3.1 Cities of the Indus Valley

1. 3.1 Cities of the Indus Valley

2. I. Geography of the Indian Subcontinent A. Indus Valley is in S. Asia or subcontinent 1. subcontinent is a large landmass that juts out from the continent B. huge mtn ranges (Hindu Kush and Himalayas) mark the northern boundary 1. the mtns limited contact thus enabling Indians to have a distinct culture

3. II. Regions A. Indian Subcontinent is divided into 3 zones: well-watered northern plain, dry triangular Deccan and coastral plains on the sides of the Deccan 1. Northern Plain: rivers (Indus-namesake of India- and Ganges (GAN jeez) are melted snow from mtns a. rivers are sacred, especially Ganges b. river (in Indian) means “mother of the people”

4. The GangesThe Ganges is 1557 miles long The river starts in an ice cave on the southern slopes of the Himalayas, some 10,300 feet above sea level.  It flows eastward and empties into the Bay of Bengal. Its mouths forms a vast delta. At the delta it is joined by the southward flowing Brahmaputra River. Their combined delta is the largest in the world Origin of the Ganges   Gangotri is one of the holiest sites of pilgrimage in the Himalayas. The River Ganges is the holiest river; she is considered to be a goddess and is one of the consorts of Lord Siva. The River Ganges, popularly known as Mother Ganges, was the mother of Bhishma, the great hero of the Mahabharata.

5. 2. Deccan: triangular plateau (raised area of level land), lacks rivers so its unproductive, dry and sparsely populated 3. Coastal plains: heavy seasonal rains (helps with farming), ocean used to fish and trade

6. III. Monsoons A. seasonal winds: October (winter monsoons) blow from NE hot dry air killing crops, May/June (summer monsoons) blow SW and bring moisture and daily downpours 1. people welcome the rain but sometimes its heavy floods

7. IV. Indus Valley Civilization A. 1st Indian civilization emerged in present day Pakistan in 2500 BC 1. lasted 1000 years then vanished without a trace 2. archaeologists haven’t uncovered much: no names, no records, no literature, no accounts of battles

8. B. 2 main cities: Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro (moh HEHN joh DAH roh) a. probably large twin capitals b. both dominated by large hilltop structure (fortress/temple) c. huge warehouses for grains d. both carefully planned 1. laid out in grid pattern 2. homes built of clay bricks 3. modern plumbing (baths, drains, chutes that led to sewers) and e. a uniform set of weights and measures f. cities had well-organized gov’t g. skilled in math (layout of city required math)

10. V. Farming and Trade A. most farmed B. first people to grow cotton and weave it C. traded with Sumer

11. VI. Religious Beliefs A. polytheistic B. mother goddess widely honored C. worshipped sacred animals

12. VII. Decline and Disappearance A. India’s size and diverse languages makes it hard to unite B. not sure why declined 1. damage to local environment, too many trees cut down, volcano, earthquake 2. 1500 BC: large number of nomads from the North came a. were Aryans (from Russia) and they had better chariots and weapons(Between the decline of Harappa civilization 1500 BC and 500 BC is a "dark" period about which little is known.)