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History 8 India Ancient India Workbook
3. Most Indians consider the Ganges River to be sacred. Why do you think they might have come to view it as sacred?
Indians consider the Ganges River to be sacred for many reasons. First of all, the time when people first settled on the Ganges was during the Aryan invasion that took place 1750 BC. These Aryans moved into India and joined with the failed Harrappan civilization that lived in the Indus River Valley, moving to the Ganges River Valley. Compared to the Indus, the Ganges River was much calmer and had a more predictable flood cycle, caused by monsoons and melting of the glaciers. This was much better, especially compared to where the Aryans came from. The Aryans migrated East because they were struggling to survive in the harsh plains around the Middle East. This new river and all of the forests would have been wonderful for them. It provided them with a good supply of water, helped with agriculture, and provided a great means of transportation. It is one of the most fertile areas of the world. It gives life to the people of India. As the Egyptians did with the Nile, these early Indians started having part of their religion center around this amazing river, making it sacred to the people. In the first Millennium BC, early Indians also designated many holy places that surrounded the Indian empire. The most famous was Prayag, which was the point of creation in Indian religion. This place was located right on the Ganges River. There were also many deities that were related in some way to the Ganges River. The Ganges itself is also revered as a god, washing away sin and helping the dead on their path to enlightenment. For these reasons, there were many ancient ceremonies honoring the river. These are the reasons why Indians consider the Ganges River holy.
CF Manual pages 152-153 http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/225359/Ganges-River http://www.sacredland.org/ganges/
4. What are monsoons, and why do they have such a big impact on life in India?
A monsoon is a seasonal change in the direction of the prevailing, or strongest, winds of a region. Monsoons cause wet and dry seasons throughout much of the tropics. There are two main monsoons, the summer and the winter. The summer monsoon usually brings heavy rainfall, occurs between April and September,and determines how much produce farmers can grow each year. Also the amount of rain affects India's economy because some parts of India are run using hydroelectricity. So if the summer monsoon is weak or late it could detain businesses from completing tasks that could help the economy. The second main type of monsoon, the winter monsoon, occurs between October and April, and can bring harsh droughts that lower the amount of food and water India has for the whole year. The monsoons have a large impact on India because they control the economy of India, the amount of water India has for the year, and the amount of food India has for the year.
Sources: <http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/monsoon/?ar_a=1>
<http://www.circleofblue.org/waternews/2012/world/weak-monsoon-raises-specter-of-drought-in-india/>
Page Completed by Evan Eisenberg on 4/10/13
