bring rain that benefits

crops but can devastate communities.

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Ancient IndiaSection 1: The Indus and Ganges River Valleys

MapMaster: India: Monsoons

Life in the Indus River Valley

From 2500 to 1500 B.C., cities such as Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro arose in the Indus Valley.

The ruins of Mohenjo-Daro show that the city had houses, workshops, public buildings, and

streets, all dominated by a high citadel. The city also had a sewer system and canals to control

flooding. Around 2000 B.C., the city was in decline for unknown reasons.

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Ancient IndiaSection 1: The Indus and Ganges River Valleys

A New Culture Arises

Newcomers from Central Asia entered the region between 2000 and 1500 B.C. They

overwhelmed the Indus people with chariots and mixed with the local population. They called

themselves Aryans. The Vedas describe the Aryan life of herding and warfare. Their society was

organized into classes, which served as the basis for the caste system in India.

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Ancient IndiaSection 1: The Indus and Ganges River Valleys

Section Reading Support Transparency

Ancient India: Section 1Section Reading Support Transparency

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