Early Civilizations of India and Pakistan

Central Questions

• What were the main characteristics of the Indus Civilization?

• How did geography affect the development of civilization in India and China?

• What are the essential beliefs and key teachings of Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism?

• How did the caste system shape India?• What leaders established “golden ages” in India and

China? Why are these times considered “golden ages”?• What were some of the notable leaders in India and

China?

Indus Valley- One of the River Valley Civilizations

Geography of the Indian Subcontinent

• Subcontinent: large landmass that juts out from a continent

• Indian subcontinent includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka

• Mountains: Hindu Kush and Himalayas mark the northern border and limit the transportation/contact with other lands, but aren’t a complete barrier

3 Regions of India

• 1: Gangetic Plain – In the north– Fertile

• 2: Deccan Plateau– In the middle– Dry and sparsely populated

• 3: Eastern and Western Ghats (coastal plains)– To the East and West of the Deccan Plateau– Rivers and rain bring water for farmers

Monsoons Affect Climate

• Monsoons: seasonal winds that regularly blow from a certain direction for part of the year

• October: hot, dry air blows in and withers crops• Mid-June: summer monsoons bring heavy rain• People in India plan for and need the rain– if the rains are too heavy then deadly flooding can

occur– If the rains are too light or too late, famine and

starvation can occur

Meet Your Archeologist: Sir Mortimer Wheeler

• 1890-1976• Born in Glasgow, Scotland• Invented the grid-system for excavation• Led one of England’s first archaeology departments• Ran an archaeology museum• Had 3 television shows based on archeology • Directed the excavations of Harappa and Mohenjo-

Daro, two capitals/large cities in the Indus civilization

• Had one of the best mustaches in history

He’s looking into your SOUL!

And he wants to be your friend…

Indus Civilization

• 2600 BC: earliest South Asian civilization emerged in the Indus River valley (present-day Pakistan)

• Indus civilization flourished for 700 years• Covered a large area and had large cities• Very few written records remain, so details are

sketchy (archeologists have had to guess a lot)

Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro

• Probably 5 large cities and several hundred smaller cities

• Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were both capitals, but not at the same time– 3 miles in circumference– Massive hilltop structure in each; purpose unknown– Hugh warehouse for storage– Very carefully planned cities with organized streets and

complex plumbing – Merchants had a uniform system of weights and measures– Conclusion: must have had a well-organized government

Farming and Trading

• Most people were farmers– Crops included wheat, barley, melons, cotton, and dates

• Some were also merchants and traders– Traded things like cotton cloth, grain, copper, pearls, and

ivory combs– Used the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf to reach Sumer– This contact with Sumer may have inspiring the Indus

civilization to develop writing, though their writing system is unique and not like cuneiform

Religious Beliefs

• Since there are few surviving writings, these are guesses

• Many think the Indus people were polytheistic– Statues and images on small clay seals– Seem to have honored certain animals, like the

buffalo and bull– Seem to have had a mother goddess and a leading

male god

Indus Civilization Declines

• By 1900 BC, quality of life was declining• Cruder pottery was being made• People stopped writing• Mohenjo-Daro was abandoned• Other cities were abandoned or populations shrank• What happened? Several ideas, but no one is sure:– Did people invade? There’s no real evidence of this…– Environmental damage led to an unsustainable ecosystem?– Was there a major flood?– Was there a terrible earthquake?– Was it a combination of some of these or all of these?