INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION

INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION

INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION

The Indus Valley Civilization was an

ancient civilization located in what is

Pakistan and northwest India today, on the

fertile flood plain of the Indus River and its

vicinity. Evidence of religious practices in

this area date back approximately to 5500

BCE.Farming settlements began around

4000 BCE and around 3000 BCE there

appeared the first signs of urbanization. By

2600 BCE, dozens of towns and cities had

been established, and between 2500 and 2000

BCE the Indus Valley Civilization was at

its peak.

Mohenjo Daro

Mohenjo Daro, or "Mound of the Dead" is an ancient Indus Valley

Civilization city that flourished between 2600 and 1900 BCE. It was one of

the first world and ancient Indian cities. The site was discovered in the 1920s

and lies in Pakistan's Sindh province. Only a handful of archaeologists have

excavated here, described in the introduction and illustrated essay Mohenjodaro:

An Ancient Indus Valley Metropolis.

Discovery and Major Excavations

Mohenjo-daro was discovered in 1922 by R. D. Banerji, an officer

of the Archaeological Survey of India, two years after major

excavations had begun at Harappa, some 590 km to the north. Large-

scale excavations were carried out at the site under the direction of

John Marshall, K. N. Dikshit, Ernest Mackay, and numerous

other directors through the 1930s.

Discovery of harappa

Sir John Marshall was the first person to use the term ‘Indus civilisation’.

The Indus or the Harappan civilisation belongs to the Chalcolithic or Bronze

Age since the objects of copper and stone were found at the various sites of

this civilisation. Nearly, 1,400 Harappan sites are known so far in the sub-

continent.

They belong to early, mature and late phases of the Harappan culture. But the

number of the sites belonging to the mature phase is limited, and of them only

half a dozen can be regarded as cities.

Some of the noteworthy sites which have been excavated are Harappa (1921) by

Daya Ram Sahni, Mohenjodaro (1922) by R.D. Banerjee, Dholavira (1967-

68) by J.P. Joshi and (1990-91) by R.S. Bisht, Kalibangan by Dr. A.

Ghosh, Lothal (1955-63), Chanhu-daro, Banawali (1975-77), etc.

Timeline of indus valley civilization

Features

Town Planning: The excavations of the ruins showed a remarkable skill in town planning. The main streets

and roads were set in a line, sometimes running straight for a mile, and were varying in width from 4

meters to 10 meters. Most of these roads and streets were paved with fire brunt bricks. On the either side

of the street stood houses of various sizes which did not protrude into the streets. The main streets

intersected at right angles, dividing the city into squares or rectangular blocks each of which was divided

length wise and cross wise by lanes. Some buildings had a lamp post and a well. There was an elaborate

drainage system which emptied into the river.

The Drainage System; The Drainage System of the Indus Valley Civilization was far advanced. The drains

were covered with slabs. Water flowed from houses into the street drains. The street drains had manholes

at regular intervals. Housewives were expected to use pits in which heavier part of the rubbish will settle

down while only sewerage water was allowed to drain off. All soak pits and drains were occasionally

cleaned by workmen. In every house there was a well-constructed sink, and water flowed from the sink

into the underground sewers in the streets. This elaborate drainage system shows that the Indus Valley

people were fully conversant with the principles of health and sanitation.

Great Granary: Another large building in the city was the Great Granary which was made about 45

meters long and 15 meters wide. It was meant to store food grains. It had lines of circular brick platforms

for pounding grain. There were barrack like quarters for workmen. The granary also had smaller halls and

corridors

Features Houses: The houses were of different sizes varying from a palatial building to one with two small rooms. The houses

had a well, a bathroom, and a covered drain connected to the drain in the street. The buildings were made of burnt

bricks, which have been preserved even to this day. Sun-dried bricks were used for the foundation of the buildings

and the roofs were flat and made of wood. The special feature of the houses was that rooms were built around an

open courtyard. Some houses were double storied. Some buildings had pillared halls; some of them measured 24

square meters. It is assumed that there also must have been palaces, temples or municipal halls.

Great Bath: One of the largest buildings was the Great Bath measuring 180 feet by 108 feet. The bathing pool, 39 feet

long, 28 feet wide and 8 feet deep was in the center of the quadrangle, surrounded with verandahs, rooms and

galleries. A flight of steps led to the pool. The pool could be filled and emptied by means of a vaulted culvert, 6 feet

and 6 inches high. The walls of the pool were made of burnt bricks laid on edge, which made the pool watertight.

The pool was filled with water from a large well, situated in the same complex. Periodic cleaning of the pool was

done by draining off the used water into a big drain. The Great Bath building had six entrances. The Great Bath

reflected the engineering genius of those ancient days.

The Assembly Hall: An important feature of Mohen-jo-daro was its 24 square meters pillared hall. It had five rows of

pillars, with four pillars in each row. Kiln baked bricks were used to construct these pillars. Probably, it was the

Assembly Hall or the ruler's court. It is said that it also housed the municipal office which had the charge of town

planning and sanitation.

Features

Dress: From the sculptured figures it can be seen that the dress of men and women consisted of two

pieces of cloth-one resembling a dhoti, covering the lower part, and the other worn over the left

shoulder and under the right arm. Men had long hair designed differently. Women wore a fan shaped

head dress covering there hair. The discovery of a large number of spindles showed that they knew

weaving and spinning. Similarly it was concluded, by the discovery of needles and buttons, that the

people of this age knew the art of stitching.

Ornaments: Both men and women wore ornaments made of gold, silver, copper and other metals.

Men wore necklaces, finger rings and armlets of various designs and shapes. The women wore a head

dress, ear rings, bangles, girdles, bracelets and anklets. Rich people wore expensive ornaments made

of gold while the poor had ornaments made of shell, bone or copper.

Cosmetics: The ladies of Mohen-jo-daro were not lagging behind in styles as used by the ladies of the

present day, when it came to the use of cosmetics and the attainment of beauty. Materials made of

ivory and metal for holding and applying cosmetics prove that they knew the use of face paint and

collyrium. Bronze oval mirrors, ivory combs of various shapes, even small dressing tables, have been

found at Mohen-jo-daro and other sites. Women tied the hair into a bun and used hair pins made of

ivory. Toilet jars, found at Mohen-jo-daro, show that women took interest in cosmetics.

Features

Furniture and Utensils: The furniture and utensils found at Mohen-jo-daro show a high degree of

civilization because of their variety in kind and design. The beautifully painted pottery, numerous

vessels for the kitchen, chairs and beds made of wood, lamps of different material, toys for children,

marbles, balls and dice, indicate what people manufactured in those days.

Conveyance A copper specimen found at Harappa resembles the modern Ekka (cart) with a top-

cover. Bullock carts with or without the roof was the chief means of conveyance.

Amusements and Recreation: The Indus Valley people liked more of indoor games than outdoor

amusements. They were fond of gambling and playing dice. Dancing and singing were considered

great arts. Boys played with toys made of terracotta, while girls played with dolls.

Agriculture: Agriculture was the main occupation of the Indus Valley people. Crops such as wheat,

barley, peas and bananas were raised. In the olden days, there was enough rain in that region and

occasional floods brought a great deal of fertile soil to the area. People used to plough the land with

wooden ploughshares drawn by men and oxen. From the existence of granaries it is concluded that

there were surplus food-grains.

Features

Food: Specimens of wheat and barley show that they were cultivated in that region. Rice was also

probably grown. There is evidence to show that date palms were grown in the area. Besides these, the

diet of the people consisted of fruits, vegetables, fish, milk and meat of animals i.e. beef, mutton and

poultry.

Domestication of Animals: The people of Harappa domesticated animals like oxen, buffaloes, pigs,

goats and sheep. Camels and asses were used as means of transport. Dogs and cats were kept as

pets. The humped bull was considered a great asset in the farming community. Crafts The discovery of

spindles at the sites of Harappan culture shows that the people used to spin and weave. Goldsmiths

made jewellery of gold, silver and precious stones. People were also engaged in brick-laying and in the

art of sculpture. The making of seals was developed during this period. Bronze-smiths made various

types of weapons and tools such as knives, spears, saws and axes which were used in daily life.

Trade: Traders carried on trade in the country as well as with other countries like Egypt, Babylon and

Afghanistan. Many seals of Harappa found in Mesopotamia show that trade existed between the two

countries. The seals were made of terracotta and were used by merchants to stamp their goods.

The people of the Indus Valley used weights and measures in their business transactions. They used 16

and its multiplies: 64, 160 and 320, in measurement and weight.

Origin and Evolution of the Harappan Civilization

Town Planning during the Harappa Period

Arts

THE LIFE OF THE INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION

The great bath

The most interesting structure of this metropolis of Mohenjo-daro

is the Great Bath which is about 55 meters long and 33 meters

wide.

It is found to contain a large, open space at the centre and

galleries, rooms lie on all sides.

In the central space, there was the provision of a large swimming

enclosure, having the measurements of 12 meters long, 7 meters

wide and 24 meters deep.

The water was discharged probably by a huge drain with a cor-

belled roof more than 1.8 meters in height.

The strength and durability of the constructions of Great Bath of

Mohenjo-daro were superb as they could withstand the ravages

of five thousand years.

Grannary

Built on top of a tapered brick platform, this building had a

solid brick foundation that extended for 50 meters east

west and 27 meters north south. The foundation was

divided into 27 square and rectangular blocks by narrow

passageways, two running east west and eight running

north south. A section of the northern foundation had

hollow sockets for wooden beams used to support a

stairway or wooden structure. Later wells and walls are seen

in the foreground.

Room

Large Courtyard with mud brick filling, DK-G Area

Narrow Lane, DK-G Area

First Street, DK-G Area

Street with Limestone covered Drain SD Area

Street with Limestone covered Drain SD Area

Well

Small well(on left). Large well (on right)

Well

Public well (on left). Well with platform(on right)

Private well

Bathing platform, SD Area

DECLINE OF THE INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION

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Reference

http://www.ancient.eu

http://holisticthought.com

http://Harappa.com