The Indus Valley civilization was an ancient civilization thriving along the Indus river and the Ghaggar-Hakra river in what is now Pakistan and north-western India. Among other names for this civilization is the Harappan civilization in reference to the first excavated city of Harappa.
• An alternative term for the culture is Saraswati- Sindhu civilization
• R.B. Dayaram Sahni first discovered Harappa (on Ravi) in 1921.
R.D. Banerjee discovered Mohenjodaro or ‘Mound of the Dead’ (on Indus) in 1922.
Sir John Marshal played a crucial role in both these.
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• The sequence begins with the transition of
i) Nomadic herdsmen to settled agriculturists in eastern Baluchistan (First Phase),
ii) continues with the growth of large villages and the rise of towns in the Indus Valley (Second Phase),
iii) Leads to the emergence of the great cities (Third Phase), and
iv) Finally, ends with their decline (Fourth Phase).
• Mediterranean, Proto-Australoid, Mongoloids and Alpines formed the bulk of the population
• More than 100 sites belonging to this civilization have been excavated.
• According to radio-carbon dating, it spread from the year 2500-1750 B.C.
• Copper, bronze, silver and gold were known but not iron.
Geographical Extent
• Covered parts of Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, Gujarat, Rajasthan and some parts of Western U.P & J&K. It extended from Manda in Jammu in the north to Daimabad in the south and from Alamgirpur in western U.P. to Sutkagendor in Baluchistan in the west.
• Major sites in Pakistan are Harappa (on river Ravi in west Punjab), Mohenjodaro (on Indus), Chanhu-Daro (Sindh), etc. In India the major sites are Lothal, Rangpur and Surkotda (Gujarat), Kalibangan (Rajasthan), Banawali (Hissar, Haryana) and Alamgirpur (western U.P.)
TOWN PLANNING
• The towns were divided into two parts: Upper part or Citadel and the Lower part.
• The Citadel was an oblong artificial platform some 30-50 feet high and about some 200-400 yards in area. It was enclosed by a thick (13 m in Harappa) crenellated mud brick wall. The Citadel comprised of public buildings whereas the lower part comprised of public dwellings.
• In Mohenjodaro, a big public bath (Great Bath) measuring 12 m by 7 m and 2.4 m deep has been found. The Great Bath was probably used for ritual bathing.
Agriculture
• The Indus people sowed seeds in the flood plains in November, when the flood water receded, and reaped their harvests of wheat and barley in April, before the advent of the next flood.
• The people grew wheat, barley, rai, peas, sesamum, mustard, rice (in Lothal), cotton, dates, melon, etc. The Indus people were the first to produce cotton in the world.
• Horses weren’t in regular use but elephant was for transportation.
Trade and Commerce
• Well-knit external and internal trade. There was no metallic money in circulation and trade was carried through Barter System.
• Weights and measures of accuracy existed in Harappan culture (found at Lothal). The weights were made of limestone, steatite, etc. and were generally cubical in shape.
• 16 was the unit of measurement (16, 64, 160, 320).
• Flint tool-work, shell-work, bangle-making (famous in Kalibangan), etc. were practiced.
• Bead making factories existed in Chanu daro and Lothal.
• A dockyard has been discovered at Lothal.
• The inland transport was carried out by bullock carts.
Art and Craft
• The Harappan culture belongs to the Bronze Age and bronze was made by mixing tin and copper. Tools were mostly made of copper and bronze.
• The Indus valley people were very fond of ornaments (of gold, silver, ivory, copper, bronze and precious stones) and dressing up. Ornaments were worn by both men and women, rich or poor. The Harappans were expert bead makers.
Harappan Seals
• Potter’s wheel was in use. The Indus Valley Pottery was red or black pottery and the people indulged in dice games, their favorite pass time being gambling.
• The most impressive of the figurines is the bronze image of a dancing girl (identified as a devdassi) found at Mohenjodaro.
• Maximum number of seals discovered is made of steatite with the unicorn symbol being discovered on the maximum number of seals.
Religious Life
• The main object of worship was the Mother Goddess or Shakti.
• Many trees (peepal), animals (bull), birds (dove, pigeon) and stones were worshipped. Unicorns were also worshipped. However no temple has been found at that time.
• At Kalibangan and Lothal fire altars have been found.
Script
• The script is not alphabetical but pictographic. (about 600 undeciphered pictographs).
• The script has not been deciphered so far, but overlaps of letters show that it was written from right to left in the first line and left to right in the second line. This style is called ‘Boustrophedon’.
End/Decay
• The Harappan culture lasted for around 1000 years.
• The invasion of the Aryans, recurrent floods (7 floods), social breakup of Harappans, Earthquakes, successive alteration in the course of the river Indus and the subsequent drying up of the areas in and around the major cities, etc. are listed as possible causes for the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization.
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• An alternative term for the culture is Saraswati- Sindhu civilization
• R.B. Dayaram Sahni first discovered Harappa (on Ravi) in 1921.
R.D. Banerjee discovered Mohenjodaro or ‘Mound of the Dead’ (on Indus) in 1922.
Sir John Marshal played a crucial role in both these.
*To Receive these messages write "BLG0517" and WhatsApp at 8588900032*
*Updates by FOCUSS ACADEMY Gurgaon*
i) Nomadic herdsmen to settled agriculturists in eastern Baluchistan (First Phase),
ii) continues with the growth of large villages and the rise of towns in the Indus Valley (Second Phase),
iii) Leads to the emergence of the great cities (Third Phase), and
iv) Finally, ends with their decline (Fourth Phase).
• Mediterranean, Proto-Australoid, Mongoloids and Alpines formed the bulk of the population
• More than 100 sites belonging to this civilization have been excavated.
• According to radio-carbon dating, it spread from the year 2500-1750 B.C.
• Copper, bronze, silver and gold were known but not iron.
Geographical Extent
• Covered parts of Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, Gujarat, Rajasthan and some parts of Western U.P & J&K. It extended from Manda in Jammu in the north to Daimabad in the south and from Alamgirpur in western U.P. to Sutkagendor in Baluchistan in the west.
• Major sites in Pakistan are Harappa (on river Ravi in west Punjab), Mohenjodaro (on Indus), Chanhu-Daro (Sindh), etc. In India the major sites are Lothal, Rangpur and Surkotda (Gujarat), Kalibangan (Rajasthan), Banawali (Hissar, Haryana) and Alamgirpur (western U.P.)
TOWN PLANNING
• The towns were divided into two parts: Upper part or Citadel and the Lower part.
• The Citadel was an oblong artificial platform some 30-50 feet high and about some 200-400 yards in area. It was enclosed by a thick (13 m in Harappa) crenellated mud brick wall. The Citadel comprised of public buildings whereas the lower part comprised of public dwellings.
• In Mohenjodaro, a big public bath (Great Bath) measuring 12 m by 7 m and 2.4 m deep has been found. The Great Bath was probably used for ritual bathing.
Agriculture
• The Indus people sowed seeds in the flood plains in November, when the flood water receded, and reaped their harvests of wheat and barley in April, before the advent of the next flood.
• The people grew wheat, barley, rai, peas, sesamum, mustard, rice (in Lothal), cotton, dates, melon, etc. The Indus people were the first to produce cotton in the world.
• Horses weren’t in regular use but elephant was for transportation.
Trade and Commerce
• Well-knit external and internal trade. There was no metallic money in circulation and trade was carried through Barter System.
• Weights and measures of accuracy existed in Harappan culture (found at Lothal). The weights were made of limestone, steatite, etc. and were generally cubical in shape.
• 16 was the unit of measurement (16, 64, 160, 320).
• Flint tool-work, shell-work, bangle-making (famous in Kalibangan), etc. were practiced.
• Bead making factories existed in Chanu daro and Lothal.
• A dockyard has been discovered at Lothal.
• The inland transport was carried out by bullock carts.
Art and Craft
• The Harappan culture belongs to the Bronze Age and bronze was made by mixing tin and copper. Tools were mostly made of copper and bronze.
• The Indus valley people were very fond of ornaments (of gold, silver, ivory, copper, bronze and precious stones) and dressing up. Ornaments were worn by both men and women, rich or poor. The Harappans were expert bead makers.
Harappan Seals
• Potter’s wheel was in use. The Indus Valley Pottery was red or black pottery and the people indulged in dice games, their favorite pass time being gambling.
• The most impressive of the figurines is the bronze image of a dancing girl (identified as a devdassi) found at Mohenjodaro.
• Maximum number of seals discovered is made of steatite with the unicorn symbol being discovered on the maximum number of seals.
Religious Life
• The main object of worship was the Mother Goddess or Shakti.
• Many trees (peepal), animals (bull), birds (dove, pigeon) and stones were worshipped. Unicorns were also worshipped. However no temple has been found at that time.
• At Kalibangan and Lothal fire altars have been found.
Script
• The script is not alphabetical but pictographic. (about 600 undeciphered pictographs).
• The script has not been deciphered so far, but overlaps of letters show that it was written from right to left in the first line and left to right in the second line. This style is called ‘Boustrophedon’.
End/Decay
• The Harappan culture lasted for around 1000 years.
• The invasion of the Aryans, recurrent floods (7 floods), social breakup of Harappans, Earthquakes, successive alteration in the course of the river Indus and the subsequent drying up of the areas in and around the major cities, etc. are listed as possible causes for the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization.
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