Notes

Lesson 13 Notes
Ancient India(प्राचीन भारत)
Introduction
-In Northern India, the Himalayan mountains are home to the world's tallest mountain, Mount Everest, dividing India from the rest of Asia.
-There was an Indian story, of a river god(ब्रह्मपुत्र) and river goddess(गंगा) living in the snow covered mountain range
-The two rivers(Brahmaputra River and The Ganges) became one and joined on India’s plains.
-Early towns began coming at around 2500 B.C.E. Over the next 2000 years, a unique civilization developed in India.
Section 1: Brahmaputra River(ब्रह्मपुत्र नदी)
Ancient times: India was a subcontinent of Asia, which is a large triangular landmass jutting out of southern Asia.
-The river runs through the steep Himalayas, and continues to wind through snow capped mountains and narrow canyons
The river becomes slower and deeper as it flows through the valley.
Every summer, this part of the river receives added water from heavy monsoon rains. A monsoon is a strong wind that often brings huge amounts of rain. These rains can cause the river to overflow its banks. As the river recedes, the rich minerals that have been carried down from the Himalayas remain in the soil of the valley.

Eventually, the Brahmaputra River joins another river, the Ganges (GAN-jeez), on the plains. The land where the two rivers meet is very fertile.



Section 2: Deccan Plateau(डेक्कन पठार)

-A triangular-shaped area that lies between two mountain ranges in Southern India.

-This plateau has several kinds of land. In flatter parts, large granite rocks formed by volcanoes cover the land. The rocks were the world’s oldest rocks, dating back from over 60 million years ago.

-Hillier parts of plateau have thin forests and low, scrubby bushes.

-Black soil is the richest, but contains iron, good for growing cotton. Yellow and red soil lacks minerals, making it harder for farmers to grow plants in those areas.

Section 3: Eastern and Western Ghats
Which physical feature can ONLY be found in the Western Ghats but not the Eastern Ghats?


-The Eastern and Western Ghats(gahts) are long mountain chains near coasts of India
-Eastern Ghats along East Coast, and Western Ghats on The West Coast.
-If seen from above, the two mountain ranges form a large “V”
-The Western Ghats are higher than the Eastern Ghats. This mountain range has steep slopes, narrow valleys, thick hardwood forests, and extremely heavy rains
-The wet climate encourage growth of tropical plants
-The Eastern Ghats are not as wet as the Western Ghats.
-Several rivers flow through these green mountains, which are dotted with hardwood trees.
-The Eastern Ghats rarely flood, they are safe for travel because they move rapidly, containing many rocks, and often plunge suddenly over cliffs.
Section 4: Ganges River(शंकर भगवान)
-The Ganges flows through most of northern India. Starting in the Himalaya Mountains, the river makes its way south through ice, rocks, and magnificent mountains and valleys.
-The Ganges River carries silt from the Himalayas to the northern plains. As the river passes through the plains, it leaves the sediment behind. As a result, the northern plains contain some of the most fertile farmland in the world.
-Some melted ice goes down from the Himalayas and provides the Ganges River plains with a good supply of water.
-During the rainy(monsoon) season, the river can flood and destroy crops planted along its banks


Section 5: Himalaya Mountains(हिमालय पर्वत)
-located along India’s northern border
-this mountain range is the highest in the world
-Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountains, is part of the Himalayas, about five and a half miles above
-The Himalayas means “home of snows” because there highest peaks are always covered in snow and ice
-Fierce storms can dump several feet of snow on the area at one time. Water from glaciers in the Himalaya Mountains feeds northern India's major rivers.
-Underneath the Himalaya Mountains, Earth is always moving. This constant movement causes Mount Everest to rise slightly every year. It also makes earthquakes and landslides common in the area.


Section 6: Hindu Kush Mountains(हिंदू कुश)
-Although not as tall as the Himalayas, this mountain range is still one of the highest in the world with some of its peaks rising almost five miles high.
-The Hindu Kush Mountains form a rugged barrier between the Indus River Valley and Afghanistan.
-For thousands of years, traders used the pass to enter the Indus River Valley.
-The Khyber Pass forms a gap 30 miles wide in the mountains on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
-Invaders also used the pass, but some died in the mountain's unforgiving landscape.
-Ice and snow permanently cover the peaks of this mountain range.
The _____ allowed traders to travel between Afghanistan and Pakistan.


Section 7: Indus River(सिंधु नदी)
-beginning in the Himalaya Mountains, it gets most of its water from snow melting in the Hindu Kush mountains and the Himalayas
-This runoff of melting snow and ice from the mountains changes the river’s water levels throughout the year.
-Eventually, the river flows through present-day Pakistan and empties into the Arabian Sea.
-The Indus River valley contains some of the best farmland in the world. Like the Ganges River, the Indus River carries silt from the mountains to the plains, leaving the surrounding soil rich and fertile.
-The Indus River is sometimes compared to Egypt's Nile River because, like the Nile, the Indus is an important source of water for the farmland that lies along its banks.



Section 8: Thar Desert(थार रेगिस्तान)
-The massive Thar Desert in northern India is mostly sand and stone. Huge, rolling sand dunes stretch for hundreds of miles. Littered with rocks, the landscape has very little plant life except for grass and low, hardy shrubs. Most of the time, the heat is unbearable.
Water is a very precious resource in the desert. Rain is rare, although the monsoons may occasionally bring a brief but intense storm. The dry conditions make dust storms common.
-Many animals call this desert home. Some include gazelle, quails, ducks, geese, snakes, and lizards.
-Camels are perfect for the dry climate of the desert because they can go for very long periods without drinking water. For this reason, many travelers choose to bring camels with them if they need to cross an area as harsh as the Thar Desert.



Section 9: Early Settlements in India
The first people in India mostly chose to settle near rivers because rivers provided lots of water, and it will make the soil very fertile for farming.
-The two most famous rivers in INDIA were the Indus and the Ganges rivers. Whenever those two rivers flooded, it would provide silt for the soil making it very fertile for farming too.
-The first known settlements in ancient India were in the Indus River valley.
-There were farming communities in this valley as early as 4500 B.C.E. By 3000 B.C.E., people also lived near the Ganges River. By 2500 B.C.E., there were walled settlements in the Indus River valley.
-The geography of India greatly influenced the location of early settlements on the subcontinent. Both the Indus and the Ganges rivers carried rich silt from the mountains to the plains.
Where were the first ancient settlements in India located?

On the map, shade in the areas where early settlements in India were located. You may use the map in this section as a guide.


Lesson 13 Summary
In this lesson, you explored eight physical features of the Indian subcontinent and how they affected early settlement in India.
Major Rivers: In northern India, the Brahmaputra, the Ganges, and the Indus rivers carry rich silt from the mountains to the plains. India's early settlers farmed and later built walled settlements in the river valleys. This was the start of civilization in India.
Deccan Plateau: In some parts of this raised area between two mountain ranges in southern India, rich black soil is good for growing cotton.
Mountain Ranges: The Eastern and Western Ghats are near India's coasts. Between them lies the Deccan Plateau. The Western Ghats are higher and wetter than the Eastern Ghats. The Himalayas along India's northern border are the highest mountains in the world. The Hindu Kush range runs through present-day Pakistan. It provides access through the Khyber Pass to the Indian subcontinent.
Thar Desert: This vast desert in northern India has huge sand dunes, little plant life, extreme heat, and a variety of animals. Dust storms are common.









Dunlap Test-Release
Highlight the answer yellow you think is best!
#13: What connected the Indian subcontinent to central Asia through the Hindu Kush Mountains?
A: Khyber Pass
B: Indus River
C: Thar Desert
D: Ganges River
#14: What was a major characteristic of the Khyber Pass?
A: It was safe
B: It was 10 miles long
C: It was protected by Indian fighters
D: It was dangerous
#15: The Indus River flows to the...
A: Bay of Bengal
B: Arabian Sea
C: Nile River
D: Ganges River
#16: Which of the following has been an important source of water for farmland?
A: Nile River
B: Ganges River
C: Indus River
D: All of the above