Harrapan Civilization
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Vedic Civilization
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In the Indus River Valley of present-day India, there was a city called “Harrapa”. Since we cannot read the Indus script, we know little about these “Harrapan” people. But we do know that they were farmers, and that they were part of a civilization that included another city, Mohenjo-Daro, that was 350 miles away. More cities were discovered, and it turns out that the Harrapan cities covered more than 300,000 sq. miles. We also know—from soapstone seals—that these people had trade with Mesopotamian civilizations and Iran. But in 1700 or so, something happened in the Caucasus Mountains, thousands of miles away…
In about 1700 or 1600 BC, something happened in the Caucasus Mountains. We’re not sure what happened, but we do know that it prompted a mass migration. Some of the Indo-European people—these particular people were called the Aryans—from this area migrated to the Indus River Valley—home to the Harrapan Civilization. But when the Aryans found this older civilization, it was in ruins, and they quickly took over. A rough caste system formed, based on the color of one’s skin—the early Harrapans, the Dravidian speakers, had darker skin than the invading Aryans, who were considerably fairer.
One of the Aryans’ most notable achievements was the composition of the Vedas, books of poetry with stories and knowledge of the natural world and rituals. The Aryans were also some of the first people to believe in some important religious concepts that are still in use today.
In 600 BC, there were many small kingdoms and republics that sprouted from the Ganges River. But by 350 BC, Magadha, a region, had risen to prominence. Under the Nanda dynasty, it unified these independent entities. Enter Chandragupta Maurya. Inspired by Alexander the Great, he conquered Magadha all the way through the Ganges and Indus. Years later, his grandson, Ashoka, conquered the entire subcontinent of India by force.
