india’s geography subcontinent mountains river valleys dry interior plateau fertile coastal plains...
TRANSCRIPT
India
India’s GeographySubcontinent
MountainsRiver valleysDry interior plateauFertile coastal
plainsHimalayas to North
Barrier and protector
Ganges RiverSouth of Himalayas
Indus Valley in West (in present
day Pakistan)Deccan Plateau
South of river valleys
Hilly and dry
Similar to Mesopotamia and Egypt: Yes!River valleys and
dry
Monsoon!Seasonal winds that
bring the heavy rains to Southern Asia
People depend upon these rains for their agriculture
Material Culture2600 – 1900 BCEHarappa and
Mohenjo-Daro (largest and best known sites)
Writing system existed, but no source to decipher it
Harappa and Mohenjo-DaroHarappa
3.5 miles circ, pop 35,000Mohenjo-Daro
Several times larger Both surrounded by brick wallsStreets in grid patternDrainage / sewer systems carried away waste Citadel (fortress) center of authority
Grain storage, barracks, protection Both controlled surrounding farmlandsPastoral economies
Harappa and Mohenjo-DaroTrade in copper, tin, precious
stones (more access to metals than Egypt of Meso.) often with nw mtn area of Afghanistan and Iran, also Meso.
High degree of standardization in city planning, architecture, even size of bricksStrong authoritarian
control (?) or result of extensive trade (?)
The Early Harappan Civilization 4,000 BC to 3,000 BCE
TechnologiesIrrigation systemsPotter’s wheel, kilnBronze metallurgyWriting system
Aryans
Indo-European nomads
From Central AsiaWarlikeConquered
Harappan civilizations
Aryan LifeAryans
Economy • Pastoralists (and great warriors)• Became agriculturalists (farmers)
Crops •Wheat•Barley•Millet•Rice (in south)•Cotton•Spices (pepper, ginger, cinnamon)
Inventions •Use of iron•Iron plows•Irrigation
Language • Sanskrit (written language by 1000 BCE)•Used to pass down rituals, legends, religion)
Leadership •Many warrior kingdoms (switching alliances)• Led by rajas (warrior princes) who controlled states
Ancient Indian SocietyCaste: Class (same as
varna)Caste System: a rigid set
of social classes (status)Based on occupation,
economic potential, skin color
Aryans were lighter skinned and looked down on darker skinned subjects (though more advanced than Aryans)
Caste System1. Brahmans
(priests)2. Kshatryias
(warriors)3. Vaisyas
(commoners)4. Sudras (majority,
non-Aryans, darker skinned)
5. Untouchables (not even part of system, 5%)
Ancient Indian SocietyBasic Unit of Society Family
Extended Families 3 generations living together (grandparents, parents, children)Patriarchal!!!! (male dominated)
Role of Males •Only could inherit property•Could only serve as priests•Received education (upper class)•Could take more than one wife if 1st couldn’t bear kids
Role of Females •Subordinate to males•No education•No role in politics or religion•Domestic duties, family needs
Marriage •Arranged at young age•Daughters viewed as economic drain•Sent with dowry•Have many children!
Suttee (or Sati) •Dead placed on funeral pyres and set on fire•Widows expected to fling selves on dead husband’s burning pyre
HinduismPolytheisticMain creative force in the universe
Brahman (creator), Vishnu (preserver), Siva (destroyer)
Reincarnation: individual soul will be reborn as another after death
Karma: “You are where you deserve to be”What goes around comes around What you do in this life depends what you come back
as in next life Dharma: divine law that states you must be the best
you can in your given situation (status)Gives religious basis for class distinctions
Temples (not like Christian masses) Main religion of most Indians today
Hinduism