Indus+River+Valley+Civilization

"Mohenjo-Daro ruins in present-day Pakistan." Image. Corel. //World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras//.ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 23 Jan. 2012. = =

=**// Social Structure //**=

The Indus River Valley Civilization had a caste system which had four main classes: Brahmans(Priests and kings), Kshatriyas(warriors and aristocrats), Vishyas( cultivators, artisans, and merchants), and Sudras(peasants and serfs). The social class s person was born into could not change. The fact that women had the ability to produce offspring and nurse made them valued.

=**// Culture //**=

Houses were made of dry bricks and were one to two stories high. there were no large monuments and using the bathroom. They developed their own alphabet and artistic forms, such as yoga positions,or structures. For defense they used citadels or fortress's. There were individual buildings for bathing writing system and mother goddess. They had writings on prayers, religious rituals, hymns and philosophies. The people were advanced in mathematics like algebra and geometry.

"Mother goddess figure ." Image. Angelo Hornak/Corbis. //World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras//.ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 23 Jan. 2012.

=//Religion//=

Hinduism(~1700-1100 B.C.E.) was polytheistic. Buddhism, (365 B.C.E.) was monotheistic.media type="youtube" key="FzOKUTJK8Wc" height="324" width="432" align="right" Many of the River Valley seals show animals. To the people of the Indus River Valley, Hinduism was much more to them, it was a life style. That inspired their daily lives and schedules. They believed in reincarnation and to end the cycle and get to heaven by becoming enlightened is the ultimate goal. Vedas are sacred Hindu hymns that were around 1500-1000 B.C. in Sanskrit.

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=**//Interactions//**=

Greatly depended on trade. They traded with Mesopotamia and within the Indus River Valley Civilization. The great walls and architecture could have protected the cities like Harappa from floods and military battles.

=**//Politics//**=

Major cities, like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro suggests they cold have had urban cities that were master-planned and uniformly made. The large city size indicates a strong central government that was probably lead by a priest-king.

=**//Technology//**=

Houses had running water, and the civilization had an intricate water system. Most technology was used to help with agriculture. They had large irrigation systems. Out of the whole world, the Indus River Valley Civilization was the first ones to develop precise measurement and weighing technology. Boats were used for transportation and trade.

=//**Economics**//=

Sudras were the laborers of the civilization. A major factor was the Silk road, trade routes, and the fact that they traded textiles. They were very advanced when it came to agriculture, and domestic animals helped a lot with preparing the land to grow the crops on. The economy was greatly dependent on trade.

=//**Demography**//=

The civilization ran through present day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhulan. The natural borders of mountains and the Arabian Sea protected the citizens from attack and disease. The Khyber Pass, which went through the Hindu Kush Mountains, gave the citizens a connection to the outside world. The rivers helped fertilize and irrigate crops. Primary crops included wheat and barley. Since they were isolated, there was no real need for weapons. The Khyber Pass, however, allowed foreign invaders into the civilization. for those invaders they had weapons such as arrows. Their weaponry was not overly advanced.

Work cited

Streitwieser, Michael, and Mason Leach. "Indus River Valley Civilization." //The River Valley Civilizations //. 06 Oct. 2008. Web. 12 Feb. 2012. .

Wikipedia contributors. "Indus Valley Civilization." // Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia //. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 6 Feb. 2012. Web. 9 Feb. 2012.

"Indus Civilization." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 08 Feb. 2012. .

"Indus River Valley Civilization: Indus Industry Ruled." //Cracking the AP World History Exam 2012 //. Ed. Princeton Review. Print.

Brooke Schnucker Lissette Araujo Caitlin McGill