RIVER VALLEY

CIVILIZATIONS

INDUS RIVER VALLEY

Essential Question: –What were the important

characteristics of the civilizationsin the Indus River Valley?

Warm-Up Question:–Name 2 similarities between Egypt

& Mesopotamian civilizations –Name 2 differences

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 monsoonscaused 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 classesbased 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 Hinduism

Hindus 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 CONTRIBUTIONSTechnology:

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

LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS

Technology:

They also made standard-sized, oven-baked bricks