The Indus Valley Civilisation got its name from the Indus river system, where the initial

sites
of the civilization were found and excavated.
Commencing around 3300 BC, the Indus Valley Civilization prospered between 2600 and 1900
Indus Valley Civilization BC (known as the Mature Indus Valley Civilization). Its decline began circa 1900 BC and it
The Indus Valley Civilization, also called the Indus Civilization, existed in the northern regions of vanished by 1400 BC.
South Asia during the Bronze Age from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, reaching its peak between 2600 Also referred to as the Harappan Civilization, named after the first uncovered city, Harappa in
BCE and 1900 BCE. It was among the earliest civilizations in the Near East and South Asia, alongside Punjab, Pakistan.
ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Out of these, it was the most extensive, with archaeological sites The earliest proof of cotton cultivation was unearthed in Mehrgarh, Pakistan, tracing back to
spreading across a vast region from present-day northeast Afghanistan, through much of Pakistan, the Pre-Harappan civilization.
and into western and northwestern India. The Indus Valley hosted one of the most extensive ancient urban civilizations alongside Egypt,
Mesopotamia, India, and China.
In the 1920s, the Archaeological Department of India conducted excavations in the Indus
Valley, revealing the remnants of two ancient towns, Mohenjodaro and Harappa.
In 1924, the ASI Director-General John Marshall announced the discovery of a new civilization
in the Indus Valley to the world.

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(GRUINOYZGT Origin and Evolution
The findings in the last eighty years prove the Harappan culture's growth.
There are four main phases of Harappan culture: pre-Harappan, early-Harappan, mature-
Harappan, and late Harappan.
The pre-Harappan phase was in Eastern Balochistan.
At Mehrgarh, nomads settled down, transitioning to agriculture in the pre-Harappan era.
The early-Harappan phase is linked to the Hakra Phase in the Ghaggar-Hakra River Valley.
People lived in large communities on plains during the early Harappan period.
Urbanization started during this period, seen in sites like Amri and Kot Diji.
Indus Valley Civilisation
Major cities emerged in the mature-Harappan era, as seen in Kalibangan's excavations.
The rise of the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), also called the Harappan Civilization, signifies the
start of Indian history.
 The decline of the Indus civilization began in the late-Harappan period, revealed by findings at
Lothal.
Try yourself: When did the Indus Valley Civilization reach its peak?
Lothal was built later with flood protection, featuring a harbor and a large brick wall.
Lothal remained a commerce hub for the Harappan civilization and the rest of India, as well as
a. 3300 BCE - 1300 BCE
Mesopotamia.

Date of Indus Valley Civilisation b. 2600 BCE - 1900 BCE

c. 1400 BCE - 1000 BCE

d. 2000 BCE - 1500 BCE

View Solution

Important sites of Indus Valley Civilisation

Sir John Marshall estimated the time Mohenjodaro was built to be between 3250 and 2750
B.C. back in 1931.
As more sites are discovered, the timeline of the Harappan civilization is updated.
The invention of radiocarbon dating allows for more precise dating.
Using radiocarbon dating, Fairservis revised the timeline of the Harappan civilization to be from
2000 to 1500 B.C. by 1956.
In 1964, D.P. Agarwal suggested that the entire duration of this civilization should be from
2300 to 1750 B.C.
However, these dates might change in the future.
 Features: Trading post linking Harappa and Babylon
Chanhudaro
Discovered by: N.G. Majumdar in 1931
Location: Sindh, on the Indus River
Features: Shop with bead makers, Depiction of a dog chasing a cat's footprint
Amri
Discovered by: N.G. Majumdar in 1935
Location: Banks of the Indus River
Features: Evidence of antelope
Kalibangan
Discovered by: Ghose in 1953
Location: Rajasthan, beside the Ghaggar River
Features: Altar of fire, Camel bones, Wooden plough
Lothal
Discovered by: R. Rao in 1953
Harappa
Location: Gujarat, on the Bhogva river near Gulf of Cambay
Discovered by: Marshall, Rai Bahadur Daya Ram Sahni, and Madho Sarup Vats in 1921 Features: First artificial port, Dockyard, Rice husk, Altars of fire
Location: Montgomery district of Punjab, on the banks of the Ravi River Surkotada
Features: Granaries, bullock carts, sandstone human anatomy sculptures
Discovered by: J.P. Joshi in 1964
Mohenjo-daro Location: Gujarat
Discovered by: R.D. Banerjee, E. J. H. MacKay, and Marshall in 1922 Features: Horse-like skeletons, Beads
Location: Larkana district, Punjab, on the banks of the Indus River
Banawali
Features: Mound of the Dead, Great Bath, Bronze dancing girl, Seal of Pashupati
Discovered by: R.S. Bisht in 1974
Mahadeva statue, Steatite of bearded man, Numerous seals, Agricultural innovation with Location: Hisar district, Haryana
early cotton cultivation, Domesticated animals including sheep, goats, and pigs
Features: Beads, Barley evidence, Pre-Harappan and Harappan cultures
Sutkagendor
Dholavira
Discovered by: Stein in 1929 Discovered by: R.S. Bisht in 1985
Location: Dast river in Pakistan's southern Balochistan province
 Location: Gujarat, Rann of Kachchh
Features: Water collection system, Reservoir
Try yourself: Which Indus Valley site is known for having the first artificial port?

Salient Features of the Indus Valley Civilisation

a. Harappa
Town Planning

Harappan civilization had well-planned cities. b. Mohenjo-daro

Harappa and Mohenjodaro each had a high area for rulers.
Regular people lived in brick houses below the ruler's area. c. Lothal
They organized houses in the city in a grid pattern.
Granaries were important buildings in Harappan cities.
d. Kalibangan
Harappan towns used burnt bricks, unlike Egyptians who used dry bricks.
Mohenjodaro had an impressive drainage system.
View Solution
The Great Bath in Mohenjodaro was a significant public place.
The Bath had steps, dressing rooms, and a floor made of burnt bricks.
Water for the Bath was drawn from a large well. Economic Life
A large granary was a major structure in Mohenjodaro. The Indus people valued trade, as shown by their use of various seals, a common writing
Harappa had six granaries in its citadel. system, and standardized weights and measures.
Most properties in cities had their own courtyard and bathroom. Harappans traded a variety of materials like stone, metal, and shell extensively.
Kalibangan residences had wells. Instead of using metal coins, they exchanged goods through barter.
Some Harappan locations like Dholavira and Lothal were fortified. They navigated the shores of the Arabian Sea for trade.
Establishing a trading outpost in northern Afghanistan facilitated commerce with Central Asia.
Trade connections extended to regions near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
Harappans engaged in long-distance trade of lapis lazuli, potentially enhancing the status of the
ruling elite.

Agriculture
 Harappan communities mostly settled in river plains and grew various food crops. Weapons like axes, spearheads, daggers, bows, and arrows were made of copper and bronze.
Crops like wheat, barley, rai, peas, sesame, lentil, chickpea, and mustard were commonly
cultivated.
Social Institutions
Millets were also found in Gujarat, while rice was not as commonly used. In the ancient Indus valley, only a few written things have been found, and scholars are still
The Indus people were the first to start cotton farming. trying to understand the Indus script.
Discoveries of whole grains hint at agriculture, but fully understanding their farming methods is Figuring out the type of state and organizations that existed in the Indus Valley Civilization is
a challenge. difficult because there are not many clues.
Depictions on seals and terracotta art suggest the use of bulls and oxen for ploughing. No temples have been unearthed at any Harappan site. This means that it is unlikely that priests
Most Harappan sites were in semi-arid regions where irrigation was likely needed. were in charge at Harappa.
Traces of canals have been found in the Shortughai Harappan site in Afghanistan, but not in It is probable that a group of merchants held power in Harappa.
Punjab or Sindh. When searching for a central authority or depictions of influential individuals, archaeological
Harappans, besides farming, also practiced large-scale animal husbandry. records may not offer clear answers.
Faint traces of horses have been found in Mohenjodaro and a questionable ceramic piece in Some experts think that in Harappan society, there were no leaders and everyone was treated
Lothal, indicating some horse presence. equally.
However, horses did not play a central role in Harappan civilization.

Social Life

Both men and women in the Harappan society wore two pieces of cloth - one for the top and
one for the bottom.
Both genders adorned themselves with beads.
Women wore various ornaments like bangles, bracelets, fillets, girdles, anklets, ear-rings, and
finger rings.
Decorations were crafted from gold, silver, copper, bronze, and semi-precious stones.
The use of cosmetics was common. Objects made of pottery, stone, shells, ivory, and metal
were found at Mohenjodaro.
Copper was utilized for spindles, needles, combs, fish hooks, and knives.
Fishing, bullfighting, and hunting were popular activities.
 Religion

Try yourself: Which material was commonly used by the Harappans for making decorations? Several clay figures of women found at Harappa. A plant grows from a woman's body in one
figure.
a. Gold The Harappans viewed the earth as a fertility goddess, honoring her similar to how the
Egyptians worshipped the Nile goddess Isis.

b. Iron The male deity depicted as a seal with three horned heads in a yogi posture.
This deity sits on a throne surrounded by elephants, tigers, rhinoceroses, and buffalo. Two deer
stand at his feet. The deity is known as Pushupati Mahadeva.
c. Aluminum
Stone phallus and female sex organ symbols have been found.
Trees and animals were greatly respected by the Indus people.
d. Lead
The one-horned unicorn, linked to the rhinoceros, holds great significance, while the humped
bull is the second most important.
View Solution Many amulets have also been unearthed.

Art and Crafts Script

The Harappan script is currently undergoing full deciphering.

There are around 400 to 600 symbols, with 40 to 60 being essential and the others being
The Harappans were skilled in making and using bronze.
They got copper from mines in Rajasthan's Khetri area, and they probably got tin from variations.
Most of the writing was done from right to left.
Afghanistan.
On a few long seals, they used the boustrophedon method, which means writing in the
People found many objects with marks from textiles.
opposite direction in alternating lines.
Big structures made of bricks show that laying bricks was an important skill. This also tells us
According to Parpola and his colleagues from Scandinavia, Dravidian was the language of the
that there were people who specialized in stonework.
The Harappans were good at making boats, beads, and seals. They were also good at making Harappans. This belief is also held by some Soviet scholars.
There are differing views among researchers concerning the Harappan and Brahmi scripts.
things from baked clay.
The mystery of Harappan writing persists, and unraveling it is sure to yield fresh insights into
Goldsmiths made jewelry from silver, gold, and precious stones.
They used a potter's wheel to make their own shiny and smooth pottery. this civilization.
Burial Methods

Cemeteries found near towns like Mohenjodaro, Harappa, Kalibangan, Lothal, and Rupar Try yourself: What were some of the possible reasons for the decline of the Indus Valley
provide insights into how the Harappans buried their dead. Civilization?
In Mohenjodaro, people were buried whole or after cremation.
At Lothal, burial pits were lined with burned bricks, suggesting the use of coffins. a. Natural disasters like floods and earthquakes.
In Harappa, wooden coffins were also found.
In Lothal, some burials involved pots, sometimes with pairs of bones. However, there's no solid b. Invasion by the Aryans with better weapons.
evidence of the practice of Sati.

c. Overuse of soil leading to infertility.

Decline of Indus Valley Civilisation

There is no agreement on what caused the Harappan civilization to decline.

d. All of the above.
Possible reasons include natural disasters like floods, rivers drying up, soil becoming less fertile
due to overuse, and occasional earthquakes.
Some experts believe that the invasion of Aryans was a significant factor. The Rig Veda talks View Solution

about forts being destroyed.

At Mohenjodaro, human bones found close together indicate a possible attack by outsiders. Conclusion
The Aryans had better weapons and swift horses, which might have aided in their conquest of
The Indus civilization, also known as the Indus valley civilization or Harappan civilization, was the
the region.
Indian subcontinent's first known urban culture. The civilisation appears to have existed between
2500 and 1700 BCE, however the southern sites may have continued into the second millennium
BCE. The Indus civilization was the largest of the world's three early civilizations (the others being
Mesopotamia and Egypt).