Post on 23-Dec-2015
Section #6.1“India’s Early Civilizations”
p194-201
The Land of India
What mountains separate India from the rest of Asia?
The Himalaya Mountains
1.
What are the names of the two river valley’s in India?
Ganges River Valley andIndus River Valley
2.
What do you call the strong wind that blows one direction in the
winter and the opposite direction in summer?
monsoon
3.
Why do farmers celebrate when the summer monsoon comes?
It brings heavy rains that ensure good crops
4.
What happens if the monsoons are delayed in India?
There can be a drought
5.
What do you call a long period of time when there is a
shortage of water?
drought
6.
Why did the earliest civilizations in India start in
the river valley?
There was fertile soil
7.
Describe the chain of civilization in the early Indus
River Valley.
1. Rich and fertile soil helped grow good crops
2. The surplus of food allowed people to do other things than farm
3. People began to trade (food and other items)
4. Cities grew
8.
Name the two major cities of the Indus River Valley
civilization.
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
9.
Why did the people in the Indus River Valley build a
fortress near the city?
For protection – to keep guard for the residents
10.
What material was used to build most houses in the Indus
River Valley?
Bricks made from mud
11.
Why did the people in the Indus River Valley build a
fortress near the city?
For protection – to keep guard for the residents
12.
Name 2 “modern” conveniences that could be found in homes in the Indus
River Valley
- indoor bathrooms- well water- garbage chutes inside houses - a drainage system
13.
What was the main occupation of most Harappans?
They were farmers
14.
Name 3 of the major crops of farmers.
Rice, wheat, barley, peas and cotton
15.
What types of products were made by artisans in Harrapa?
copper and bronze toolsclay potterycotton cloth
jewelry made from gold, shells & ivory
16.
The Aryans
Historians believe that the Harappan civilization collapsed
because of ___ and ___
Floods and earthquakes
17.
Before coming to India, where did the Aryan people live?
Central Asia
18.
What was the most prized possession of Aryans?
cattle
19.
Why were cattle considered a prized possession of Aryans?
- they provided meat, milk and butter- they were used as money
20.
What skills made Aryans good warriors?
They were expert horse ridersand good hunters
21.
The Aryans were nomadic hunters. What is a nomadic
hunter?
Someone who moves from place to place following the animal they hunt
22.
How did life change for the Aryans after they moved into
India?
They stopped being nomads and became farmers
23.
How did the Aryans regard cattle afterafter moving to India?
Cattle became sacred and it was forbidden to use them for food.
24.
Name some examples of Aryan technology.
- Invention of an iron plow- Built canals as irrigation systems- Invention of a written language
25.
What was the name of the Aryan written language?
Sanskrit
26.
The Aryan people were divided into ___
tribes
27.
What do you call the leaders of the Aryan tribes?
raja
28.
What is another name for a raja?
prince
29.
How did canals help the people in the Ganges River
valley?
It helped irrigate the land – making better farmland
30.
Society in Ancient India
A social system that you are born into and cannot change is
called a ___
caste
31.
What term do people in India use instead of the word
“caste system?”
jati
32.
What are 3 things dictated for people by the caste system in
India?
- what job a person can have- who a person can marry- with whom a person can eat or drink
33.
It is believed that in ancient times ___ influenced who was placed in which caste a person
was placed in
skin color
34.
The caste (jati) system divides people into 4 groups/levels
called ___
varnas
35.
Place the social levels (varnas) in the correct place:
36.
unskilled workers & servants common people
priests warriors & rulers
Place the social levels (varnas) in the correct place:
36.
priests warriors & rulers
common people
unskilled workers & servants
What was the name of the group that didn’t belong to any varna?
The Untouchables
37.
What kinds of work would an untouchable perform?
picking up trashhandling dead bodies
skinning animals
38.
Why is life difficult for an Untouchable?
- They had to live apart from everyone else- People didn’t want to be anywhere near an Untouchable
39.
Extended families all lived together
40. How do we know that family was important to the people in
ancient India?
The oldest male
41.Who was the “head” of the
family in ancient India?
Men could: - inherit property - go to school - become priests
42. What rights did a male have that a female did not in ancient
India?
guru
43.What do you call a teacher in
ancient India?
Parents arrange the marriage (decide who you will marry)
44. What is one major difference between marriage in India and marriage in the United States?
If an important man died he would be cremated and it was expected that his
wife would throw herself into the funeral flames.
45.Explain the practice called
suttee