The Indus River Valley

The Indus River Valley’s geographic makeup contributed largely to the genesis of the South Asian civilization.   The regions mountain range, the Himalayas, created the Indus River system.   This system would play a major role in helping the earliest civilization on the Indian subcontinent.   Through the mountain range, rivers were created by the monsoon rains that were common in the area.   The monsoons would create rain clouds that would feed the higher portions of the Himalayas, and in return the rain from these clouds created streams.   The rain high in the Himalayas also created a great deal of snow, which would melt and help create the streams that   flowed downhill and eventually created the Indus River, which in turn flowed into the Arabian Sea.   As the water from these streams flowed downhill, they pick up nutrient rich soil that would eventually be deposited to the plains at the base of the mountains.   These rich soils would help the habitats of the plains to eventually grow and cultivate crops like wheat and barley.

    The plains at the base of the Himalayas were a vast land of dense forests and lush green plains.   These two areas provided many animals to early human habitation.   The forests provided an ample amount of wild game animals for the people to hunt.   The green plains area allowed the habitants to provide for more domesticated animals.   The early habitants of the plains were also able to use the land to grow crops and develop different cropping techniques.   This provided the essentials they needed to survive themselves but also allowed them to care for their domesticated animals.   The streams and rivers that flowed from high in the mountains down to the plains area provided an ample supply of fish.   Fish became a major source of food for early habitants of the area, as many fish designed artifacts have been found.

    The Indus River Valley proved to be a geographically perfect situation for early civilization to develop in.   The rivers...