Download Ancient India: Geography

Ancient India: Geography
Name_____________________________
MOD_______
In this unit, you will learn about the major geographic features of South Asia. You will learn how these features helped society and
culture develop in ancient India.
Study the three images of modern South Asia on this
page.
Before Reading: Predict. Think about the geography of this
region.
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What geographic features do you see in these images?
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How do you think these features influenced life in India?
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How may these influences have affected ancient civilizations differently than they affect modern-day civilization?
During Reading: Highlight main ideas and circle IMPORTANT people’s names, places, and dates (i.e. proper
nouns). You only need to circle them once in a paragraph (it is to help you focus on the details).
Between the Mountains and the Sea
Ancient India is located in South Asia. It was home to many early civilizations. The geography of South Asia allowed these civilizations to grow
and prosper. Ancient Indiaincluded lands that make up the modern-day countries of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
Mountains
India’s northern boundary is lined with huge mountain ranges. The tall Himalayascontain Mount Everest. These mountains are in the
northeast. The Hindu Kush mountains are in the northwest. The Himalayas and the Hindu Kush were formed millions of years ago. They are still
relatively young. The Himalayas began to rise 25 million to 30 million years ago. In contrast, the Rocky Mountains began to form 190 million to 1
billion years ago. India’s mountains continue to grow. They grow several inches each year because of the movement of tectonic plates. This
movement also causes many earthquakes in the Hindu Kush and Himalayas region. In 2011, there was a 6.9-magnitude earthquake in this area.
It killed many people and caused a lot of damage.
Water
The southern portion of India is surrounded by two large bodies of water. It is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
The Arabian Sea was an important trade route between South Asia and the rest of the world. Both of these bodies of water are part of the Indian
Ocean.
A Subcontinent
India is part of Asia. However, it is separate from the rest of the continent. It is separated by the mountains to the north and the ocean to the
south. This is an unusual geographic separation. Because of it, geographers often refer to this region as the Indian subcontinent, or South
Asia.
Water and mountains surrounded ancient India. They isolated the people who settled in this region and protected them. It was extremely difficult
for invaders to reach the subcontinent. To do so meant making dangerous journeys over the mountains or across the ocean. The region was
good in other ways for the early people who lived there. It had natural water sources, and its climate allowed agriculture, or farming. Even
though it was separated from civilizations in other parts of Asia and East Africa, ancient India did trade with them.
Reading Break: Take a moment to review what you read and answer this question. What geographic features
separate India from the rest of the continent of Asia?___________________________________________________
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Rivers and River Valleys
Water is necessary for the survival of every civilization. Two large rivers flowed through ancient India. They flowed from the Himalayas in the
north to the Indian Ocean in the south.
Two Rivers
The Indus River begins in the Himalayas. It carries melted snow downward from there. It gathers water from melting snows of the Hindu Kush.
The waters of the Indus River carry minerals and dirt. As the river flows from high mountains through low valleys, it drops the minerals. They
create a flat area of fertile land in what today is the country of Pakistan. The flat area is called an alluvial plain. The river flows almost 1,800
miles through Pakistan. Then, it empties into the Arabian Sea. This happens near the modern Pakistani city of Karachi.
The other major river of the region is the Ganges River. It also starts in the Himalayas. Rainfall and melting snow from the mountains add water
to the river. The Ganges quickly drops to the plains below. It winds its way across much of the northern part of modern-day India. It flows nearly
1,560 miles. Then, it enters the Indian Ocean at the Bay of Bengal in modern-day Bangladesh. Before that happens, the Ganges spreads out
into smaller waterways. It deposits dirt, creating a large fertile area of land. This area of land at the end of the river is called a delta. Both the
Indus and the Ganges Rivers carry good minerals from the Himalayas into the valleys. The Ganges Rivercreates an alluvial plain in
northern India.
Promise and Peril
The rich plains these two rivers create made ancient India a good area for agriculture. They also supplied water for people, plants, and animals.
This made the Indian subcontinent an ideal location for civilizations to develop.
The Indus and the Ganges also presented challenges to early settlers. The rivers flood regularly. This can destroy the crops planted in the rich
soil along their banks. The unique climate of the subcontinent caused these floods.
Wet and Dry
Reading Break: What is the difference between weather and climate? Use the clues in this sentence to define each
word: The weather tomorrow will be 65 degrees Fahrenheit, cloudy, and have morning showers; this is common for
Cleveland’s spring climate, which is wet with mild temperatures.
Weather:_________________________________________________________________________________________
Climate: _________________________________________________________________________________________
South Asia’s climate is very different from the climate of the rest of Asia. It hasmonsoon winds. These winds blow steadily from one direction.
Then, in another season, they blow from the opposite direction. This climate divides South Asia’s year into two seasons. There is a warm, wet
season and a cool, dry season.
The Seasons
In the winter, the monsoon winds blow from Central Asia into the Indian subcontinent. The Himalayas block the cold winter air. They block
much rain from entering the subcontinent. The winds also carry cooler weather to South Asia. During this time, very little rain falls over most of
the Indian subcontinent.
In the summer, the monsoon winds change direction. They bring warm, moist air from the Indian Ocean onto the subcontinent. The increased
moisture forms rain clouds. Rain soaks most of the subcontinent. During the summer monsoon, it usually rains daily.
Planting Around Monsoons
Ancient Indian farmers who lived near the Indus and Ganges Rivers had a constant source of water. People living farther away from the rivers
depended on the wet and dry seasons. These seasons were created by the monsoon. The heavy summer rains provided water for crops. This
made agriculture possible in these regions.
Farmers planted in the summer months, when water was available. They harvested in the fall. If the monsoon rains were late, farmers and their
crops suffered. Farmers did not always have enough food to eat through the dry season. Even today, Indian farmers depend on the
seasonal monsoon rains.
Reading Break: Review what you read and answers the question: How did ancient India’s climate affect its
civilizations? _____________________________________________________________________________________
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After Reading: Now go back over your highlighted and circled notes and complete the chart below.