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Ancient India Chapter 2 Section 3

Geography � Himalayan Mountains in the North

�  Deserts to the east

�  Subcontinent- Separated from the rest of Asia �  Includes Pakistan, India and Bangladesh

�  Southern portion is desert

Geography �  Indus and Ganges rivers- only areas to farm

�  S. of Gangetic Plain- Peninsula

�  Center is high plateau �  Plateau- relatively level high ground

�  Deccan Plateau

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Ancient India

Monsoons �  Seasonal winds

�  Oct.- Feb: Blow dry air from the northeast

�  June- Oct: carry moisture from the ocean\

�  Summer monsoons fail- bad crops

Flooding � Unpredictable

�  Rivers could change course

�  Too little rain- loss of crops

�  Too much rain- villages swept away

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First People � Unsure of date

�  By sea

�  Through the Hindu- Kush mountains

�  7000 BCE domesticated sheep and goats

�  3200BCE evidence of farming

First People �  2500 BCE first cities are built

�  Built with high walls to keep the water out

�  Kalibangan, Mohenjo- Daro, Harappan

City Planning �  Laid out on a grid system

�  Citadel- Core fortifed area of a town or city �  It may be a fortress, castle, or fortified center

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City Planning

Harappan Culture �  Culture- �  Social division not great �  Produced non essential goods

�  Animals

�  Language- �  Written language

�  400 symbols

Harappan Culture �  Trade- �  Gold and silver from the north �  Semiprecious stones

�  Brightly colored cloth

�  Religion- �  Possible theocracy

�  Links to modern Hindu

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Civilization Declines �  Evidence of possible tectonic plate

movement

�  Rivers change course

�  Sarswati dried up

�  Agriculture suffers