Ancient Civilization of South Asia Flashcards
The study of Indian history based on archaeological evidence dates to around? What was the evidence
?
around 7000 BCE when evidence of settled agriculture on the northern river plains and deltas appears.
Fill in the bllanks
The earliest sites of settlement appear at ___ and other sites on ___ ___of the ____ ___and date from around____-___ BCE
The earliest sites of settlement appear at Mehrgahr and other sites on upper tributaries of the Indus River and date from around 7000-4700 BCE.
How did early settlements form?
Early settlements formed when people started growing grains in the deltas.
When did the sophisticated urban centers of the Harappan civilization develope?
Eventually the sophisticated urban centers of the Harappan civilization developed from the 3rd millennium BCE.
When and how were the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo Daro discovered? They were discovered atthe same time as?
The cities of Harappa and Mohenjo Daro were discovered through extensive archaeological work in the 1920s. This is around the same time that Howard Carter was uncovering the tombs of Tutenkhamen at Luxor in Egypt.
What was unique about the Harappan civilization?
The cities were unique for their social organization and innovations in water system with large open public baths and individual wells for houses.
What are the urban cities of the lower Indus are called? Why were they abandoned?
Collectively, the urban cities of the lower Indus are called the Harappan Civilization (2600- 1700 BCE). The cities seem to have been abandoned due to lack of rainfall or a changing climate.
Harappan Civilization is from when to when?
2600-1700 BCE
Where are the archaeological discoveries at Mahrgarh and Mohenjo Daro are located in?
The archaeological discoveries at Mahrgarh and Mohenjo Daro are located in modern Pakistan and Northwest India.
Describe the The Harappan Civilization, also called the Indus Civilization?
The Harappan Civilization, also called the Indus Civilization, was a cluster of urban and agricultural areas that spread along the major river valleys of the Indus River.
What do the cities in the Harrapan civilization exihibit?
These cities exhibit considerable evidence of urban planning and cooperative civic life.
What made a number of these cities obsolete or unsustainable in the Indus civilization?
Environmental changes including the build-up of silts and deposits and changing courses of the river that made a number of these cities obsolete or unsustainable.
Who were the Brahmins?
Brahmins were literate and became interpreters of a series of written texts. The texts, called Vedas, were the basis of their religion, social structure, and political system.
What is meant by ‘Vedic Age’?
A group of people arrived in India around 1700 BCE who influenced the cultural development in the Indian Subcontinent through 600 BCE.
What is the importance of Vedic Age?
During this period, the economy was based on farming. Some landowners became wealthy from surplus from agriculture products and while others specialized in making iron products. There wealthy landowners established competing kingdoms leading to disputes and civil wars.
