Early River Valley Civilizations-India
I. Geography of India
A. Subcontinent-India is surrounded by water on
three sides and separated from the rest of
Asia by two mountain ranges.
B. Two Main Rivers
1. Indus River-provides water for farmland,
location of India’s first civilization
2. Ganges River-flows through northern India,
a sacred river for Hinduism
Indus and Ganges Rivers
I. Geography of India
C. Deccan Plateau-a dry, flat region southern
India
I. Geography of India
D. Two Mountain Ranges
1. Himalayas-create the northern border of India between
China
2. Hindu Kush-one of the highest mountain ranges in the
world, creates a border between India and modern
Afghanistan
I. Geography of India
E. Thar Desert-sand and stone desert located in
northwest India near the Indus River
II. Indus River Civilization
A. India’s first cities-Mohenjodaro and Harappa
1. 2700 BCE to 1900 BCE-cities along the Indus
River
2. Discovered in 1922 by archaeologists
II. Indus River Civilization
B. Well organized cities around a citadel (fort) on a grid
pattern
1. 50,000 people may have lived in Mohenjodaro
2. The Great Bath-large, brick pool for public bathing
3. Sewer system-world’s first system of drains, pipes,
wells and bathrooms
II. Indus River Civilization
4. Homes made of mud
bricks surrounded the
cities
5. Games-dice, stone
balls, and game boards
have been found in the
cities
III. Mauryan Empire-India’s First
Empire (322-187 BCE)
A. India was divided into many small kingdoms. The Maurya family unified much of
India.
B. Chandragupta Maurya created an army of 700,000 soldiers and 9,000 elephants to
conquer northern India.
1. Chandragupta used a strong central government to rule his empire.
a. He had a harsh rule and created laws
b. Built over 1,000 miles of roads to connect the empire
2. At the end of his life Chandragupta gave up power and lived as an ascetic
III. Mauryan Empire-India’s First
Empire (322-187 BCE)
C. The height of the Mauryan Empire was under
Ashoka’s rule (Chandragupta’s grandson)
1. Ashoka became a Buddhist and embraced nonviolence
2. Ashoka helped to spread Buddhism beyond India
III. Mauryan Empire-India’s First
Empire (322-187 BCE)
a. He had edicts (commands like a law)
carved into pillars around India
i. People could learn Buddhist values
ii. Promoted general welfare-health,
shelter, clean water and enough food
iii. Justice-explained how to treat people
fairly
iv. Security-how to treat enemies of the
Empire fairly
IV. Gupta Empire-India’s Golden Age
(320-550 CE)
A. After the Mauryan Empire, India was broken
into many small kingdoms. The Gupta’s reunited India
IV. Gupta Empire-India’s Golden Age
(320-550 CE)
B. This empire was a time of great achievements
1. Universities-upper class students studied religion,
mathematics, astronomy, chemistry and Sanskrit
(language of ancient India)
2. Literature-poetry, fables, folktales, plays (both
comedies and dramas), law and religions writings
a. Two famous Hindu religious poems-Mahabharata
describes Hindu values
IV. Gupta Empire-India’s Golden Age
(320-550 CE)
3. Metalwork-created coins honoring Gupta rules and their
achievements
4. Mathematics-created the first form of the numbers we use today with
10 numerals and a place system
5. Roads-connected the empire and connected India to China and the
Mediterranean Sea region