Transcript
Indus Valley CivilizationIndus Valley Civilizationa Primary Phase Culturelittle or no continuity with the
following culturesforgotten until the 19th Century
◦rediscovered by the British
Harappan CultureHarappan CultureIndus valley
◦not desert◦well-watered and heavily forested
500 miles along the river valley◦10-20 times larger than
Mesopotamia or Egypt
India
Hydraulic CultureHydraulic Culturelike Egypt and Mesopotamiaagriculture and flood-controlsignificant industry and tradecities very common
Indus ValleyIndus Valley
Lack of Sources Lack of Sources literate culture
◦we cannot read the writing◦writing on bricks and seals◦did not use paper or clay tablets
“Unicorn” seal + writing
More seals
Seated “yogi” : early Shiva?
Reasonable Reasonable generalizationsgeneralizationsrapid development: early 2,000s B.C.Similar to Egypt and Mesopotamiaearly village culturechanging rapidly to urban civilizationcities dominated both economic and
political activityorigins of the people = unclear
◦similar to the Mediterranean type
5 factors in a civilization?5 factors in a civilization?Cities
◦Large population◦Trade center
Job specialization◦You do one job◦Artisan
Institutions◦Government◦Religion◦Economy
• Record KeepingTracks laws, debts, payments, etcWriting neededScribesCuneiform
• Advanced TechnologyArts and architecture, Public works, Bronze
Major CitiesMajor CitiesHarappa and Mohenjo-daro
◦surrounded by smaller cities, towns, and villages
one located in the northone located in the south
Cities, con’tCities, con’tuniform culture over a wide areacities built on a common plan
◦a grid: always NS and EW axes with twelve smaller grids
◦Buildings made of sun-dried bricks
Grid map of Mohenjo-daro
Mohenjo-daro : aerial view
Mohenjo-daro view of the “Citadel”
The “Great Bath”
another view of the “Great Bath”
view of a small, side street
looks like a small tower, but actually it is a neighborhood well
A bathroom on a private residence
Monumental architectureMonumental architecturevery-large scale buildingwalled cites, with fortified
citadelsalways on the same scalepalaces, temples
Architecture, con’t Architecture, con’t large grain storage facilities near
templesa theocracy ??planned economy
Harappan granary
CitiesCitiesvery densely populatedhouses: two to three storiesevery house is laid out the same
Culture and SocietyCulture and Societyadvanced agriculturesurplus productiontextiles: wool and cottondomesticated animals and fish
Bronze Age technologyBronze Age technologyno swordsspears and bowsstone arrow heads
Not many weapons discovered, scientists conclude that they were generally peaceful
SocietySocietyTheology- dominated by priests ?from the fortified palaces and
temples ?power base: fertility ?deities: male and female, both
nudebull worship and phallic symbols
A priest? A bull
TradeTradewith lower Mesopotamia (Sumer)Bright colored cotton clothGold & silver from AfghanistanSemiprecious stones from Persia &
Deccan PlateauTraded via river system & Persian
GulfLand routes to Persia & Caspian SeaGradually declined
DeclineDeclinedomination of an indigenous
people ?◦who rebelled ?
foreign invasion?gradual decline ?
Combination of ChangesCombination of Changesclimate shift: the monsoon
patternsfloodingdestruction of the forestsmigrations of new peoples: the
Aryans
The Aryan InvasionsThe Aryan InvasionsIndus civilization on the verge of
collapseabout 1500 B.C.settlement by a nomadic people
◦the Aryans
Possible route of the Aryan invasions
The AryansThe Aryansnot to be confused with Hitler’s
“Aryans”these Aryans speak an Indo-
European dialectrelated to other languages like
Greek and Latin
Map of Language FamiliesMap of Language Families
The Aryans, con’t The Aryans, con’t they called themselves “Aryans”their land: “Aryavarta”
◦land of the Aryans
Gradual settlementGradual settlementover a long period of timegradual infiltration more primitive than the earlier
culture
Settlement, con’t Settlement, con’t new society by 1,200 B.C. or solittle evidencenot literateno record system
Oral TraditionOral Traditionpassed down from priests and
singerswritten down in the 500’sThe Vedas
◦“Veda” means “knowledge”
The The VedasVedasour primary source
◦early Aryan tradition◦later Hindu religion
four “vedas”◦the Rig Veda is the oldest
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?
Krishna reveals himself to Arjuna in his manifold aspects
The The VedasVedasoral poetrycome to have a sacred characterprovide some historical
information
The AryansThe Aryansrestless, warlike peopletall, blue-eyed, fair-skinneddescribe the indigenous
population as◦short, “black”, noseless, and slaves
The Aryans, con’tThe Aryans, con’toriginally pastoralistsfamily, clan, tribe (typical Indo-
Europeans)eventually settled down to
farmingliving in villages
The Aryans, con’t The Aryans, con’t villages and kingdoms constantly
fightingwarchiefs and kingsaristocrats and freemen
The Aryans, con’tThe Aryans, con’tfond 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
Aryans and HindusAryans and HindusAryans give rise to Hindu societybut different characteristics
◦cows: they ate them◦classes, but no castes◦priests subordinate to the nobility
the Mahabharata
The Iron Age: new sourcesThe Iron Age: new sourcesthe Vedas: passed on orallythe Brahamanas:
interpretations on the Vedasthe Upanishads: interpretations
and symbolic studies◦forerunners of later dissenting
literature
Strain of changeStrain of changeIron Age change causes strain on
the class systemblurring of lines between Aryans
and Daas◦answered with the caste system
Caste SystemCaste Systemskin colorritual purity“Us--Them” feelingsdivine order of four castes
Caste System (“Varnas”)Caste System (“Varnas”)Brahmins: the priestsKshatriyas: the warriorsVaisyas: merchants and
peasantsSudras: non-Aryans
Caste system, con’tCaste system, con’tproduced by Brahminsliterature emphasized the divine
orderhierarchical relationshipinheritance and marriage
Caste system in practiceCaste system in practicewarrior class did not always
accept itnor the other classesthe process of evolution is still
going onthe most powerful organizer of
Indian society◦thousand of castes today
CastesCastesdefine a person’s social universedefine a person’s standard of
conductdefine a person’s expectationsdefine a person’s futuredefine how a person deals with
others
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