GEOGRAPHY Great size and diverse landscapes = cultural diversity

and hard to unite

Indian subcontinent Subcontinent = a large landmass that is part of a

continent

Three major geographic zones Himalaya and Hindu Kush mountain systems Deccan Plateau Northern Plains

Monsoons = seasonal winds in India that bring rain in the summer

.

Indus River Valley Civilization Two large cities have been discovered by archaeologists –

Harappa and Mohenjo Daro

Cities were well-planned and laid out Streets ran in a grid pattern Community wells and public drainage systems A large walled citadel (fortress) enclosed buildings such as

granaries and meeting halls

Economy based many on farming and trade

Was believed to be a single society rather than a collection of independent city-states

The civilization declined and cities were abandoned Floods? Disappearance of a river? Invasions?

Developed Sanskrit, their writing system around 1000 BC

The social structure was based on the caste system Caste system = a set rigid categories in ancient India

that determined a persons occupation and position in society

Caste = social class

• Society was divided into four social classes called varnas– Brahmans = priestly class in charge of religious

ceremonies, is the highest ranking– Kshatriyas = warriors and rulers– Vaisyas = commoners, mostly farmers and merchants– Sudras = people who were not Aryans, mostly

peasants with limited rights in society, servants

• The four varnas are also subdivided into hundreds of smaller castes

• Untouchables = people who are not part of the caste system, lowest part of society– Are given menial, degrading tasks that other Indians

would not accept (trash collecting, handling dead bodies)

Valued Cattle – Cows were sacred

Women had less rights and were not equal Job was to have children and obey and respect their

husbands at all times

Sati Virtuous woman who joined her husband on his

funeral pyre In ancient India the dead were burned in a funeral

pyre Suttee required a wife to throw herself on her dead

husbands flaming body to join him in death Women who refused were considered disrespectful

The Aryans were polytheistic One of their main gods was Indra, the god of war Brahman = single spiritual power beyond the gods

The Aryans practiced the religion of Hinduism