INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION

CATEGORY
1. POLITICAL SYSTEM

DESCRIPTION
Organization:
- Little indication of political heirarchy
or centralized states.
- Small republics, ruled by priests,
and early form of caste system.
- No palaces, temples, elaborate
graves, kings or warrior classes
Political leader:
Military:
No trace of military actions and development.
Power was through commerce and trade.
No trace of warfare has been found.

2. SOCIAL STRUCTURE

How it is developed?

3. SOCIAL CLASS

- Consisted of three classes.

- At the top were the warriors.
- Then the priests.
- At the bottom were the peasants.
- Later the merchant class was added above the peasants.
- Also the priests move above the warriors because they were said
to be closer to the gods.
- Social mobility was allowed.
- Later on the social structure became much more complex and
ridged.
- Eventually subcastes were added and social mobility was not
allowed.

4. ECONOMY/TRADE
SYSTEM

-Grew wheat, beans, barley, sesame, rice, bananas, black peppers,

mustard, and cotton crops.
-Had very elaborate cities

-Traded with neighboring civilizations due to their transportation

technology and rivers.
-Planned cities out which made commerce to be conducted more
easily.
-Game animals and pasturge for domesticated animals were
pleintiful.
5. TECHNOLOGIES

-Grid-like cities
-Sewage systems
-Pottery
-Agriculture and warfare was a big incentive for new technology.
-Stylistic and symbolic aspects of the material culture were
prominent

6. KNOWLEDGE/
INVENTIONS/WRITINGS

- Had elaborately planned cities.

- Writing system used symbols.
(logophonetic).
- Ventured into sciences, by using
standardized weights & measurements

7. RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

- Ruled by priests.
- Ceremonial bathing, ritual burning
and yoga positions.
- Polytheistic (more than 1 God)
- Animals held as symbols. Bulls &
elephants used as religious symbols.
What they believed?
Religious practices:

8. ART AND
ARCHITECTURE

Gods:
Art
Pottery is very popular for this region
--Mainly made of stone.
Known for use of jewels and precious stones
--Very detailed work.
No paintings, temples, elaborate tombs, or palaces have
been found.

Buildings/Structures
9. RIVER SYSTEM
10. CITY-STATE

References:
https://apworldhistory-rochester-k12-mi-us.wikispaces.com/1C.+Basic+features+of+early+civilizations+Mesopotamia,+Indus+Valley,+%26+Egypt