Indus River Valley Civilization

Indus River Valley Civilization

Directions: Using pages 170-174 in your text , the attached reading, and your own knowledge, classify the information about the Indus River Valley Civilization (Harappan). In the first column list the FACTS that scientists know about the civilization and in the second column list the CONCLUSIONS scientists have reached.

Words: suggests, think, must have, probably, concluded

FACTS CONCLUSIONS   

                                             

FactsFacts Largest of early civilizationsLargest of early civilizations

– (2500BC-1500BC)(2500BC-1500BC) Developed in river valleysDeveloped in river valleys urbanurban Large citiesLarge cities

– Harappa/Mohenjo DaroHarappa/Mohenjo Daro Streets – checkerboard Streets – checkerboard

patternpattern Walled fortressWalled fortress Uniform brickUniform brick Areas of large buildingsAreas of large buildings Areas two storied buildings Areas two storied buildings

– Bathing FacilitiesBathing Facilities– sewer systemsewer system

Fragments of clothFragments of cloth FarmedFarmed Figurines of bulls & womenFigurines of bulls & women Clay Seals (carving Clay Seals (carving

pictographs) found in pictographs) found in MesopotamiaMesopotamia

Cities built and rebuilt over Cities built and rebuilt over timetime

ConclusionsConclusions May have developed from May have developed from

hunting & gathering to hunting & gathering to agriculturalagricultural

Well organized gov’t with Well organized gov’t with building codes – urban building codes – urban planningplanning

Harappa/Mohenjo DaroHarappa/Mohenjo Daro– Capital cities of strong empireCapital cities of strong empire Districts: gov’t, workshops Districts: gov’t, workshops

for craftsmen, and for craftsmen, and residentialresidential

Collected food as form of taxCollected food as form of tax First to grow First to grow

cotton/domesticate chickenscotton/domesticate chickens Worshipped Mother goddess, Worshipped Mother goddess,

cattle importantcattle important Writing system to identify Writing system to identify

goodsgoods Traded with several Traded with several

civilizationscivilizations Gradual decline: at first Gradual decline: at first

thought invaders NOW thought invaders NOW environmental changes - environmental changes - video

Roots of Indus Valley Roots of Indus Valley CivilizationCivilization

Earliest civilizations in Earliest civilizations in Indus Valley was Indus Valley was discovered in 1856 by a discovered in 1856 by a railroad crew.railroad crew.– HarappaHarappa– Mohenjo-Dara or “Hill of Mohenjo-Dara or “Hill of

the Dead”the Dead”– Both cities shared urban Both cities shared urban

design and architectural design and architectural features.features.

– 3 miles in circumference 3 miles in circumference with populations of with populations of 40,00040,000

Indus Valley CivilizationIndus Valley Civilization

Vast territory united in homogeneous culture Vast territory united in homogeneous culture suggests strong centralized government, integrated suggests strong centralized government, integrated

economy and good internal communicationseconomy and good internal communications

Mohenjo-Daro and Mohenjo-Daro and HarappaHarappa

To the north is a citadel or To the north is a citadel or raised area.raised area.

In Mohenjo-Daro, the citadel In Mohenjo-Daro, the citadel is built on an architectural is built on an architectural platform about 45 feet platform about 45 feet above the plain.above the plain.

On the summit was a huge On the summit was a huge communal bath.communal bath.

Next to the large bath was a Next to the large bath was a huge open space—a huge open space—a granary where food was granary where food was stored from possible stored from possible floods.floods.

Fortified walls mark the Fortified walls mark the southeast corner.southeast corner.

Elaborate Public Elaborate Public BathsBaths

Bath area•Mohenjo-daro (2600-1900 BCE). Almost every house unit at Mohenjo-daro was equipped with a private bathing area • with drains to take the

dirty water out into a larger drain that emptied into a sewage drain.

• Many of these bathing areas had water-tight floors to keep moisture from seeping into the other rooms nearby or below.

This brick structure had a hole in the top that was connected to a small drain leading out of the base into a rectangular basin. Early excavators suggested this might have been a toilet.

A small well was located in the southeast corner (top right) and circular brick depressions were set into the floor, presumably to hold pottery vessels. The early excavators suggested that the room might have been a dyer's workshop.

Standard Weights and Standard Weights and MeasuresMeasures

The famous "Dancing girl" found in Mohenjo-daro is an artifact that is some 4,500 years old. The 10.8 cm long bronze statue of the dancing girl was found in 1926 from a house in Mohenjo-daro.

WritingWriting

Indus inscriptions are found only on small objects, mostly stone seals and on pottery. About 3700 inscriptions are presently known. The inscriptions are all extremely brief, averaging not more than about five signs in a text. Longer inscriptions might have been written on palm leaves or cloth which have perished.

Unicorn SealUnicorn Sealmost common motif on Indus most common motif on Indus

sealsseals

Early Civilizations of Early Civilizations of India India

AssignmentAssignment

Read pages 170 -174Read pages 170 -174– Complete page 174 #2, 3, 5 Complete page 174 #2, 3, 5

only only

Dravidians:Dravidians:

people of Southern India who may people of Southern India who may be descended from the ancient be descended from the ancient Indus River Valley settlersIndus River Valley settlers

Aryans or Indo-AryansAryans or Indo-Aryans Aryan race TheoryAryan race Theory - discredited - discredited Made popular by Made popular by Arthur de Gobineau famous for developing the theory of

the Aryan master race in his book An Essay on the Inequality of the Human Races– 1850’s

Theories now discreditedTheories now discredited

Aryans: more correctly Aryans: more correctly Indo-AryansIndo-Aryans

Aryan race TheoryAryan race Theory - discredited - discredited– racial grouping racial grouping – late 19th century to the mid 20th century to late 19th century to the mid 20th century to

describe peoples of Indo-European Eurasian describe peoples of Indo-European Eurasian heritage heritage

– Derived from the idea that the original Derived from the idea that the original speakers of the Indo-European languages speakers of the Indo-European languages and their descendants up to the present and their descendants up to the present day constitute a distinctive race day constitute a distinctive race

– used by Nazis and others to support used by Nazis and others to support claims of supremacyclaims of supremacy

Aryans or Indo-AryansAryans or Indo-Aryans Migrated into South Asia from north of Black Migrated into South Asia from north of Black

and Caspian Seas - Around 1500 BCand Caspian Seas - Around 1500 BC Sanskrit meaning “noble”Sanskrit meaning “noble” Tribes of the Indo-European peoplesTribes of the Indo-European peoples Part of Linguistic family not a racePart of Linguistic family not a race Nomadic herdersNomadic herders Skillful warriors: iron weapons, archers, Skillful warriors: iron weapons, archers,

chariots (possibly)chariots (possibly) City-states ruled by rajahCity-states ruled by rajah May have contributed to collapse of Indus May have contributed to collapse of Indus

Valley CivilizationValley Civilization

Map

Influenced Indian Culture:Influenced Indian Culture:

Long lasting effects of Indo-Long lasting effects of Indo-AryansAryans– village lifevillage life– ReligionReligion– social structure social structure

Village LifeVillage Life Indo-Aryans moved across Indo-Aryans moved across

Indo-Gangetic Plains and settled into villagesIndo-Gangetic Plains and settled into villages Farming and herdingFarming and herding Value on cattleValue on cattle

– The word for war meant “a desire for more cows”The word for war meant “a desire for more cows”– Vedas: Rain is like cow’s milk and the sun is its Vedas: Rain is like cow’s milk and the sun is its

calf”calf” Governing: Rajahs: hereditary chief – rule Governing: Rajahs: hereditary chief – rule

villagevillage

Vedas Vedas (Religious Influence)(Religious Influence)

– oral religious traditions of the oral religious traditions of the Indo-AryansIndo-Aryans 4 Vedas: oldest Rig Veda4 Vedas: oldest Rig Veda Eventually recorded in Sanskrit Eventually recorded in Sanskrit

– (written language developed by Indo-(written language developed by Indo-Aryans – basis of Hindi)Aryans – basis of Hindi)

Basis of Hinduism (long lasting Basis of Hinduism (long lasting effect)effect)

Varna Varna (Social Structure)(Social Structure) Sanskrit meaning color – created a Sanskrit meaning color – created a

complex system of social ordercomplex system of social order Social structure and classes of the Indo-AryansSocial structure and classes of the Indo-Aryans

– Brahmins: priestBrahmins: priest– Kshatriyas: warriorsKshatriyas: warriors– Vaisyas: land owners, merchants, Vaisyas: land owners, merchants,

herdersherders– Sudras: servants, peasants Sudras: servants, peasants (p. 174 quote)(p. 174 quote)

evolved into caste (long lasting effect)evolved into caste (long lasting effect)– Caste: rigid system of social ranking by birthCaste: rigid system of social ranking by birth