Transcript Ancient India - Oakland Middle School

Ancient India
Chapter 6:Lesson 1
Early Civilizations
Geography of India
• The Indian sub-continental
(large landmass that is
smaller than a continent) is
a part of the continent of
Asia
• Bordered by the
Himalaya’s in the North
• 3 main rivers – Indus,
Ganges, and Brahmaputra
•
India’s people rely on
these rivers for farming,
transportation, and
trade
The southern two-thirds of
India is part of this huge
plateau.
Climate
Monsoons = Seasonal winds
• Cold, dry, air in the winter
• In the summer, winds blow
west to east bringing warm,
wet air and pouring rains.
• Monsoons were
unpredictable. It brought
much needed rain to
farmers. It also could cause
damaging floods.
• Lack of Monsoons in
summer would cause
droughts.
Indus Valley
Civilizations
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5000 years ago, nomads
settles in Valley’s along the
Indus River in what is now
Pakistan
People in the Indus Valley
grew:
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Wheat
Barley
Beans
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Now everyone had to farm.
Other people made tools and
constructed houses.
Merchants traded extra food
and goods
•
The Indus civilization spread
over much of western India
and Pakistan
Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa
• 2 majoy cities between
2600-1900 B.C in the
Indus Valley were
Mohenjo-Daro and
Harappa
• At its peak 35000
residents lived in each
city
Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa
• The two cities were designed exactly alike.
• They had dozens of streets (paved with tan
bricks)
• Used oven-baked bricks to build houses
• Large buildings stored grain for everyone in
the city
• Wells supplied water to the people
Housing
Houses:
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Had flat, wooden
roofs
Enclosed courtyards
Some were several
stories tall
Every house had at
lease 1 indoor
bathroom
(wastewater flowed
through the pipes to
pits outside the city
walls)
Houses also had
garbage chutes
connected to bins in
the street.
What was life like?
• Religion and Government was a major part of
daily life
• Indus Valley people resided in farming villages
surrounding the city.
– They grew rice, barley, wheat, peas, and cotton
• City Residents were:
– Merchants, shopkeepers, and artisans.
– Made and sold: copper and bronze tools, clay pottery
and cotton cloth, Jewelry from shells, ivory and gold
– Toys were also found here
Trade and Migration
• Indus Valley merchants traveled as far as
Mesopotamia to trade.
• Around 1900 B.C, the people of the Indus
Valley began to abandon their cities and
villages. (drought and earthquakes were killing
people)
• A group of people known as the Aryans began
migrating into India and soon a new
civilization emerged
Who were the
Aryans
The Aryans were not
a race or ethnic
group.
They were a part of
a language family
(group of similar
languages) known as
Indo-European
This language family
lived in central Asia
then migrated and
the Aryans went to
India.
Who were the Aryans
– They raised cattle for meat, milk, and butter
– They traveled place to place to find pastures and
water
– They were expert horse riders, hunters, and
warriors
– They would sometimes raid other nearby villages
for food
Who were the Aryans
• Aryans eventually mixed with the descendants of
the Indus Valley people and together they
created a new culture
– They banned cattle as food (sacred animals)
– Made iron-tools for farming
– Built irrigation systems
• In the North
– They grew wheat, millet, and barley
• In the South
– They grew cotton, vegetables, pepper, ginger and
cinnamon
Who were the Aryans
• Aryans lived in tribes led by a Raj (prince)
– They fought each other over cattle, treasure, and land
• Language = Sanskrit
– Used to record sales, trade, and land ownership
– Eventually hymns, stories, poems, and prayers were
also written in Sanskrit
• They hymns, stories, poems, and prayers were
collected into sacred texts known as the Vedas.
Ancient Indian Society
• There were 4 social classes of Ancient India
that were known as the Varnas.
• People were considered members of the varna
into which they were born.
Ancient Indian Society
• The most powerful varnas
were the Brahmins
(priests) and the
Kshatriyas (Warriors and
Rulers).
• Varnas system is
considered a caste
system. In a caste system,
people remain in the
same caste or social
group for life.
Ancient Indian Society
• In ancient India, the family was the center of
life. Grandparents, parents, and children lived
together
• Elder Family members were respected
• The oldest male was in charge of the entire
household
• Men had more rights than women
• Men attended school and women were
educated at home
The Guru
• In India’s leading families, a boy has a guru or
teacher, until he attended school in the city.
• Parents arrange marriages for their children (a
tradition that still goes on today)
• Often they are forced to marry in their teens
and are not allowed to get a divorce.