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