INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION — URBAN PLANNING, ECONOMY, SOCIETY AND CULTURE

PRERNA FOR IAS

         Mehnat Aapki, Guidance Humari

         Roz ki Prelims Practice — Experts ke Saath

INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION — URBAN PLANNING, ECONOMY, SOCIETY AND CULTURE

1. Introduction and Chronology

• The Indus Valley Civilisation, also called the Harappan Civilisation, was one of the world’s earliest urban civilisations.
• It developed broadly through Early, Mature and Late Harappan phases, with the Mature phase generally dated to about 2600–1900 BCE. (NIOS Digital)
• It extended across present-day Pakistan and north-western and western India, covering parts of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and adjoining regions.

2. Discovery and Major Sites

• Harappa was the first major site to be identified, giving the civilisation its name.
• Mohenjo-daro was excavated under R.D. Banerji, and subsequent excavations revealed a large network of Harappan settlements. (NIOS Digital)
• Major sites include Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, Dholavira, Lothal, Kalibangan, Rakhigarhi and Banawali.
• Dholavira in Gujarat was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021. (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)

3. Town Planning

• Harappan cities were remarkable for planned streets, drainage systems, fortifications and standardised construction.
• Roads often intersected at approximately right angles, producing a grid-like settlement pattern.
• Burnt bricks were extensively used at several sites, although Dholavira also made extensive use of stone.
• Houses commonly had bathing spaces and drains linked with larger street drains. (NIOS Digital)

4. Water Management

• Water management was one of the greatest technological achievements of the civilisation.
• Mohenjo-daro contained the famous Great Bath, indicating sophisticated engineering and possibly ritual bathing.
• Dholavira developed an elaborate network of reservoirs, drains and water-harvesting structures suited to its dry environment. (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)

5. Agriculture and Animal Husbandry

• Agriculture formed the economic base, with cultivation of wheat, barley, pulses, sesame, mustard and other crops.
• Cotton was also known, and archaeological evidence of textiles has been recovered from Mohenjo-daro.
• Cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goats were important domesticated animals. (NCERT)

6. Crafts and Industries

• Harappans were skilled in pottery, bead-making, metallurgy, shell-working and jewellery production.
• Copper, bronze, gold, silver, stone, shell and semi-precious stones were widely used.
• The famous bronze “Dancing Girl” from Mohenjo-daro demonstrates advanced metal-casting techniques.

7. Trade and Commerce

• Standardised weights and measures, seals and specialised craft centres indicate organised commercial activity.
• Lothal in Gujarat had a structure interpreted as a dockyard and was an important centre of maritime commerce. (NCERT)
• Archaeological evidence indicates trade contacts with Mesopotamia and the Oman region. (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)

8. Script and Seals

• The Harappans used a distinctive script that remains undeciphered.
• Short inscriptions occur mainly on seals, tablets, pottery and other objects.
• Seals commonly depict animals such as the unicorn, bull, elephant and rhinoceros and probably served administrative, commercial or symbolic purposes.

9. Religion and Society

• Archaeological finds suggest reverence for animals, trees and possibly fertility-related beliefs.
• Some seals and figurines have been interpreted as having religious significance, but definite conclusions about Harappan religion should be made cautiously.
• Differences in house size, fortifications and settlement areas suggest some degree of social differentiation.

10. Decline and Historical Significance

• The decline of urban Harappan centres after about 1900 BCE was probably gradual rather than sudden.
• Possible causes include changes in river systems, environmental stress, weakening trade networks and shifts in settlement patterns; no single-cause explanation is universally accepted.
• The civilisation’s most enduring achievements were its urban planning, sanitation, water management, craftsmanship, trade networks and technological organisation.
• Harappan civilisation therefore represents a highly developed Bronze Age urban tradition and an essential foundation for understanding the early history of the Indian subcontinent. (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)