The most commonly known urban culture on the Indian subcontinent is the Indus civilization (Harappan Civilization), which is also referred to as the Harappan civilization or the Indus Valley civilization. The Indus Valley Civilization was the largest and oldest of the three ancient civilizations in the entire world, with the other two are Mesopotamia and Egypt.
The original instance of urban development in the Indus valley plains and its spread along the Arabian Seacoast will be found in the Indus Civilization. The two most well-known archaeological towns from this era are Mohenjo-daro (present-day Pakistan) and Harappa. This fascinating civilization developed for many centuries, leaving a legacy that now surprise historians, archaeologists, and fans.
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Sites Of Indus Valley Civilization – Ancient History
1. The civilization revolved in Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and northern Uttar Pradesh. The overall area covered by civilization was around 1.3 million square kilometers.
2. The first Indus Valley Civilization site, known as Harappa, was discovered in 1921 by the Archaeological Department of India
3. A number of Indus Valley Civilization sites were found in the years that followed from various archaeologists. Moreover, since 1921, a great deal of artefacts showing the artistic taste and imaginative abilities of the Indus Valley Civilization’s inhabitants have been discovered from these sites, including sculptures, jewelry, seals, pottery, and other items.
The Indus Valley Civilization Sites are given below:
- Gujarat was home to the towns of Lothal and Dholavira.
- Rajasthan was home to Kalibangan and Balathal.
- Haryana was the location of Rakhigarhi
- Ropar, which is now in Punjab, was also home to the Indus Valley Civilization.
Cities Of Indus Valley Civilization – Harappa and Mohenjo daro
The urban cities of the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) had well-planned and structured architecture, governance structures, and infrastructure.
The modest Early Harappan villages had grown into major urban centers by 2600 BCE. These cities are Dholavira, Kalibangan, Rakhigarhi, Rupar, and Lothal in present India, and Harappa, Ganeriwala, and Mohenjo-Daro in present Pakistan. Over 1,052 cities and towns have been located overall, especially along the Indus River and its tributaries. The Indus Valley Civilization may have operated with five million people.
The architecture of both cities was similar and they both owned citadels—the center parts of a city that were highly strengthened and controlled by armed defenses. Moreover, the locations of both cities were near the Indus River. The higher floors of both cities’ buildings would have been able to view into the distance and down the river due to this construction.
Harappan Civilization – Town Planning
- Rectangular Grid Pattern – The streets of the IVC cities were built up in a grid pattern, running east-west and north-south to create an orderly arrangement.
- The city was divided into multiple rectangular blocks throughout streets and lanes that intersected at nearly right angles.
- Narrow lanes joined the main street. Rather than on the main streets, these paths where house doors opened.
- It reflects the understanding of measurement in the Harappan Civilization.
- Planned streets and alleyways – The IVC cities’ streets and alleys were carefully planned and built. There were covered drains running alongside parts of the streets, and they were adequate to accommodate carts and pedestrian traffic.
- The city was divided into square and rectangular blocks by the main street, which was ten meters wide.
- Fortification – Mud brick fortifications around the city, keeping out cattle raiders, protect from robbers, and flooding.
- Division of cities – The city was separated into two sections: the lower city and the elevated fortress.
- Upper part – An elevated citadel served as the basis for important buildings in the western portion of these ancient cities.
- Lower part – In every city, there was a lower town with brick buildings where the common people lived around the citadel.
- Material used – The Harappan Civilization culture did not include any stone structures, and they made extensive use of burned bricks in practically all types of construction.
- Residential areas –
- Baked brick homes, many with several stories, were a sign of an advanced urban culture.
- Most of the homes were constructed around courtyards, and some of them included separate wells and bathrooms with adequate ventilation.
- The bathrooms had tiles, and there were no windows overlooking the streets.
- The Great Bath – The location of it is in a courtyard. There are steps on the northern and southern sides, and corridors on all four sides.
- At each end is a flight of steps that leads to the surface. It had multiple neighboring rooms and was nicely paved. Side rooms were available for changing clothes
- Giant sand mortar was used to attach the bricks in a waterproof manner. Bricks that had burned made up the bath floor.
- It is connected to a ritual bath, which is essential to all Indian religious ceremonies.
- An outflow from the bath’s corner led to a drain, and water was taken from a big well in a nearby room.
- Drainage systems – The Harappan Civilization had a sophisticated and well-organized drainage system.
- The drains in each home were linked to the public sewers.
- Lime, gypsum, and mortar were used to make the drains.
- These drains were built at regular intervals at the side of the roadways for cleaning, and were covered by manhole bricks or stone slabs that could be removed.
- This indicates that everyone knew a lot about the science of cleanliness.
- Granaries and storage facilities – The cities were equipped with strategically placed granaries and warehouses to hold excess agricultural goods. These buildings, which had high walls to keep pests out of the food they held, were frequently found close to the citadel or the city cente
- Water management – The Harappans had excellent resource management skills. Well-constructed and thoughtfully positioned water tanks, reservoirs, and wells might guarantee a steady supply of clean water for city dwellers.
- Commercial areas – There were commercial districts in the cities where merchants, artists, and craftsmen worked. Specialized stores and workshops may be found in these regions, suggesting a well-functioning economic structure.
- Dockyard – The enormous dockyard, the best example of IVC marine architecture, is the main feature of Lothal. On the banks of the Sabarmati River, it was found.
- Town planning uniformity – A noteworthy feature of IVC town planning was the consistency shown in several communities.
- A centralized authority or a shared urban planning system is shown by the common layout, construction methods, and brick standardization
Script and Religion – Harappan Civilization
The religion and language of the Harappans are little understood. Carbon dating a group of written texts discovered at Harappa on clay and stone tablets reveals trident-shaped, plant-like patterns that seem to be written from right to left. The texts originated between 3300 and 3200 BCE.
Without any similar symbols, the Indus script is still unreadable and is believed to have developed independently of the writing systems of Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt.
There’s much debate on the Harappan religion. Many have proposed that the Harappans worshipped a fertility-symbolizing mother god. The Indus Valley Civilization does not appear to have had any temples or palaces that would have provided conclusive proof of religious practices or individual gods, compared to the Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations.
Most seals from the Indus Valley represent animal forms; some represent animals being paraded, while others feature mythical creatures like unicorns, prompting scholarly speculation on the significance of animals in the Indus Valley religions.
Craft, Technology and Artifacts – Harappan Civilization
Many evidences of creative activity have been found in Indus city excavations. These discoveries are significant because they provide insight on the artists’ thoughts, lives, and beliefs in religion.
The majority of stone sculpture is fairly primitive, and it is incredibly rare. The body of material produced in Mesopotamia throughout the same times cannot be compared to the repertoire as a whole. It appears that all of the sculptures are meant to be worship images.
The data include males sitting, composite animals lying down, or in rare cases (from Harappa) a male figure in his nude standing and a figure dancing. The best pieces are very well made.
A small but important collection of cast-bronze figures is also available, comprising both whole and partial representations of dancing females, little chariots, carts, and animals. The bronzes’ superb craftsmanship indicates a well evolved art form, although there are still few examples. Rather than being imports, they seem to be the work of Indian artisans. Copper is more frequent than bronze, and bronze is noticeably rarer at lower elevations.
Lead, silver, and gold were among the other metals used. The latter was used on occasion to create items like plumb bobs and little vases. Compared to gold, silver is more accessible, and several examples of containers made of silver exist; these typically resemble examples made of copper and bronze.
Gold is extremely rare and was typically used for little items like necklaces, brooches, and beads.
Terra-cotta figures were the prominent art form of the Harappans or Harappan Civilization. There are also standing men, some of whom have horns and beards, but the bulk are girls, frequently richly adorned in jewelry.
Although it is widely accepted that the majority of these images are deities—possibly a Great Mother and a Great God—some tiny figurines of women raising children or performing domestic duties are most likely toys.
Many tiny seals are the most well-known Indus civilization artifacts. Using a copper burin (a cutting instrument), the seals were typically carved or etched from steatite (soapstone).
Considering the fact that not much has remained, the cotton textile fragments found at Mohenjo-daro are of tremendous importance. These offer the first proof of a crop and industry that India has been well-known for for a very long time. Given the existence of dyers’ vats, it is thought that the raw cotton was transported in bunches to the cities in order to be spun, woven, and possibly dyed.
Despite being mainly missing from the vast Indus alluvial plain, stone was an important component of Harappan material civilization. Dispersed sources, primarily in the periphery, were used as main locations for factories. The stone blades discovered in large quantities at Mohenjo-daro or Harappa Civilizaion, therefore, came from the Sukkur flint quarries, where they were most likely struck in large quantities from prepared cores.
Trade – Indus Valley Civilization
The finding of seals, ceramics, and other artifacts indicating ties with Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt, and the Persian Gulf regions demonstrate the hub status of the Indus Valley Civilization. Wide-ranging trade networks made it easier to interchange things including luxury goods, diamonds, ivory, and precious metals. With evidence of highly developed agricultural cultivation and irrigation infrastructure, agriculture was the foundation of the civilization’s economic wealth.
Decline and End of Indus Valley Civilization – Harappan Civilization
Historians continue to disagree on the Indus Valley Civilization’s fall. Several scenarios propose variables including changing environmental conditions, the Indus River’s changing path, natural calamities, or even invasion and battle. Notwithstanding its death, the civilization left behind a lasting legacy in the form of contributions to trade, craftsmanship, and urban design that served as a model for other societies on the Indian subcontinent.
Conclusion
Offering a fascinating window into a bygone era of creativity and complexity, the Indus Valley Civilization is a monument to human inventiveness and tenacity. Even after centuries have passed, its legacy still fascinates and uplifts us, serving as a constant reminder of the complex web of human history and the never-ending pursuit of knowledge. The Indus Valley Civilization invites us to explore the mysterious depths of our common past as we work to solve its secrets.
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