- First site excavated – Harappa (Dayaram Sahni - 1921)
- Because most of its settlements are found in the valley of the Indus river
- Flourished between 2500-1500BC
- But 2200-1800BC was its mature period
- It covered the present Pakistan & north western part of India
.png "Indus Valley Civilizations")
Features:
- Urban civilization
- Foreign trade
- Craft specialization
- Planned cities
- Literate
- Ruled by traders
- Barter system
- 3500BC-2500BC: developed
- 2500BC-1800BC: matured
- 1800BC-1500BC: decline
- Boustrophedon n pictographic script, around 400 alphabets
- Planned cities
- Uniformity in the planning of cities
- Big buildings
- Covered drainage system
- Use of burnt bricks
- Presence of industries
- Internal & external trade
Economy:
- Harappans practiced a barter system
- Produced wheat, barley, peas, jowar, ragi, etc.
- Oxen, buffaloes, goats, sheep domestic fowls, and pigs were domesticated.
- The thriving agricultural economy supported a flourishing trade both within the northern and western areas of the sub-continent and between the people of this culture and those of the Persian and Gulf and Mesopotamia
Political Life
- There is no idea about the political organization of the Harappans.
- Perhaps the Harappan rulers were more concerned with commerce than with conquests, and Harappa was possibly ruled by the class of merchants.
Religion:
- The chief male deity was the Pashupati Mahadeva represented in seals, as sitting in a yogic posture on a low and having three faces and two horns. He is surrounded by four animals (elephant, tiger, rhino, and buffalo), each facing a different direction, and two deer appear at his feet
- The chief female deity was the Mother Goddess, depicted in various forms to please the fertility Goddess.
- There is sufficient evidence for the prevalence of phallic worship. Numerous stone symbols of female sex organs (yoni worship), besides those of phallus, have been discovered. Fertility cult was the main feature. The worship of fire is proved by the discovery of fire altars at Lothal, Kalibangan, and Harappa. Indus people worshipped Gods in the form of trees (pipal, etc) and animals (unicorns,s, etc)
- They believed in ghosts and evil forces and used amulets as protection against them.
Harappa
- 1921 Daya Ram
- Sahni Montgomery district of
- Punjab (Now in Pak) on the left bank of Ravi
- The city followed grid planning
- .A row of six granaries
- .Only place having evidence of coffin burial
- Evidence of fractional burial and coffin burial
- Cemetery-H of alien people.
Mohenjo daro
- 1922 R.D.Banarjee Larkana district in Sind
- on the right bank of
- Indus(Now in Pak)
- City followed grid planning
- A large granary and Great Bath, a college
- Human skeletons showing invasion and massacre.
- Evidence of Horse come from Superficial level.
- A piece of woven cotton along with spindle whorls and needles
- Town was flooded more then seven times.
Chanhu- daro
- 1931 N. Gopal
- Majumdar, Mackey
- Situtated in Sind on the bank of Indus
- The city has no citadal
- Famous for bead makers shop
- A small pot, possibly an inkpot
- Foot prints of a dog chasing a cat
- Three different cultural layers, Indus, Jhukar and Jhangar
Kali bangan
- 1953 A. Ghosh Situated in Rajasthan on the Bank of Ghaggar
- Shows both Pre Harappan and Harappan phase
- Evidence of furrowed land
- Evidence of seven fire altars and camel bones
- Many houses had their own well
- Kalibangan = black bangles
- Evidence of wooden furrow
Dholavira
- 1985- 90
- R.S. Bisht Situated in Gujarat in
- Rann of Kutch
- Seven cultural stages
- Largest site
- Three party of city
- Unique water management
Lothal
- 1953 S.R. Rao Situated in Gujarat on
- Bhogava river near Gulf of Cambay
- A titled floor which bears intersecting design of circles
- Remains of rice husk
- Evidence of horse from a terracotta figurine
- A ship designed on a seal
- Beads & trade ports
- An instrument for measuring angles, pointing to modern day compass
UPSC previous year question UPSC
Which one of the following ancient towns is well known for its elaborate system of water harvesting and management by building a series of dams and channelising water into connected reservoirs?
(a) Dholavira
(b) Kalibangan
(c) Rakhigarhi
(d) Ropar
Which one of the following is not a Harappan site?
(a) Chanhudaro
(b) Kot Diji
(c) Sohgaura
(d) Desalpur
Which of the following characterizes/characterize the people of the Indus Valley Civilization?
- They possessed great palaces and temples
- They worshipped both male and female deities
- They employed horse-drawn chariots
Select the correct statement/statements using the codes given below:
a. 1 and 2 only
b. 2 only
c. 1, 2 and 3
d. None of the statements given above is correct
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