ANCIENT INDIA

2500 B.C.

Ancient India Geography India is a subcontinent, separated by the

rest of the continent by the Himalayas. India can be divided in two, the northern plains, a flat low plain and the Deccan, a land with many hills. Up in northwest India is the Thar Desert. The Himalayas provided natural protection from northern invasions. The Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea provided protection for the west and the east.

Geography of India• India is considered a

“subcontinent” because of its size. It is actually a part of Asia. In the north are high mountains, the Himalayas and Hindu Kush. In the center is the Deccan Plateau.

Himalayan Mts.Hindu Kush Mts.

Deccan Plateau

The River SystemThe main river in Ancient India was the

Indus River. The Indus River deposited fertile soil during annual flooding. The source of the Indus River is in the Himalayas.

Indus Valley• The Indus River is

located in Pakistan. Find it on the map. It was along this river that a civilization developed around 2,500 BCE. It is called the Indus Valley Civilization. Two major cities of this civilization were Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.

Indus River• This river also begins from the Himalaya

mountains• The water is provided from the melting snow

and ice • It has one of the best farmland in the world• The river is often compared to the Nile river

because both of them are important source of water

• It is about 1976miles (3180km)• The land beside the river is fertile • The name of the river means “lion river”

Ganges River• One of the major rivers of the Indian Subcontinent• It is 1560 miles (2510km)• It is decided as India’s National River• It starts from Himalayas• It contains some of the most fertile farmland in the

world• It can flood and kill the crops when it is rainy season• It has a good water supply because of melting ice• The river receives about 25~60 inches of rain a year

Himalaya Mountains• It is located on the northern border of India• They are the highest mountain range in the world• The name of mountains mean “home of snows”• The peaks are always covered with ice and snow• Mountain Everest and K-2 are part of Himalaya

mountains• It gets slightly taller every year• It causes earthquakes and landslides common in the

area• Some of the major rivers in the world starts in the

Himalayas

The Caste System cont.

The cast system determined many things about how people live, it determines their job, what they eat, what they wear, where they live, and who they marry. People are born into their caste, and have it for life. The Indian legend is that the castes emerged from body parts of Purusha the first human being.BRAHMANS: Head, they perform religious ceremonies, and offer sacrifices to the god. Passed down info through WORD.

KSHATRYAS: Arms, took charge of the army and government. Use arms to FIGHT.

VAISHYAS: Legs, merchants, farmers, and craftsmen. They traded, tended cattle, lent money, like a bank, and farmed. Much TRAVEL.

SHUDRAS: Feet, very poor and uneducated. On their FEET begging.

Fun Facts!• The city Harappa was rebuilt 6 times due to

flooding• The game chess began in India• Ancient Indians invented the number system and

zero• They used anesthesia • No slavery was known of• They were the first ones to calculate pi • It held the worlds first university• They came up with navigation