Civilization of India

Key terms and names: The Indus, Harrapa, Mohenjo-Daro, Indo-Aryans, the Vedic age, caste system, patriarchal society, Sanskrit, the Vedas, the Mauryan dynasty, Asoka, Hinduism, Buddhism

The Role of Environment Explain the importance of Environment that gave rise to civilization in India. The civilization in India first developed alongside the Indus River, later also the Ganges and the Brahmaputra were the centres. The geographical location had a great influence on its development. The climate is characterized by two seasons dry and wet. There is regular usually three months long rainfall season. Indian subcontinent would be a desert-like place without it. The moist air comes from the Indian Ocean. In North, the mountains of the Hindu-Kush and the Himalaya functioned as a barrier, preventing migration. The Indus Valley civilization Characterize the Indus Valley civilization in terms of their settlements, technologies, script and culture. The Indus Valley civilization is also known as the Harrapan Civilization. It developed around 2600 B.C. The source of information is sites of its cities such as Harappa, Mohenjo Daro, Raghigari, Ruphar and Lothar. The Civilization developed or spread to considerably great area, covering parts of present day Pakistan and India. settlements The Cities were carefully planned, with regular 90 degrees street grid. They had the oldest sanitation system that included wells, running water, pools, sewerage and drainage system. The cities had massive walls; however these protected them more likely from floods than an enemy. The cities were built of baked bricks and of multi-stories building that were similarly equipped. This suggests that there was little developed social hierarchy. technologies and inventions The civilisation mastered the knowledge of bronze-casting, pottery, cotton production and processing even proto-dentistry. They had a universal system of weights and scales. They were involved in marine trade with Mesopotamia and Egypt. The Harrapan civilisation domesticated the fowl (a rooster from the Indian jungle), and water buffalo. script, religion The script that the civilization used had pictorial character. It consisted of 600 symbols; however it has not been decrypted. The most frequent use of script can be found on seals and small tablets. Many tablets show sacred animals. There are suggestions that the civilization worshiped a mother goddess as a form of fertility cult. Around 1900 B.C., cities were suddenly abandoned and the whole civilization declined. There are many theories about the reason of this collapse deforestation, soil deterioration, climate change, or an invasion. Nonetheless, Mohenjo Daro meaning the place of death shows that collapse was drastic. the Vedic age Around 1500 B.C. Indo-Aryan people crossed the mountain passes of Hindu-Kush and settled in India. Indo-Aryans were characterized by common language. They conquered the original inhabitants of India call Dravidians (language group). During the period over 1000 years a distinct Indian culture was being created. This culture was defined by two religions, social order of the caste system, their own script as well as cultural heritage of writings such as the Vedas, the Upanishads and the epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana. Describe the social organization based on the caste system.

The Aryan invaders viewed themselves as superior. They wanted to keep their supremacy and to avoid intermarriages that would mix them with the original inhabitants. Therefore, a social system was designed that would prevent any movement or contact between social classes. There were four groups-castes: Brahmins (priests, teachers, and scholars), Kshatrias (rulers, warriors, and administrators), Vaishyas (merchants, free tribesmen), Sudras (servants). Nomads, forest tribes, foreigners were casteless and excluded from social life considered to be untouchables Pariahs. Social life was centred in villages as opposed to the Harrapan Civilization before. The family relations had great importance, greater than an individual interest. Men had the dominant role, so it was patriarchal society where women were inferior. What is the ancient Indian script? What are the most important religious and literary writing of the period? Sanskrit is the script that developed during the Vedic age. It came out of Indo-Aryan language that was used at that time. There are clear links that the language belongs to the Indo-European language group. All important writings were written in Sanskrit. However, around 300 B.C. the spoken form kept changing and became different that the form that is capture by Sanskrit. The Vedas is worlds oldest religious writing. The Hymns of Knowledgewere written down around 1000 B.C. The Upanishads were Brahmans interpretations of the Vedas and it gave rise to mystical side of Hinduism stressing the principle of reincarnation and pantheism. The other writings as the Mahabharata and the Ramayana have a quite different character. They are epics about adventures of heroes of the early Vedic age. What was the first dynasty that unified India? Mention the most important names of this first empire. Chandragupta Maurya was a young Indian who was influence by Alexander the great during his campaign to the East. In 321 B.C. became the ruler of an Indian Kingdom. He built its capital Pataliputra and soon managed to control all of the northern India. Thus, he stated the Mauryan dynasty. His grandson Asoka (272 231 B.C.) created the first empire by conquering most of India. Impressed by terrible cruelty that followed the conquest, he turned to Buddhism. He became a devoted Buddhist, supporting its spread even beyond the borders of his empire. Even though he stopped animal sacrifices, he was tolerant to other religions and his rule was one that gave India peace and unity. His empire fell apart after his death.