Indus Valley Civilization (3300 BC-1700BC)

Indus Valley Civilization (3300 BC-1700BC)
The Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) was a Bronze Age civilization (33001700 BC;
mature period 26001900 BC) that was located in the northwestern region of the
Indian subcontinent, consisting of what is now mainly modern-day Pakistan and
northwest India. Flourishing around the Indus River basin, the civilization primarily
centred along the Indus and the Punjab region, extending into the Ghaggar-Hakra
River valley and the Ganges-Yamuna Doab. Geographically, the civilization was
spread over an area of some 1,260,000 square km, making it the largest ancient
civilization in the world.
The Indus Valley is one of the world's earliest urban civilizations, along with its
contemporaries, Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. At its peak, the Indus Civilization
may have had a population of well over five million. Inhabitants of the ancient Indus
river valley developed new techniques in metallurgy and handicraft (carneol
products, seal carving) and produced copper, bronze, lead, and tin. The civilization
is noted for its cities built of brick, roadside drainage system, and multistoried
houses. The baths and toilets system the cities had is acknowledged as one of the
most advanced in the ancient world. The grid layout planning of the cities with
roads at exact right angles is a modern system that was implemented in the cities
of this particular civilization. The urban agglomeration and production scale of this
particular civilization was unsurpassed at the time and for many future centuries.
The mature phase of this civilization is called the Harappan Civilization, as the first
of its cities to be unearthed was located at Harappa, excavated in the 1920s in what
was at the time the Punjab province of British India (now in Pakistan). Excavation of
Harappan sites have been ongoing since 1920, with important breakthroughs
occurring as recently as 1999. To date, over 1,052 cities and settlements have been
found, mainly in the general region of the Ghaggar-Hakra river and its tributaries.
Among the settlements were the major urban centres of Harappa, Lothal, Mohenjodaro (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Dholavira, Kalibanga, and Rakhigarhi.
A well and drainage system is at Lothal
A bath and toilet excavated in Lothal
Excavated ruins of Mohenjo-daro, Sindh province, Pakistan, showing the Great Bath
in the foreground. Mohenjo-daro, on the right bank of the Indus River, is a UNESCO
World Heritage Site, the first site in South Asia to so declared.
In the aftermath of the Indus Civilisation's collapse, regional cultures emerged, to

varying degrees showing the influence of the Indus Civilisation. In the formerly great
city of Harappa, burials have been found that correspond to a regional culture called
the Cemetery H culture. At the same time, the Ochre Coloured Pottery culture
expanded from Rajasthan into the Gangetic Plain. The Cemetery H culture has the
earliest evidence for cremation; a practice dominant in Hinduism today.
Post Maha Janapadas period (600 BC200 AD)

The Buddhist stupa, a dome shaped monument, was used in India as a
commemorative monument associated with storing sacred relics.[2] The stupa
architecture was adopted in Southeast and East Asia, where it became prominent as
a Buddhist monument used for enshrining sacred relics.[2] Fortified cities with
stpas, viharas, and temples were constructed during the Maurya empire (c. 321
185 BC).[3] Wooden architecture was popular and rock cut architecture became
solidified.[3] Guard railsconsisting of posts, crossbars, and a copingbecame a
feature of safety surrounding a stupa.[3] Templesbuild on elliptical, circular,
quadrilateral, or apsidal planswere constructed using brick and timber.[3] The
Indian gateway arches, the torana, reached East Asia with the spread of Buddhism.
[4] Some scholars hold that torii derives from the torana gates at the Buddhist
historic site of Sanchi (3rd century BC 11th century AD).[5]
Rock-cut stepwells in India date from 200400 AD.[6] Subsequently, the
construction of wells at Dhank (550625 AD) and stepped ponds at Bhinmal (850
950 AD) took place.[6] The city of Mohenjo-daro has wells which may be the
predecessors of the step well.[7] As many as 700 wells, constructed by 3rd
millennium BC, have been discovered in just one section of the city, leading
scholars to believe that 'cylindrical brick lined wells' were invented by the people of
the Indus Valley Civilization.[7] Cave temples became prominent throughout
western India, incorporating various unique features to give rise to cave
architecture in places such as Ajanta and Ellora.[3]
Walled and moated cities with large gates and multi-storied buildings which
consistently used arched windows and doors are important features of the
architecture during this period.[3] The Indian emperor Ashoka (rule: 273232 BC)
established a chain of hospitals throughout the Mauryan empire by 230 BCE.[8] One
of the edicts of Ashoka (272231 BC) reads: "Everywhere King Piyadasi (Ashoka)
erected two kinds of hospitals, hospitals for people and hospitals for animals. Where
there were no healing herbs for people and animals, he ordered that they be bought
and planted."[9] Buddhist architecture blended with Roman architecture and
Hellenestic architecture to give rise to unique blendssuch as the Greco-Buddhist
school.[10] Indian art and culture has absorbed extraneous impacts by varying
degrees, and is much richer for this exposure. This cross fertilization between
different art streams converging on the subcontinent produced new forms that,
while retaining the essence of the past, succeeded in the integrating selected
elements of the new influences. A long tradition of art and culture was already
established well before the beginning of 20th century in India. Indian painting can
be broadly divided into two categoriesMURALS and MINIATURE.
A stupa (Sanskrit: m., "heap") is a mound-like or hemispherical structure

containing relics (arra - typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns), and
used as a place of meditation. Also known in Thailand as a chedi.
Types of stupas
Built for a variety of reasons, Buddhist stupas are classified based on form and
function into five types:
Relic stupa, in which the relics or remains of the Buddha, his disciples and lay saints
are interred.
Object stupa, in which the items interred are objects belonged to the Buddha or his
disciples such as a begging bowl or robe, or important Buddhist scriptures.
Commemorative stupa, built to commemorate events in the lives of Buddha or his
disciples.
Symbolic stupa, to symbolise aspects of Buddhist theology, for example,
Borobuddur is considered to be the symbol of "the Three Worlds (dhatu) and the
spiritual stages (bhumi) in a Mahayana bodhisattva's character."
Votive stupa, constructed to commemorate visits or to gain spiritual benefits,
usually at the site of prominent stupas which are regularly visited.
"The shape of the stupa represents the Buddha, crowned and sitting in meditation
posture on a lion throne. His crown is the top of the spire; his head is the square at
the spire's base; his body is the vase shape; his legs are the four steps of the lower
terrace; and the base is his throne.
Five purified elements[edit]

Although not described in any Tibetan text on stupa symbolism, the stupa may
represent the five purified elements:[13]
The square base represents earth
The hemispherical dome/vase represents water
The conical spire represents fire
The upper lotus parasol and the crescent moon represents air
The sun and the dissolving point represents the element of space
The earliest archaeological evidence for the presence of Buddhist stupas dates to
the late 4th century BCE in India, Sanchi, Sarnath, Amaravati and Bharhut are one
of the oldest known stupas.
1. THE GREAT STUPA AT SANCHI
The Buddhist vihara at Sanchi, famous for its Great Stupa is located at Sanchi Town
in Raisen District of the state of Madhya Pradesh, India, it is 46 km north-east of
Bhopal.
The Great Stupa at Sanchi is the oldest stone structure in India[1] and was originally
commissioned by the emperor Ashoka the Great in the 3rd century BCE. Its nucleus
was a simple hemispherical brick structure built over the relics of the Buddha. It was
crowned by the chatra, a parasol-like structure symbolising high rank, which was
intended to honour and shelter the relics. The construction work of this stupa was
overseen by Ashoka's wife, Devi herself, who was the daughter of a merchant of
Vidisha. Sanchi was also her birthplace as well as the venue of her and Ashoka's
wedding. In the 1st century BCE, four elaborately carved toranas (ornamental
gateways) and a balustrade encircling the entire structure were added. The sanchi
stupa built during Mauryan period was made of bricks.
Section of Sachi Stupa
2. DHAMEK STUPA
Dhamek Stupa (also spelled Dhamekh and Dhamekha, traced to Sanskrit version
Dharmarajika Stupa, which can be translated as the Stupa of the reign of Dharma) is
a massive stupa located at Sarnath, 13 km away from Varanasi in the state of Uttar
Pradesh, India.
The Dhamek Stupa was built in 500 CE to replace an earlier structure commissioned
by the great Mauryan king Ashoka in 249 BCE, along with several other monuments,
to commemorate the Buddha's activities in this location. Stupas originated as
circular mounds encircled by large stones. King Ashoka built stupas to enshrine
small pieces of calcinated bone and other relics of the Buddha and his disciples.[6]
An Ashoka pillar with an edict engraved on it stands near the site. This is nothing
but the great place to visit in Varanasi. Anyone who is planning to visit Varanasi, he
should surely be going out there. The Dhamek Stupa is said to mark the spot
(Rishipattana which can be translated as "where the Rishi arrived") where the
Buddha gave the first sermon to his five disciples after attaining enlightenment,[7]
[8] "revealing his Eightfold Path leading to nirvana".
3. Amaravathi Mahachaitya
The Amarvat Mahcaitya, popularly known as the great stpa at Amarvath, is a
ruined Buddhist monument located at Amaravathi village, Guntur district, Andhra
Pradesh, India. The site is under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of
India. The campus includes the stpa itself and the Archaeological Museum.[2] The
important sculptures from the site are now deposited in a number of museums in
India and abroad. A list of collections is given below.

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Indus Valley Civilization (3300 BC-1700BC)

A well and drainage system is at Lothal

A bath and toilet excavated in Lothal

In the aftermath of the Indus Civilisation's collapse, regional cultures emerged, to

Post Maha Janapadas period (600 BC200 AD)

A stupa (Sanskrit: m., "heap") is a mound-like or hemispherical structure

Five purified elements[edit]

1. THE GREAT STUPA AT SANCHI

Section of Sachi Stupa

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