Indian valley civilization

INDUS VALLEY

▸ Discovery and Time 

-R.B. Dayaram Sahni first discovered

Harappa in 1921.

 • R.D. Banerjee discovered Mohenjodaro in

1922.

According to radiocarbon dating, it spread from the year 2500 - 1750 BC.

▸ Geographical Extent

Covered parts of Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, Gujarat, Rajasthan and some parts of western UP.

Major sites in Pakistan are Harappa (on Ravi in W.Punjab), Mohenjodaro (on Indus), Chanhu-Daro (Sindh), etc. In India, major sites are Lothal, Rangpur and Surkotda (Gujarat), Kalibangam

(Rajasthan), Banwali (Hissar), and

Alamgirpur (western UP).

Largest site is Rakhigarhi in Hissar, Haryana. Next comes Mohenjodaro, then Harappa.

▸ Town Planning

Elaborate town-planning. It follows the grid system. Roads well cut, dividing the town into large rectangular blocks.

Used burnt bricks of good quality as the building material.

Their drainage system shows developed sense of health and sanitation. The towns were divided into 2 parts:

Upper Part or Citadel and Lower Part. In Mohanjodaro, a big public bath (Great Bath) has been found.

▸ Agriculture

Used wooden ploughs Produced sufficient to feed themselves. Food grains were stored in granaries.

▸ Art and Craft

The Harappan culture belongs to the

Bronze Age.

Bronze was made by mixing tin and copper. Tools were mostly made of copper and bronze

• Cotton fabrics quite common. Woolen in

winter.

Very fond of ornaments (of gold, silver, ivory, copper,etc) and dressing up. Ornaments were worn by both men and

women. Potter's wheel was in use. Played dice games.

▸ Economic Life

Well-knit external and internal trade.

Barter system was there. A dockyard has been discovered at Lothal.

▸ Religious Life

Main object of worship was the Mother Goddess. Phallus (lingam) and yoni worship was

also prevalent.

Many trees (pipal), animals (bull), snakes,

birds (dove, pigeon) and stones were

worshipped. Dead bodies were placed in the north south orientation.

▸ Script

Not yet deciphered.

The script is not alphabetical but pictographic (about 600 undeciphered pictographs).

 ▸ End / Decay

The Harappan culture lasted for around 1,000 years.

Invasion of the Aryans, recurrent floods, social breakup of Harappans, earthquakes, major ecological changes etc. are listed as possible causes.