Title: Indus River Valley
1Indus River Valley
2Review
- Rivers
- Names, Geographic Features
- Writing Systems
- Nomads
- Architecture-Buildings
- What was their purpose?
3What We Will Learn Today
- How did geography effect the Indus River Valley
civilization?
4Indias Geographic Features
- The Indian subcontinent is a large, wedge-shaped
peninsula that extends southward into the Indian
Ocean. - Subcontinent A large region that is part of a
continent, but is separated from the rest of the
content in some way.
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9Identification of Geographic Features in India
Indus River
Ganges River
Peninsula and/or Subcontinent
10Himalayan Mountains
- This peninsula is surrounded on the north and
northwest by huge mountains, the Himalayan
Mountains. - This has often limited India's contact with other
cultures. This is known as cultural isolation. - You decide! How would isolation impact the
people on Ancient Indus?
11Seasonal winds known as monsoons bring rain every
summer. India is dependent upon monsoons to grow
their crops. Not enough rain brings drought.
When there is too much rain, rivers rise and
cause deadly floods and destruction of crops.
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14Civilization in the Indus River Valley Begins
- About 2500 BC, about the time when the pyramids
were rising in Egypt, the first Indian
civilizations were forming in the Indus River
Valley. - Little is known about these civilizations, but
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were most likely twin
capital cities.
15Purpose of Early Cities
- Each city was large in area and contained a large
structure located on a hilltop. - Many believe these structures could have served
as a fortress or even a temple.
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19Film Early History of India
20Complexities of the Cities
- The most historically striking feature of these
two cities were the way in which they were both
well planned. - Each city was laid out in a grid pattern, the
blocks similar to those seen in modern cities. - The homes seem to have been built with bricks and
in a pattern repeated throughout the city.
21Plumbing In the Cities
- In addition, these cities seem to contain houses
with plumbing systems, including baths, drains
and water pipes.
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23Trade with Sumer
- Most of the people of the Indus valley were
farmers. They were the first people to grow
cotton and weave it into cloth. - There is early evidence of trade with other
civilizations including Sumer.
24Aryans Take over Indus Valley
- Just like not much is known about the development
of this region, not much is known about its
decline. - For unknown reasons, around 1750 B.C. the Indus
Valley began to decline. Then about 1500 B.C.,
nomadic warriors known as the Aryans conquered
the Indus Valley.
25Huang He River Valley
26Chinas Geographic Features
Huang He or Yellow River
- Chinese civilization grew up in the river
valley of the Huang He River (a.k.a.the Yellow
River) and the Yangzi River.
Yangzi River
27Huang Ye River or Yellow River
28The mountains, deserts, jungles and other
geographic features have isolated Chinese
culture. Having little contact with others , the
Chinese believed their culture was the center of
the earth.
29 Although China covers a huge area, until
recent times, most people lived only along the
east coast or in the river valley.
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32Early Views
- The Chinese called themselves The Middle
Kingdom because they believed they were at the
center. - This is an example of ethnocentrism.
33Shang Dynasty
- About 1650 BC, the Shang gained control of
northern China. Ruling families began to gain
control, similar to small kingdoms. - The Shang set up the first dynasty.
- Dynasty A series of rulers from a family.
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35- The ancient civilization was much like others
with nobility owning the land, merchants and
craftspeople trading and living in the cities and
a large population of peasants living in
surrounding villages.
36Polytheistic Peoples
- Early Chinese people were polytheistic, and
prayed to many Gods and nature spirits. - They also looked to dead relatives to help them
in daily life and to help them please the Gods.
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39Ying and Yang
- Many Chinese also believed that the universe held
a delicate balance between opposing forces. - The Ying and Yang must be in balance for
prosperity and happiness to occur in ones life.
40Early Writing System
- The Chinese civilizations made achievements in
early writing systems that include both
pictographs and ideographs and is now as one of
the earliest writing systems.
41Hinduism
42Hinduism has no single founder, but originated
from the mixing of Harappan and Aryan cultures in
ancient India around 1500 BCE.
Hindus believe in one unifying spirit, Brahman.
Brahman can manifest in many, polytheistic, forms
or in one, monotheistic.
43Hinduism is based on the concept of reincarnation
(Spirits return to earth many times in different
forms trying to become one with Brahman). The
soul moves up or down a hierarchy depending on
their behavior in life.
A person moves closer to Brahman by obeying the
law of karma. Karma is the sum of all your
deeds, good and bad. Good deeds involve
following your dharma, or duties dependent on
your position, gender and occupation.
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45The caste system (outlawed since 1948) was an
important part of Hinduism. Castes are social
classes into which a person is born and lives
their entire life. If a person has a good karma
they may be reincarnated into a higher caste.
This life
Next life
Good Karma
Higher caste
Born into A caste
Bad Karma
Lower caste
46The caste system separated Indian society into
distinct social classes in which everyone knew
their place and believed that if they followed
the dharma of their caste, they would be
reincarnated into a better caste.
Brahman
Kshatriya
Vaisya
Sudra
Untouchables
47Over the centuries Hindu beliefs were recorded
into a number of sacred texts including the Vedas
and the Upanishads.
The Ramayana is a Hindu creation story.
48Hindus believe the Ganges River is sacred and
often wish to be cremated and have their ashes
sprinkled in the river upon death.
49Buddhism
50- Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama in
northern India around 560 BCE. - Gautama was born into a wealthy Hindu family, but
renounced his wealth to seek spiritual
enlightenment. - Buddhism is neither monotheistic or polytheistic,
instead a path is followed to reach Enlightenment
51Buddhism spread through cultural diffusion to
eastern Asia, including China, Thailand, Korea
and Japan. In other areas, Buddhism was
adapted and took on new forms.
52Buddhism is based on the Four Noble Truths.
3. The way to eliminate suffering is to
eliminate desire.
1. All life is suffering.
2. Suffering is caused by desire for things that
are illusions.
4. Following the Eightfold path will help people
to overcome desire.
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55Buddhism has much in common with Hinduism, but
important differences.
Buddhism like Hinduism Reincarnation Karma Dharma
But not Caste system Hindu gods Hindu priesthood
56Sacred Buddhist Texts
Buddha did not record his teachings, but after he
died, his followers collected them into the
Tripitaka.
57Todays Tibetan Buddhists are led by the Dalai
Lama, who advocates for freedom from China.