The Indus Valley Civilisation (also called the Harappan Civilisation) was one of the world's earliest urban cultures. It flourished in the north-western parts of the Indian subcontinent around 2500 BCE. Questions on its sites and features appear regularly in history sections of competitive exams.
Discovery and Period
The civilisation was first discovered in 1921 when Dayaram Sahni excavated Harappa. The following year, R. D. Banerji excavated Mohenjo-daro. It belonged to the Bronze Age and is also known as the Harappan Civilisation because Harappa was the first site found.
Important Sites
- Harappa – on the Ravi river (present-day Pakistan).
- Mohenjo-daro – on the Indus river; site of the Great Bath.
- Dholavira and Lothal – in Gujarat; Lothal had a dockyard.
- Kalibangan – in Rajasthan; known for ploughed fields.
- Rakhigarhi – in Haryana; one of the largest sites.
Town Planning and Society
The Harappans are famous for advanced town planning. Cities were laid out in a grid pattern with streets cutting at right angles. Houses were built of baked bricks, and there was a covered drainage system. Each city had a raised citadel and a lower town. The people used standardised weights and measures.
Economy and Religion
Agriculture, cattle rearing and trade formed the economy. They grew wheat, barley and cotton. Trade links existed with Mesopotamia. The people worshipped the Pashupati (proto-Shiva) and the Mother Goddess. Many seals made of steatite have been found, often showing animals like the bull and unicorn. The script remains undeciphered.
Decline
The civilisation declined around 1900 BCE. Suggested reasons include floods, climate change, drying of rivers, and the shifting course of the Indus.
Quick Revision Points
- Also called the Harappan Civilisation; belonged to the Bronze Age.
- Harappa discovered in 1921 by Dayaram Sahni.
- Mohenjo-daro had the Great Bath; Lothal had a dockyard.
- Known for grid town planning and covered drains.
- Traded with Mesopotamia; used steatite seals.
- The Harappan script is undeciphered.
- Rakhigarhi in Haryana is among the largest sites.