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
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2. INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION
a Primary Phase Culture
little or no continuity with the following
cultures
forgotten until the 19th Century
◦ rediscovered by the British
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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
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5. Hydraulic Culture
like Egypt and Mesopotamia
agriculture and flood-control
significant industry and trade
cities very common
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7. Lack of Sources
literate culture
◦ we cannot read the writing
◦ writing on bricks and seals
◦ did not use paper or clay tablets
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12. Seated “yogi” : early Shiva?
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13. Reasonable generalizations
rapid development: early 2,000s B.C.
roughly contemporary with Egypt and
Mesopotamia
early village culture
changing rapidly to urban civilization
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14. Generalizations, con’t
cities dominated both economic and
political activity
origins of the people are unclear
◦ similar to the Mediterranean type
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15. Major Cities
Harappa and Mohenjo-daro
◦ surrounded by smaller cities, towns, and
villages
one situated in the north
one situated in the south
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16. 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
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21. another view of the “Great Bath”
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22. view of a small, side street
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23. looks like a small
tower, but actually it
is a neighborhood
well
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24. A bathroom on a private residence
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25. A public well in Harappa, or perhaps an
ancient laundromat...
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26. A large drain or sewer
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27. Monumental architecture
very-large scale building
walled cites, with fortified citadels
always on the same scale
palaces, temples
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28. Architecture, con’t
large grain storage facilities near
temples
a theocracy ??
planned economy
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30. Cities
very densely populated
houses: two to three stories
every house is laid out the same
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31. Culture and Society
advanced agriculture
surplus production
textiles: wool and cotton
domesticated animals and fish
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32. Bronze Age technology
no swords
spears and bows
stone arrow heads
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33. Society
dominated by priests ?
from the fortified palaces and temples
?
power base: fertility ?
deities: male and female, both nude
bull worship and phallic symbols
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36. Decline
domination of an indigenous people ?
◦ who rebelled ?
foreign invasion?
gradual decline ?
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37. Combination of Changes
climate shift: the monsoon patterns
flooding
destruction of the forests
migrations of new peoples: the Aryans
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38. The Aryan Invasions
Indus civilization on the verge of
collapse
about 1500 B.C.
settlement by a nomadic people
◦ the Aryans
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39. Possible route of the Aryan invasions
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40. 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
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42. The Aryans, con’t
they called themselves “Aryans”
their land: “Aryavarta”
◦ land of the Aryans
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43. Gradual settlement
over a long period of time
gradual infiltration
more primitive than the earlier culture
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44. Settlement, con’t
new society by 1,200 B.C. or so
little evidence
not literate
no record system
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45. Oral Tradition
passed down from priests and singers
written down in the 500’s
The Vedas
◦ “Veda” means “knowledge”
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46. The Vedas
our primary source
◦ early Aryan tradition
◦ later Hindu religion
four “vedas”
◦ the Rig Veda is the oldest
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47. 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?
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49. The Vedas
oral poetry
come to have a sacred character
provide some historical information
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50. The Aryans
restless, warlike people
tall, blue-eyed, fair-skinned
describe the indigenous population as
◦ short, “black”, noseless, and slaves
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51. The Aryans, con’t
originally pastoralists
family, clan, tribe (typical IndoEuropeans)
eventually settled down to farming
living in villages
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52. The Aryans, con’t
villages and kingdoms constantly
fighting
War chiefs and kings
aristocrats and freemen
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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
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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
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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
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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
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57. Caste System
skin color
ritual purity
“Us--Them” feelings
divine order of four castes
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58. Caste System (“Varnas”)
Brahmins: the priests
Kshatriyas: the warriors
Vaisyas: merchants and peasants
Sudras: non-Aryans
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59. Caste system,
produced by Brahmins
literature emphasized the divine order
hierarchical relationship
inheritance and marriage
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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
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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
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