Indus Valley Civilization
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The Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that flourished between 3300 BCE and 1300 BCE in what is now Pakistan and northwest India. The civilization was spread out along the Indus River valley, and two major cities, Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, had populations of up to 40,000 people. The civilization developed new techniques in metallurgy and handicraft and had a sophisticated urban culture with standardized brick sizes, street grids, and sewage systems. While the writing of the Indus civilization remains undeciphered, excavations have revealed evidence of advanced engineering and infrastructure. The decline of the Indus Valley Civilization around 1900 BCE may have been caused by environmental changes like
Indus Valley Civilization
- 1. Indus Valley Civilization a Primary Phase Culture little or no continuity with the following cultures forgotten until the 19th Century rediscovered by the British, while building railroads
- 2. Harappan society and its neighbors, ca. 2000 B.C.E.
- 3. Harappan Culture Indus valley not desert well-watered and heavily forested 500 miles along the river valley 10-20 times larger than Mesopotamia or Egypt
- 4. Foundations of Harappan Society The Indus River Silt-enriched water from mountain ranges Major society built by Dravidian peoples, 3000-2500 BCE Cultivation of cotton before 5000 BCE, early cultivation of poultry Decline after 1900 BCE Major cities: Harrapa (Punjab region and Mohenjo-Daro (mouth of Indus River) 70 smaller sites excavated (total 1,500)
- 5. India
- 7. Hydraulic Culture like Egypt and Mesopotamia agriculture and flood-control significant industry and trade cities very common
- 8. Lack of Sources literate culture we cannot read the writing writing on bricks and seals did not use paper or clay tablets
- 9. “ Unicorn” seal + writing
- 10. More seals
- 11. … and more seals...
- 12. Seated “yogi” : early Shiva?
- 13. Reasonable generalizations rapid development: early 2,000s B.C. roughly contemporary with Egypt and Mesopotamia early village culture changing rapidly to urban civilization
- 14. Generalizations, con’t cities dominated both economic and political activity origins of the people are unclear similar to the Mediterranean type
- 15. Major Cities Harappa and Mohenjo-daro surrounded by smaller cities, towns, and villages one situated in the north one situated in the south
- 16. Mohenjo-Daro Ruins Population c. 40,000 Regional center Layout, architecture suggests public purpose Broad streets, citadel, pool, sewage Standardized weights evident throughout region Specialized labor Trade
- 17. Cities, con’t uniform culture over a wide area cities built on a common plan a grid: always NS and EW axes with twelve smaller grids kiln-dried brick
- 18. Grid map of Mohenjo-daro
- 19. Mohenjo-daro : aerial view
- 20. Mohenjo-daro view of the “Citadel”
- 21. The “Great Bath”
- 22. another view of the “Great Bath”
- 23. view of a small, side street
- 24. looks like a small tower, but actually it is a neighborhood well
- 25. A bathroom on a private residence
- 26. A public well in Harappa, or perhaps an ancient laundromat...
- 27. A large drain or sewer
- 28. Monumental architecture very-large scale building walled cites, with fortified citadels always on the same scale palaces, temples
- 29. Architecture, con’t large grain storage facilities near temples a theocracy ?? planned economy
- 30. Harappan granary
- 31. Cities very densely populated houses: two to three stories every house is laid out the same
- 32. Culture and Society advanced agriculture surplus production textiles: wool and cotton domesticated animals and fish
- 33. Bronze Age technology no swords spears and bows stone arrow heads
- 34. Society dominated by priests ? from the fortified palaces and temples ? power base: fertility ? deities: male and female, both nude bull worship and phallic symbols
- 35. A priest? A bull
- 36. Trade with lower Mesopotamia but gradually declined
- 37. Decline domination of an indigenous people ? who rebelled ? foreign invasion? gradual decline ?
- 38. Combination of Changes climate shift: the monsoon patterns flooding destruction of the forests migrations of new peoples: the Aryans
- 39. The Aryan “Invasion” Aryans, lighter-skinned invaders from the north Dravidians, darker-skinned sedentary inhabitants of Harappa Color Bias Socio-Economic Implications Difficulty of theory: no evidence of large-scale military conquest
- 40. Possible route of the Aryan invasions
- 41. The Aryans not to be confused with Hitler’s “Aryans” these Aryans speak an Indo-European dialect related to other languages like Greek and Latin
- 42. The Aryans, con’t they called themselves “Aryans” their land: “Aryavarta” land of the Aryans
- 43. The Early Aryans Pastoral economy: sheep, goats, horses, cattle Vegetarianism not widespread until many centuries later Religious and Literary works: The Vedas Sanskrit: sacred tongue Prakrit: everyday language, evolved into Hindi, Urdu, Bengali Four Vedas, most important Rig Veda 1,028 hymms to gods
- 44. Gradual settlement over a long period of time gradual infiltration more primitive than the earlier culture
- 45. Settlement, con’t new society by 1,200 B.C. or so little evidence not literate no record system
- 46. Oral Tradition passed down from priests and singers written down in the 500’s The Vedas “ Veda” means “knowledge”
- 47. The Vedas our primary source early Aryan tradition later Hindu religion four “vedas” the Rig Veda is the oldest
- 48. Krishna with Arjuna on the battlefield of Kuruksketra 2 points to the first person who can tell whether this is a modern or ancient painting and why?
- 49. Krishna reveals himself to Arjuna in his manifold aspects
- 50. The Vedas oral poetry come to have a sacred character provide some historical information
- 51. The Aryans restless, warlike people tall, blue-eyed, fair-skinned describe the indigenous population as short, “black”, noseless, and slaves
- 52. The Aryans, con’t villages and kingdoms constantly fighting warchiefs and kings aristocrats and freemen
- 53. The Aryans, con’t fond of fighting, drinking, chariot racing, gambling chasing women and bragging about their spears any modern comparisons ??? fond of taking soma a psychedelic drug probably psychotropic mushrooms
- 54. Aryans and Hindus Aryans give rise to Hindu society but different characteristics cows: they ate them classes, but no castes priests subordinate to the nobility the Mahabharata
- 55. The Iron Age: new sources the Vedas : passed on orally the Brahamanas: interpretations on the Vedas the Upanishads: interpretations and symbolic studies forerunners of later dissenting literature
- 56. Strain of change Iron Age change causes strain on the class system blurring of lines between Aryans and Daas answered with the caste system
- 57. Caste System, 1000 BC skin color ritual purity “ Us--Them” feelings divine order of four castes
- 58. Caste System (“Varnas”) Brahmins : the priests Kshatriyas : the warriors Vaisyas : merchants and peasants Sudras : non-Aryans
- 59. Caste system, con’t produced by Brahmins literature emphasized the divine order hierarchical relationship inheritance and marriage
- 60. Caste system in practice warrior class did not always accept it nor the other classes the process of evolution is still going on the most powerful organizer of Indian society thousand of castes today
- 61. Castes define a person’s social universe define a person’s standard of conduct define a person’s expectations define a person’s future define how a person deals with others
- 62. Books you can read, if you read Bridget and Raymond Allchin. The Rise of Civilization in India and Pakistan. A.L. Basham. The Wonder That Was India. Walter A. Fairservis. The Roots of Indian Tradition Jonathana Mark Kenoyer. Ancient Cities of the Indus Valley Civilization Juan Mascaro, trans. The Upanishads Stuart Piggott. Prehistoric India Romila Thapar. A History of India Romila Thapar. Recent Perspectives of Early Indian History