Indus Valley Civilization
a Primary Phase Culture
little or no continuity with the following
cultures
forgotten until the 19th Century
rediscovered by the British
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
India
Hydraulic Culture
like Egypt and Mesopotamia
agriculture and flood-control
significant industry and trade
cities very common
Indus Valley
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
and more seals...
Seated yogi : early Shiva?
Reasonable generalizations
rapid development: early 2,000s B.C.
roughly contemporary with Egypt and
Mesopotamia
early village culture
changing rapidly to urban civilization
Generalizations, cont
cities dominated both economic and
political activity
origins of the people are unclear
similar to the Mediterranean type
Major Cities
Harappa and Mohenjo-daro
surrounded by smaller cities, towns, and
villages
one situated in the north
one situated in the south
Cities, cont
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
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
A public well in Harappa, or perhaps an
ancient laundromat...
A large drain or sewer
Monumental architecture
very-large scale building
walled cites, with fortified citadels
always on the same scale
palaces, temples
Architecture, cont
large grain storage facilities near
temples
a theocracy ??
planned economy
Harappan granary
Cities
very densely populated
houses: two to three stories
every house is laid out the same
Culture and Society
advanced agriculture
surplus production
textiles: wool and cotton
domesticated animals and fish
Bronze Age technology
no swords
spears and bows
stone arrow heads
Society
dominated by priests ?
from the fortified palaces and temples
?
power base: fertility ?
deities: male and female, both nude
bull worship and phallic symbols
A priest? A bull
Trade
with lower Mesopotamia
but gradually declined
Decline
domination of an indigenous people ?
who rebelled ?
foreign invasion?
gradual decline ?
Combination of Changes
climate shift: the monsoon patterns
flooding
destruction of the forests
migrations of new peoples: the Aryans
The Aryan Invasions
Indus civilization on the verge of
collapse
about 1500 B.C.
settlement by a nomadic people
the Aryans
Possible route of the Aryan invasions
The Aryans
not to be confused with Hitlers
Aryans
these Aryans speak an Indo-European
dialect
related to other languages like Greek
and Latin
Map of Language Families
The Aryans, cont
they called themselves Aryans
their land: Aryavarta
land of the Aryans
Gradual settlement
over a long period of time
gradual infiltration
more primitive than the earlier culture
Settlement, cont
new society by 1,200 B.C. or so
little evidence
not literate
no record system
Oral Tradition
passed down from priests and singers
written down in the 500s
The Vedas
Veda means knowledge
The Vedas
our 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 Vedas
oral poetry
come to have a sacred character
provide some historical information
The Aryans
restless, warlike people
tall, blue-eyed, fair-skinned
describe the indigenous population as
short, black, noseless, and slaves
The Aryans, cont
originally pastoralists
family, clan, tribe (typical Indo-
Europeans)
eventually settled down to farming
living in villages
The Aryans, cont
villages and kingdoms constantly
fighting
warchiefs and kings
aristocrats and freemen
The Aryans, cont
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
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
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
Strain of change
Iron Age change causes strain on the
class system
blurring of lines between Aryans and
Daas
answered with the caste system
Caste System
skin color
ritual purity
Us--Them feelings
divine order of four castes
Caste System (Varnas)
Brahmins: the priests
Kshatriyas: the warriors
Vaisyas: merchants and peasants
Sudras: non-Aryans
Caste system, cont
produced by Brahmins
literature emphasized the divine order
hierarchical relationship
inheritance and marriage
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
Castes
define a persons social universe
define a persons standard of conduct
define a persons expectations
define a persons future
define how a person deals with others
