Chapter 6- India and Southeast Asia Flashcards
The Indian subcontinent is divided into how many regions?
Three
In which direction is the Indian subcontinent vulnerable to attack?
The Northwest
Which six states are a part of the subcontinent?
Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka
What three distinct regions is the Indian subcontinent divided into?
The mountainous northern zone, the great basins of the Indus and Ganges River’s, and the peninsula proper
Describe the Northern subcontinental zone.
Foothills and high meadows on the edge of the Hindu Kush and Himalaya ranges
Describe the Great Basins topographical zone
Plains covered in a layer of silt from the Ganges and Indus rivers
What two natural barriers separate Northern India from the plateau proper zone?
The Vindhya range and Deccan (rocky plateau)
What gives the Indian Subcontinent it’s tropical climate?
Mountains that shield it from the arctic winds
What is the Indian subcontinent’s most dramatic source of moisture?
Monsoon winds
What causes monsoon winds?
Drastic temperature difference between the continents and the ocean.
The southwest monsoon begins in which month?
June
What is the staple crop along the Ganges River?
Rice; moist, wet climate.
What are the staple crops of most areas in the Indian subcontinent?
Wheat, barley, and millet.
Describe agriculture in the Indus Valley
No precipitation; requires extensive irrigation
Describe the monsoon winds’ effect on trade and transportation of the Indian Subcontinent
It was not a barrier; mariners learned to navigate and plan around the seasonal winds.
What were the Vedas?
Religious texts from which we get most of our knowledge of the Vedic age.
The Vedic age covered what time period?
1500-500 BCE
What do most historians believe happened in 1500BCE that began the Vedic age?
Animal-herding warriors speaking Indo-European languages migrated to Northwest India
What happened to agriculture after the Indus Valley civilization collapsed?
There was no central authority to direct irrigation efforts, so it shifted to patriarchal groups of cattle herders.
What new technology allowed groups to migrate into the Ganges plain?
Iron metallurgy
During the Vedas period, which 2 groups engaged in bitter warfare?
The Aryas and the Dasas.
The Aryan people spoke languages in which language family?
Indo-European
The Dasas people spoke languages in which language family?
Dravidian
Social identity in India was divided into which 2 categories?
Varna and jati
