ancient india 5.1 answers - pottsgrove school district › cms › lib07 › pa01916597 ›...
TRANSCRIPT
5.1 – Geography and Early India Essential Question: How do India’s rich history and culture affect the world today?
Big Idea: Indian civilization developed on the Indus River.
Key Term Definition Memory Clue
subcontinent
A large landmass that is smaller than a continent, and usually separated from the rest of their continents by physical features
• India is considered a subcontinent
monsoons
Seasonal wind patterns that cause wet and dry seasons, heavily influencing a region’s climate
• Indian summers ! winds blow from the Indian Ocean, bringing heavy rains and terrible floods
• Indian winters ! winds blow from the mountains, forcing moisture out of the air, and causing warm, dry winters
Vedas
Religious writings that are collections of poems, hymns, myths, and rituals written by Aryan priests.
• Much of what we know about Aryan society comes from the Vedas!
raja
A skilled warrior and leader who ruled an Aryan village and the land around it Although many rajas were related and sometimes joined forces to fight a common enemy, they often went to war against each other.
Sanskrit
The most important language in ancient India due to the fact that it was originally only a spoken language used to memorize poems and hymns important to Aryan culture Because Aryans figured out how to write it down to keep records, it now serves as a major source of information about their society. Sanskrit is no longer spoken today, but it’s the root of many modern South Asian languages.
Ancient India
5.1 -‐ Geography and Early India Essential Question: How do India’s rich history and culture affect the world today?
Big Idea: Indian civilization first developed on the Indus River. A. Geography of India
India is known as a _______subcontinent______________ of Asia. The _______Himalayan__________
Mountains and the _____Hindu Kush_________ Mountains separate India from the rest of the continent.
Most of India is covered by ___fertile______ plains and rugged ____plateaus_________, but to the west of the
Himalayas is an enormous _____desert_______. The valley of the ______Indus________________ River, which
flows out of the Himalayas, was the location of India’s first _____civilization_________. Just like other
rivers, the Indus ____flooded______, which caused a layer of fertile _____silt______________ to be left behind
for ideal farmland. India’s _____climate____________ is hot and humid, which is influenced by seasonal
wind patterns called ______monsoons__________. In the summers, monsoons brought ____heavy_______
___rains__________ that caused terrible _____floods_________. In the winters, winds forced moisture out of
the air, creating a ____warm______ and ____dry_____ season.
B. Harappan Civilization
The first Indus River Valley civilization is called the ___Harappan___ civilization. Just like other
ancient societies, they grew as ____agriculture___ and ____irrigation___________ improved. The food
surpluses from the farms led to ____towns_____, which led to the appearance of _____cities_________. We
have information about Harappan civilization because of the ruins of two large cities, ____Harappa___
and ___Mohenjo_____ ___Daro______. The two cities were similar, well planned, and each near a towering
___fortress______. Most houses had bathrooms with
___indoor__ ___plumbing______. Artisans created advanced
goods, as well as a system of weights and measures.
Harappans also developed India’s first __writing_____
___system___, but because we can’t interpret the language, we
know little about their society. The society ended by the early ___1700s__BC___, but no one is sure why.
C. Aryan Migration
After the Harappan civilization crumbled, the ____Aryans_______ arrived in the Indus River Valley
and became the dominant group in India. They first arrived in the _____1200s____________ BC, crossing
into India through _____mountain________ ___passes___________ in the northwest. They eventually spread
___south______ and ____east______ into central India, then into the _____Ganges____________ River Valley.
Much of what we know about Aryan society comes from religious writings known as the ____Vedas___.
Although the Aryans were originally nomads, or wanderers, they eventually settled in
____villages__________ and began to _____farm________. One big difference between the Harappans and the
Aryans is that the Aryans did not build big __cities_________. They also had a different
____political_____________ system than the Harappans. Instead of having a king and central government,
The Aryans lived in small _______communities___________ based on family ties, each with its own leader.
These leaders, often skilled warriors, were known as ___rajas__________. Although many rajas were
____related________, they did not always get along. At times, they would join forces to fight a common
___enemy_______, but other times, they would go to ____war______ against ____each____ ___other_______.
The first Aryan settlers did not ___read______ or ____write_______, so in order to pass down
information important to their culture, they needed to ____memorize___________ it. This included poems
and hymns such as the ____Vedas________. The language in which these poems and hymns were
composed was _____Sanskrit_____________. At first, it was only a spoken language, but eventually, they
figured out how to ____write________ it down to keep records. These _____written________ records are a
major source of information about ____Aryan_______ society.
Main Idea #1: The geography of India includes high mountains, great rivers, and heavy seasonal rain.
Q: What is the shape of the Indian subcontinent?
A: The shape of the Indian subcontinent is roughly triangular.
Q: How is the geography of the northeastern part of the subcontinent different from the northwestern?
A: The northeastern part of India has mountains; the northwestern part of India has desert.
Q: Why may Indian farmers consider the monsoons both a blessing and a curse?
A: The monsoons bring rain for watering fields, but they also cause destructive floods.
Main Idea #2: Harappan civilization developed along the Indus River.
Q: What were the two main cities of the Harappan civilization?
A: The two main Harappan cities were Harappa and Mohenjo Daro.
Q: When did the Harappan civilization thrive?
A: The Harappan civilization thrived between 2300 BC and 1700 BC.
Q: What are some explanations for why Harappa and Mohenjo Daro were very similar?
A: Communication, trade, and travel were similar between Harappa and Mohenjo Daro.
Q: How do we know about Harappan civilization?
A: We know about Harappan civilization from the ruins of Harappa and Mohenjo Daro.
Q: What are some characteristics of the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo Daro?
A: Both of these cities were well-‐planned, protected by fortresses, had brick streets, storehouses, workshops, and houses.
Reading Checks
Q #1: How do you think monsoons affected settlement in India?
A: People probably settled where monsoon rains helped farming, but tried to avoid places where flooding was common.
Q #2: Why don’t we know much about Harappan civilization?
A: We don’t know much about Harappan civilization because historians cannot read their language.
Q #3: What source provides much of the information we have about the Aryans?
A: The Vedas provide much of the information we have about the Aryans.
Main Idea #3: The Aryan migration into India changed the region’s civilization.
Q: From where did the Aryans come?
A: The Aryans came from Central Asia.
Q: How was the Aryan civilization different from the Harappan?
A: The Aryans were more warlike, didn’t farm at first, didn’t build cities, and didn’t have a single ruling authority.
Q: Why are the Vedas so important to historians?
A: The Vedas are important to historians because they are a major source of information about the Aryans.
Q: Why did the Aryans memorize their poems and hymns?
A: The Aryans memorized their poems and hymns because at first, Sanskrit was only a spoken language.
Map of India
This bay is called…
These mountains are called…
This country is called…
China
This sea is called…
This country is called…
This river is called…
This river is called…
This ocean is called…
Word Bank Indian Ocean Bay of Bengal Arabian Sea Ganges River Indus River China India
Himalaya Mountains
1. What major river was the basis of the first Indian civilizations? ___________________________________
2. Geographers call India a subcontinent. Give explanations as to why.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. The Indus River flooded frequently leaving behind a grained soil called silt. Why is this important?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Name the two other civilizations that have grown up around the river systems listed below.
Nile River-‐ _______________________ Tigris and Euphrates Rivers-‐ ________________________
Indus River Himalayan Mountains
Ganges River
India
Bay of Bengal Arabian Sea
Indian Ocean
Indus River
India is a large landmass that’s not as big as the continent of Asia. It is also separated from Asia by lan mountains, which are landforms.
Silt makes soil nutrient, which helps crops grow better.
Egypt Mesopotamia