Chapter 10 Ancient India
Lesson 1: The Indus Valley Civilization
We will: Describe the location and
features of the Indus River valley.
Explain how the Indus River supported
the growth of India’s early civilization
and city-states.
Vocabulary:
Subcontinent
Monsoon
Citadel
Granary
How did the physical setting of the Indus
River valley make it possible for a
civilization to form there?
You Are There:
Think about how an Ancient Greek
(influenced by rational thought), would
answer the second to last question.
The Indian Subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent can be divided
into the fertile northern plains and the
Deccan plateau region. The snowy
peaks of the Himalayas feed the rivers in
the Indus River valley.
Deccan plateau- an area of land in the
south made up of high, hilly lands.
Subcontinent is made up of the modern
countries of India, Bangladesh and
Pakistan.
Subcontinent- a large area of land
separated from the rest of the continent
by a geographical feature.
What geographical feature separates the
Indian subcontinent from the rest of
Asia? Map page 375
Major rivers on the subcontinent include
the Indus and the Ganges. Both rivers
are fed by the Himalayas.
Importance of Floods
Indian rivers often flooded during the
summer monsoon. The floods were
harmful, but they also deposited fresh silt
on the farmlands, creating fertile soil.
Monsoon- a seasonal changing of wind
pattern that is usually accompanied by a
change in precipitation (Usually Rain)
The rain brought by the summer
monsoon could last for months. Imagine
waking up one day in April and its
raining. Imagine it being June and the
rain still hasn’t stopped. Please don’t
complain the next time it rains!
Monsoon flooding was both positive and
negative to early Indian people.
It was positive because the heavy rains
would overflow the banks of the major
rivers and deposit silt over the land.
(great for farming)
Negative- the flooding could destroy
houses, farms, and livestock.
Harappa- town in modern day Pakistan
where archaeologists found the first
evidence of Indian civilization. The
builders of this city used a grid to design
the city.
Citadel- a fortlike structure contained in
the walls of the major cities.
Granaries- buildings that stored the
surplus grain produced by these early
civilizations.
Workbook page 99. Questions 1-5 page
379