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    Indus Valley Civilization

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    Shreyaa Lakshmi Prasanta Banerjee
    The Indus Valley Civilization was one of the earliest civilizations in South Asia, flourishing between 2700-1900 BC along the Indus River valley. Some key features included the development of large urban centers like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, advanced sewage systems, standardized weights and measures, and what appears to be one of the earliest writing systems. While the exact reasons are still unknown, the decline of the civilization around 1900 BC may have been due to weaker monsoons leading to drought, as well as changes in the course of the Indus River and inter-personal violence according to recent studies.

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    Indus Valley Civilization

    Uploaded by

    Shreyaa Lakshmi Prasanta Banerjee
    67 views4 pages
    The Indus Valley Civilization was one of the earliest civilizations in South Asia, flourishing between 2700-1900 BC along the Indus River valley. Some key features included the development of large urban centers like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, advanced sewage systems, standardized weights and measures, and what appears to be one of the earliest writing systems. While the exact reasons are still unknown, the decline of the civilization around 1900 BC may have been due to weaker monsoons leading to drought, as well as changes in the course of the Indus River and inter-personal violence according to recent studies.

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    clearias.com-Indus Valley Civilization

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    The Indus Valley Civilization was one of the earliest civilizations in South Asia, flourishing between 2700-1900 BC along the Indus River valley. Some key features included the development of large urban centers like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, advanced sewage systems, standardized weights and measures, and what appears to be one of the earliest writing systems. While the exact reasons are still unknown, the decline of the civilization around 1900 BC may have been due to weaker monsoons leading to drought, as well as changes in the course of the Indus River and inter-personal violence according to recent studies.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    67 views4 pages

    Indus Valley Civilization

    Uploaded by

    Shreyaa Lakshmi Prasanta Banerjee
    The Indus Valley Civilization was one of the earliest civilizations in South Asia, flourishing between 2700-1900 BC along the Indus River valley. Some key features included the development of large urban centers like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, advanced sewage systems, standardized weights and measures, and what appears to be one of the earliest writing systems. While the exact reasons are still unknown, the decline of the civilization around 1900 BC may have been due to weaker monsoons leading to drought, as well as changes in the course of the Indus River and inter-personal violence according to recent studies.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 4

    Indus Valley Civilization

    clearias.com/indus-valley-civilization/

    February 9,
    2013

    Indus Valley Civilization was the first major civilization in South Asia, which spread across
    a vast area of land in present-day India and Pakistan (around 12 lakh sq.km).

    The time period of mature Indus Valley Civilization is estimated between BC. 2700-
    BC.1900 ie. for 800 years. But early Indus Valley Civilization had existed even before
    BC.2700.

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    Table of Contents

    Features of Indus Valley Civilization


    BC. 2700- BC.1900 ie for 800 years.
    On the valleys of river Indus.
    Also known as Harappan Civilization.
    Beginning of city life.
    Harappan Sites discovered by – Dayaram Sahni (1921) – Montgomery district,
    Punjab, Pakistan.
    Mohanjodaro discovered by – R. D. Banerji – Larkana district, Sind, Pakistan.

    1/4
    The city was divided into Citadel(west) and Lower Town(east).
    Red pottery painted with designs in black.
    Stone weights, seals, special beads, copper tools, long stone blades etc.
    Copper, bronze, silver, gold present.
    Artificially produced – Faience.
    Specialists for handicrafts.
    Import of raw materials.
    Plough was used.
    Bodies were buried in wooden coffins, but during the later stages ‘H symmetry
    culture’ evolved where bodies were buried in painted burial urns.
    Sugar cane not cultivated, horse, iron not used.

    Indus Valley Sites and Specialties

    Harappa
    Seals out of stones
    Citadel outside on banks of river Ravi

    Mohenjodaro
    Great Bath, Great Granary, Dancing Girl, Man with Beard, Cotton, Assembly hall
    The term means ” Mount of the dead”
    On the bank of river Indus
    Believed to have been destructed by flood or invasion(Destruction was not
    gradual).

    Chanhudaro
    Bank of Indus river. – discovered by Gopal Majumdar and Mackey (1931)
    Pre-Harappan culture – Jhangar Culture and Jhukar Culture
    Only cite without citadel.

    Kalibangan
    At Rajasthan on the banks of river Ghaggar, discovered by A.Ghosh (1953)
    Fire Altars
    Bones of camel
    Evidence of furrows
    Horse remains ( even though Indus valley people didn’t use horses).
    Known as third capital of the Indus Empire.

    Lothal
    At Gujarat near Bhogava river, discovered by S.R. Rao (1957)
    Fire Altars

    2/4
    Beside the tributary of Sabarmati
    Storehouse
    Dockyard and earliest port
    double burial
    Rice husk
    House had front entrance (exception).

    Ropar
    Punjab, on the banks of river Sutlej. Discovered by Y.D Sharma (1955)
    Dog buried with humans.

    Banawali
    Haryana
    On banks of lost river Saraswathi
    Barley Cultivation.

    Dholavira
    Biggest site in India, until the discovery of Rakhigarhi.
    Located in Khadir Beyt, Rann of Kutch, Gujarat. Discovered by J.P Joshi/Rabindra
    Singh (1990)
    3 parts + large open area for ceremonies
    Large letters of the Harappan script (signboards).

    The religion of Indus Valley People


    Pashupathi Mahadev (Proto Siva)
    Mother goddess
    Nature/ Animal worship
    Unicorn, Dove, Peepal Tree, Fire
    Amulets
    Idol worship was practised ( not a feature of Aryans)
    Did not construct temples.
    The similarity to Hindu religious practises. (Hinduism in its present form originated
    later)
    No Caste system.

    Indus Valley Society and Culture


    The systematic method of weights and measures ( 16 and its multiples).
    Pictographic Script, Boustrophedon script – Deciphering efforts by I. Mahadevan
    Equal status to men and women
    Economic Inequality, not an egalitarian society
    Textiles – Spinning and weaving
    3/4
    3 types – burial, cremation and post-cremation were there, though burial was
    common.
    Majority of people Proto-Australoids and Mediterranean (Dravidians), though
    Mongoloids, Nordics etc were present in the city culture. Read more on races of
    India.

    Reasons for Decline of Indus Valley Civilization


    Though there are various theories, the exact reason is still unknown. As per a recent
    study by IIT Kharagpur and Archaeological Survey of India, a weaker monsoon might
    have been the cause of the decline of Indus Valley Civilization. Environmental changes,
    coupled with a loss of power of rulers (central administration) of Indus valley to sustain
    the city life might be the cause (Fariservis Theory). There might be a resource shortage to
    sustain the population, and then people moved towards south India. Another theory by
    Dr Gwen Robbins Schug states that inter-personal violence, infectious diseases and
    climate change had played a major role in the demise of the Indus Valley Civilization.

    Other theories:

    Aryan Invasion: Motimer Wheeler


    Tectonic Movements/ Flood – Robert Raikes
    Change of course of river Indus – Lambrick.

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