Overview of the Indus Valley and Egyptian peoples

Essay by unclesam132Junior High, 9th gradeA+, June 2004

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The Egyptian civilization and the Indus Valley civilization were very different places. In Egypt, while pyramids were being built, cities were beginning to form in the Indus Valley. Both of these places had fertile lands and natural barriers to prevent invaders. Nobody really knows about the Indus Valley government except for Sargon of Akkad, but we do know that they worshipped several gods, including Shiva. In Egypt, their rulers, or pharaohs, were considered to be gods, but they also had gods that they worshipped, such as Ra, the sun god.

The Nile River, a vast desert, the Mediterranean Sea, and the highlands of east-central Africa made up Egypt's geography. The Egyptians mostly lived around the Nile River, which flooded every year, because of the rich, fertile soil it provided. The Nile flooded at about the same time every year and usually about the same amount of swelling occurred.

The Egyptians knew this and therefore built their houses far enough away from the river so that it wouldn't flood their homes. In addition, they planted crops where they would get a good amount of silt that fertilized them, but in such a way that they didn't wash away when the river receded.

In the Indus Valley, extremely high mountains on the north side and deserts to the west and somewhat on the east were the civilization's natural boundaries. These kept almost all invaders out of their cities. Monsoons in the area kept the country wet in the summer months, and dry the rest of the year. Like the Nile, the Indus River flooded every year and gave the citizens fertile soil to plant their crops in. However, the Indus River's floods were unpredictable, as it changed its course many times. It also depended somewhat...