RIVER VALLEY CIVILIZATION

SINDUS RIVER

VALLEY

The Indus River Valley (India)

India began along the Indus

River, which flooded and left

behind fertile soil (yet another

perfect place to start a

civilization)

Seasonal monsoons caused summer rains

and floods, which helped create more

fertile soil

The people of the Indian

“subcontinent” were well

protected by several natural

barriers: the oceans,

Himalaya Mountains, and the deserts that surrounded the

Indus River Valley kept out

invaders

Deserts

Mountains

Oceans

LASTING CONTRIBUTIONSAdvanced

cities:Indus cities were laid out

in agrid system with high

walls andcitadel of major buildings

This grid system would be used in many modern cities (such as New York City)

LASTING CONTRIBUTIONSSpecialized Workers:

Indian society was divided by the “caste system”.

This system divided people into classes based on their “purity” in Hinduism

LASTING CONTRIBUTIONSGovernment:Little is known about Indus government other than they were ruled by kings

People in the Indus River Valley believed in a polytheistic religion

called HinduismHindus believe in

reincarnation: one’s soul is repeatedly

reborn until moksha occurs

LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS

Religion:

Moksha (also known as nirvana or

enlightenment) is the release of the spirit

from the human form A soul’s karma (good or bad deeds during life)

effects your reincarnation (what you

come back in life as) Today, Hinduism is the

world’s oldest organized religion and its 3rd

largest with nearly a billion followers

LASTING CONTRIBUTIONSWriting:Indus writing has not been fully translated so much of Indus life is still a mystery

Writing contained about 400 symbols that were both pictograms and phonetic characters

LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS

Technology: Advanced plumbing: most houses in the Indus Valley had toilets and private bathrooms connected to underground sewer systems

LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS

Technology:

They also made standard-sized, oven-baked bricks

Empires in India: the Mauryan and the Gupta

The Mauryan Empire of India

Indus River Valley

The Mauryan Empire of India

Indus River Valley

After the river valley era, India

transitioned into the

Mauryan Empire

The Mauryan Empire of IndiaChandragupta Maurya became king of India in 321 BCE (Before Common Era), created a vast

army, and conquered surrounding lands

Chandragupta’s empire controlled most of the Indian subcontinent

MAURYAN EMPIRE’S SYSTEM OF CONTROL

King Chandragupta Maurya used

tactics similar to the Persians’ to

control his empire The king divided his empire into provinces, each ruled by a local

prince that reported to him

The Mauryan Empire of India

Indus River Valley

In 269 BCE, King Asoka took over; he expanded the Empire to its greatest extent

The Mauryan Empire of India

Indus River Valley

During his wars of expansion, Asoka converted to Buddhism

After witnessing an extremely bloody battle, Asoka developed new policies of tolerance and non-violence for his empire

Buddhism spread as a result of Asoka’s influence

The Gupta Empire of IndiaAfter Asoka’s death, the Mauryan Empire declined and was replaced

by the Gupta Empire

Chandra Gupta formed the Gupta Empire in 320 A.D. and expanded the empire

Gupta Empire: Classical IndiaIndia experienced a “golden age” of art,

learning, and science during the Gupta Empire, which was known as a “classical empire”

Indian astronomers were the first to discover that the Earth is round

Mathematicians invented modern numerals, the number zero, pi, and the decimal system

Gupta Empire: Classical India

Merchants sold exotic spices and silks to people throughout Asia and the Mediterranean world,

increasing India’s prosperity