Ancient India and China Section 1 Ancient India

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Early India Preview • Starting Points Map: Eastern Asia • Main Idea / Reading Focus • India’s Geography • Indus Valley Civilization • The Vedic Period • Quick Facts: The Varnas Section 1

Ancient India and China Click the icon to play Listen to History audio. Click the icon below to connect to the Interactive Maps. Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1 Early India Main Idea Early civilization arose in the Indus River Valley, flourished, and then mysteriously died out. Later India’s Vedic civilization developed a culture based on old and new beliefs. Reading Focus • How did India’s geography affect the development of civilization there? • What were the defining features of the Indus Valley Civilization? • What do we know about life in India’s Vedic period?

Ancient India and China Section 1 India’s Geography Indus River flows across northwest edge of Indian subcontinent—large landmass, part of a continent • Home of one of ancient world’s great river valley civilizations • Indian subcontinent includes three major geographic zones – Far north: Himalaya, Hindu Kush mountain systems, separating India from rest of Asia – South: Deccan Plateau, high plateau receiving less rain than other parts of subcontinent – Between mountains, plateau are Northern Plains, where society first developed in India

Ancient India and China Section 1 Floods and Annual Rainfall Fertile Region • Flood deposits from Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra rivers enrich soil of Northern Plains, make it very fertile • Heavy rains also add to fertility of plains • Much of rain brought to India by seasonal winds, monsoons Monsoon Winds • Summer, monsoon winds from southwest bring warm air, heavy rains from Indian Ocean; most of annual rainfall at this time • Winter, northeast monsoons blow cool, dry air from Central Asia, drier months

Section 1 Ancient India and China Water Critical Factor The people of India’s first civilizations depended upon the monsoons to bring the water that their crops needed. Monsoon Rains • Monsoon rains flooded rivers; rivers deposited fertile silt in which farmers could grow crops • With abundance of rainfall came threat of devastation Devastating Effects • Monsoon rains too heavy— crops, homes, lives could be lost • Monsoon rains too late, did not last long enough—people could not grow crops; famine became danger

Section 1 Ancient India and China Describe What problems could monsoons cause for early Indians? Answer(s): flooding or drought

Section 1 Ancient India and China Indus Valley Civilization People have lived in the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent for thousands of years. At first people lived as hunter-gatherers, but slowly people began to settle down in farming communities. First Civilization Cities, Settlements • Farm communities gave rise to India’s first civilization • 1920 s, remains of two large cities first ruins found • Developed in valley of Indus River • Began 2500 BC, when people first developed writing system – Harappa – Mohenjo Daro • Civilization called Harappan • Other cities, towns since uncovered Indus Society • Settlements well planned, carefully laid out • Streets ran in grid pattern; major avenues twice as wide as minor streets

Ancient India and China Section 1 Life in Towns and Cities • Water came from community wells, smaller wells in courtyards of homes • Public drainage systems carried away wastewater • Walled, elevated citadel—fortress—enclosed buildings like granaries, warehouses • Homes, workshops, shrines built outside citadel • Uniformity suggests central authority in power Economy • Economy likely based on agriculture, trade • Most probably farmed, herded livestock • In cities, many specialized in crafts like pottery, metalwork, jewelry • Indus traded goods with people nearby, distant civilizations • Traders from Indus Valley brought goods to locations as distant as Central Asia, Arabian Peninsula, Mesopotamia

Section 1 Ancient India and China Society Few Details • Archaeologists, historians not able to learn many details about Indus society • Had writing system, but historians not able to read it • Some say Indus civilization single society, rather than collection of city-states Similarities • People shared common tool designs, standard set of weights, measures • Suggest single authority in control • Civilization thrived from about 2500 BC to 2000 BC, then began to decline Decline • No one knows what led to decline, or if single cause • Environmental damage suspected; flooding, disappearance of Sarasvati river • Invasion, disease may also have helped end civilization

Section 1 Ancient India and China Analyze Why do historians know relatively little about Indus society? Answer(s): have not deciphered Indus writing

Section 1 Ancient India and China The Vedic Period Sometime after 2000 BC, a new people took control of India. Historians often refer to this group as the Aryans, from a Sanskrit word meaning “noble. ” Eventually the Aryans ruled over most of India, except for the far south. Origin of Aryans • Historians not sure when Aryans arrived, where they came from • Some assume they moved from area between Caspian, Black seas • Others argue Aryans developed in northern India, did not move into area Archaeological Evidence • Little archaeological evidence remains to document early Aryan period in India • Most comes from sacred writings called the Vedas • Include many details about Aryan history, society This period in Indian history is often called the Vedic period.

Section 1 Ancient India and China Vedic Society • According to the Vedas, people settled in villages smaller than cities of Indus Valley • Later groups of villages banded together under regional leaders known as rajas • Raja primarily war leader responsible for protecting people; received payments of food, money in return Social Structure • According to oldest of the Vedas, the Rigveda, Vedic society divided into four social classes, varnas • Each played particular role in society • People of four varnas created from body of single being Varnas • Part of body from which each varna created tied to its duties • Brahmins came from mouth, source of speech, wisdom; were priests • Kshatriyas: warriors, rulers • Vaisyas: common people, farmers • Sudras: servants

Ancient India and China Section 1

Section 1 Ancient India and China Jobs and Privileges Castes Social Hierarchy • Over centuries, four varnas of Vedic period divided into hundreds of smaller castes • Social hierarchy developed, some castes had more privileges than others • Membership in caste determined what jobs one could hold, whom one could marry • Not everyone belonged to a caste • Untouchables had no protection of caste law, could perform only jobs that other castes did not

Section 1 Ancient India and China Vedic Religion Prayer • Vedas consist mostly of hymns in praise • People prayed to many aspects of single eternal spirit • We know much about Vedic religion as result • One aspect was Indra, who ruled over heaven Fire Sacrifices Complex • People worshipped gods through fire sacrifices, chanting sacred hymns • Rituals grew more complex • Priests offered food, drink by placing on roaring fire • Brahmin varna gained more influence in society • Priests said order in universe maintained only through rituals

Ancient India and China Section 1 Summarize How was Vedic society organized? Answer(s): into four social classes called varnas