Early Indus Valley Civilizations

1. Early Indus Valley Civilizations

2. Harappan Culture • Located in the Indus Valley along the Indus River • Lived in large, well laid out cities • Straight streets that were lined with bricks • Walls around the city

3. Cities • Built warehouses to store food for the city • Elaborate bathing facilities with drains that linked to sewer systems

4. Great Bath

5. Did Harappa look like this?

6. Harappa Street

7. Life outside of the City • People who lived outside of the city farmed. • Raised cattle, sheep, goats, and water buffalo. • First to grow cotton. • Traded goods such as cotton with people in the Middle East.

8. Writing • Used pictographic writing on clay seals. • Unable to decipher the pictographs which means there are many questions about the Harappa culture.

9. Harappa Seal

10. Decline of Harappa Civilization • Around 2000 B.C. the city became run down. • Streets were broken, large houses were divided into smaller homes and towns were abandoned. • Could this have been because of the climate?

11. Arayans • Nomads • Warlike • Entered South Asia through the Hindu Kush Mountains

12. Aryans • Learned how to make iron tools and weapons from people in the Middle East. • It took the Aryans hundreds of years to come and gain control of Harappa.

13. Aryan Culture • Vedas – Hymns, prayers, and rituals • Polytheistic • Gods were very different • Sacrifices to gods (food and drink)

14. Aryan Culture • Made sacrifices in order to receive wealth, good health, and success in war. • Placed great value on cattle.

15. Aryan Social Classes • Varna – made of 4 classes • Brahmans – priests • Kshatriyas – warriors • Vaisyas – landowners, merchants, herders • Sudras – servants and peasants

16. Caste Systems Caste – A ridged social class system where your social group is determined when you are born.