Chapter 7

India is a subcontinent (like a continent, only smaller.)

It is located in southern Asia. In the north, India has 2 mountain

ranges:• 1. Hindu Kush• 2. Himalayas

India’s great rivers include:• 1.The Ganges• 2. The Indus• 3.The Saraswati (ran parallel to the Indus,

dried up because of an earthquake.)

The tall mountains block much of the cold wind from reaching India, resulting in WARM temperatures.

Monsoons also shape India’s climate. A monsoon is a seasonal wind. Winter DRY Summer WET

Look at diagram on page 220

Civilization centered along the Indus river and began with agriculture.

Early farmers grew/domesticated:• Wheat, barley, cotton, sheep, goats, cattle,

chickens. 2 of the best known cities:

• Mohenjo-Daro• Harappa • Each contained at least 35,000 residents. Harappa

gave its name to the entire Indus River culture, and today that culture is called Harappan Civilization.

Featured planned cities (cities built according to a design)

Harappan homes contained a bathroom and a toilet. (Human waste was not a problem)

Harappan writing system is a mystery. Religion- the public bath in Mohenjo-Daro Around 2000-1500 B.C. earthquakes

shook the Indus area:• Saraswati River dried up• Harappan civilization ceased to exist

Around 2000 B.C (the same time as the violent earthquake) a group of Indo-Europeans left their homeland and settled in different regions of Europe.

1500 B.C. the Aryans traveled east into India.

When the Aryans arrived in India, the former Harappan civilization lay in ruins.

Unlike the city-dwelling Harappans, the Aryans were herders, who lived in simple houses and spoke an Indo-European language called Sanskrit.

A new religion • Appealed to the Dravidians (who were the

inhabitants living in India at the time.)• Dravidians taught the Aryans about city life.

Aryan society was organized into classes: warriors, priests, and commoners

As society grew more COMPLEX, these classes developed into the CASTE SYSTEM.