The Harappan Civilisation

-Coere Content-Sylabus ant as Pocue -

Sources: Great Bath, Citadel, seals, bearded man, dancing git, dockyard, scpt.

Origin, extent, urban planning, trade, art and craft, and its decline.

OF
FROM VILLAGES TO TOWNS: THE BEGINNING
CIVILISATION
With the
In the Neolithic Age,lived in small villages.
man

increased and larger villages appeared.

passage of time, population furthe, the larger
AS population increased,
man's needs expanded
many new arts, skills,
cíties and towns. As a result,
villages grew into side. Trade and
also developed side by
crafts and occupations enterprises also
manufacturing
commerce and many other began
lifestyle. When
man

this brought about

a new

developed. All of Civilisation.

live in towns, it marked the beginning
to
BRONZE AGE
CIVILISATIONS OF THE
FOUR These are
Civilisations in the Bronze Age.
four
There appeared
mentioned:
Civilisation.
Civilisation or
the Harappan
T h e Indus Valley Tigris-Euphrates
Mesopotamian
Civilisation
orthe
The
Civilisation. prescribed in the syllabus)
Civilisation. (not
The
Chinese in the syllabus)

Egyptian
Civilisation.
(not prescribed
The

TERM in definite
implies settlement
Now Words the
Civilisation

territories,
the
of i t i e s ,
building
methods
the

of
of
The last part of ordered
eoiithic Age: evolution trade
of
stone Age the development for
government, capacity
An
advanced stage or c o m m e r c e
and a

Vilsation: and
social developmen
unrestricted.

which is
human
stem of progress 57

REDMI NOTE 9
O
CerddICSE HstnyieGAMERA
 (A) THE INDUS VALLEY OR THE HARAPPAN
CIVILISATiON
Origin of the Harappan Civilisation 1m 1921,
B, Dayaram Sahni, an Indian archaeologist
tound a number of seals from the village Harappa
in West
Punjab (now in Pakistan), Next yeat,
aa
922, a huge city was excavated hidden under
the sands and
brickS of Harappa.
The same
R.D.
year,
Banerjee made similar excavations in
Mohenjodaro in Sindh (now in Pakistan).
hus
the Archaeology Department of the then
GOvernment of India unearthed one of the
8reatest ancient civilisations of the
world, known
as the Indus
Valley Civilisation or the Harappan
culture and Civilisation.

Weights and toys

to 2500 BC. But the Radio-dating8 process puts
date of this Civilisation between 2300 BC to 1t
BC.)Most historians have accepted the date
established by Radio dating method.
Sources of Harappan Civilisation :Our ma
sources of the Harappan Civilisation are t
archaeological evidences; these include the nin
of the ancient cities, ildings, pottery, seals,
Ihis
figure of two oxen pulling
a women in a cart was
found weights and measures, ornaments, tools top
at the archaeologi eo Mohenjodaro, which is now in a
Pakistan. The Indus Valley Civilisation weapons.
Pakistan and western India between 2500
thrived in the area of Karach
and 1700 BC. Extent of the
Harappan Civilisation: T Chanh
Harappan Civilisation extended over 1600 be
from Harappa (in Larkana Pakist=
The discovery of this Civilisation was an district) anAlamg
epoch-making event in the history of India. It now Mohenjodaro (in
Montegomery districts) Mithal
became clear that history of India began from Recens
2500 BC, instead of 1000 BC. The Punjat
Harappan Civilis
culture belongs to the Bronze Age. Therefore, the
cOvere
Indus Valley Civilisation is also known as the Chena
Bronze Age Civilisation.
existec
Age of the Harappan Civilisation : John river
Marshall, the Director General of the Valley
Archaeological Survey of India, who personally first sit
to be k
supervised the excavation work in 1921-22 puts
AAthe age of this civilisation from around 4000 BC
68 &C
Candid
CandidICSE Histbry

OREDMI NOTE 9
 The Extent of

Harappan Civilization

AFGHANISTAN
Îndes
Jhel

Chenab
Rayl

ppa Rupar

Kalibangan (Alamgirpur NEPAL

S u e

RAN

Chamibal Yaanga
Mohenjodaro INDIA
Kótdai
muna

a Narmado

ARABIAN SEA Rangpure

Cillsation.

Harappan
or the
of the
Indus Valley
extent
Map showing

Kot Digi,
Lothal ports,
Karachi
and (all in
Satkagendor
and
Chanhudaro
Rupar,
Kalibangan,
Pakistan)
and Sanghol,
Nihang,
Kotla
Alamgirpur,
Lothal
and Rangpur.
Banawali, Dholavira
in
Mithal,
another
site at The
found.
Recently, been
India) has lands
Punjab (in some
of the
included
Beas,
Sutlej, Ravi,
CIvilisation

rivers
by
C i v i l i s a t i o n

cOvered Indus. As
Jhelum and o r in Indus
Chenab, bank
river Indus
on Indus the
exIsted it was
called
the Indus Valley
Civilisation
so was
Tiver valley view of the
Harappa over
An
come
Civilisation./As
it has
Valley excavated,

was
that CiVilisation.

TIstsite the
Harappan 69
known as
to be

REDMI NOTE 9
O
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 were
(All the drains
CHIEF FEATURES OF THE HARAPPAN with bricks or
covered

CIVILISATION stones. Inspection

at
manholes were provided
(1) URBAN PLANNING
d i s t a n c e s . Refuse or
regular
T T h e Indus Valley people had an excellent skill dirt was not allowed to be
of their
i n town planning-uhe streets and lanes thrown into the drain)
towns were laid
There was a soak-pit in the
out according to a house.
set planyThese
drain ot every
At Mohenjodaro the
were straight and
Water supply
was also
rerma
emainshave
houses
been
O mud-bric

intersect each good. - 1 0 ) found. This reconstrue

other at right Buildings and houses on shows how or
angles)The roads The people of
the Indus em may have foooked
ide Valley had built three
were
enough For
categories of buildings, namely, the laros
buildings5, the public bath and the people
example, the
dwelling houses.
main road at
Mohenjodaro was The cities of Mohenjo- daro and Harappaw
ten metres wide. divided into two parts. Part one of the city wa
Even small lanes built on a raised ground and it was called the
were not less than
Main roads of the Indus Civilisation
Citadel. It had large public buildings such
four metres wide. were very wide, as the granaries, workshops, assembly hall and
Streets and lanes
the factories.
had rounded
Part two of the city was on the lower
corners so that heavy carts could take an easy side
which was used to built houses.
turn. The streets were paved with fire-burnt bricks.
There were covered drains running under them. (a) The Great Granaries : The great granary
There were lamp-posts at regular distances for at Harappa was the most important building in
street lights in every street and lane. B-1(a) the cítadel. It was
as0 largest,
the
Lothal and other
Drainage system: Mohenjodaro, measuring 61.5
cities are known to have a good drainage system.
metres long and
House drains emptied into the main drains. The
15.5 metres
main drains ran under the main street, below
wide.
many lanes,
Similarly, the
largest building in
Mohenjodaro
was also a
granary, which
was 46 metres
long and 15 View of the Great Granaries

metres wide.

Drainage system

Candid ICSE History &Ciwics

 Fire burnt bricks were used for construction
General view of hoUses
water wellat Lothal
had double storeyed
Most of these housesmarks.
(b) The Great Public Bath at Mohenjodaro: The first floor had
is clear from the stair
ereat public bath has been excavated at as
The houses were made
other rooms.
ohenjodaro. ItsIneoverall dimensionwas was 55 metres sleeping and house

pool situated in of baked bricks and mud-mortar. Every hdtu

by 35 metres. batning store-room, a
kitchen, a a
bath. It measured 11.7 a bathroom, a
or the public kitchen had a fire-
the middle chamber and dustbins. The
metresby length and breadth. The
6.9 metres in placed a n
oven also.
In the courtyard, they
was 2.4 metres. The floor place. with a pestle
depth of the bathing p0ol The housewife
used to grind spices
was made of burnt bricks. had paved and
slanting
of the pool and mortar.
Bathrooms
of mud,
Hall: The Assembly Hall were flat and made
The roofs
(c)The Assembly tlooring. had its own
wel.
at Mohenjodaro. It wood. Each
house
another public building
was
25 metres. It reed and supply was always available
hall of 25 metres by So regular
water
was a square
to support the high-pitched roof. CRAFTSs
had 20 big pillars five SCULPTURE AND
were arranged
in four rows of (2) ART OF
These pillars
the rulers held
their
Statues and figurines of a young bull, a stout
each. In this hall, dancing giri
pillars a
shawl-wearing yogi, a

meetings, etc. watch-do8, different

been found at
dancer have
houses: The lower part and a male Civilisation. All these
d) People's dwelling had the dwelling sites of the
Indus Valley
animals
Mohenjodaro features of the
of the city of unearthed were depict the physical
The houses
nicely these are. The metal
people. whose statues
houses of the room
houses to and people of
from two
i.e.,
of diferent sizes,

palatial ones.

Mohenjodaro.
Public Bath at
The Great

uasui03yEndl at Mohenjodaro
L kun
CO A QUAD CAMERA
Candid ICSE History &CCS
 shapes and designs. The clay pottery Was
and its surface
was painted with glazed col
human tIgures were mar
Birds, animals and
made on
these items of
pottery.

Carving and Paintingk: The Indus Valley

in the art of carving
were very 8ood al
people a n i m a l s on
seals
carvings of
various
Their ate
really praise-worthy.

Seal o
specincay
View of a dancing girl cast in bronze from
emoe
Mohenjodaro (Pakistan)
workers at Mohenjodaro and Harappa were quite
Skilled in their art. A bronze statue of a dancing
girl is shown relaxing after a dance performance
er right hand is on her hip and her left
hand
is onmotif
painted ne
motifs. (A) Intersecting circie
free. She a large number of Pottery
dangling is wearing Pakistan. Harappa period. (B) Pain
from MohenjodarO,with leaf design. Harappa
bangles. pot
(black on red) pipal
terra cotta lid of urn found at
an Ha
( T h e decorated
was often red with black geomet
Indus valley pottery
Se
designs
The Indus Valley people liked painting. So

they drew different designs and figures

kinds of

onearthenwares and utensils. 5 )

R3SealsFigures of animals and human beings
were engraved on the seals. From those seals we
period. and ona
get to know about the dress, hair-style
Bull from Mohenjodaro, Pakistan. Mature Harappa
C. 2100-1750 BC Terra cotta.
ments of the people of the Indus Valley
Civilisation. These seals reveals a lot about the
A r t of making Pottery The Indus Valley wheel.
religious beliefs, commercial activities and trade
potters quite well knew the use of potter's relations of the people of those times. They also
articles of different 400
With its help, they produced tell us about the script of the Indus Valley people.
Of all the 2,000 seals discovered so far, the mosta
important one is the seal of Shiva or Pashupati bil
which has been discovered at Mohenjodaro Ha
- t h e Art of writing Script Harappan peopie sig
knew the art of writing. Many specimen o W
Harappan script have been found on seals the
copper tablets ,axes, and pottery. Bu
unfortunately the Harappan script has not Dee
it
deciphered till now. Some scholars connect
Indo-Aryan and Sanskrit while some other conne
it to Sumerians language. There are more tha
Pottery
REDMI NOTE 9 Candid ICSE History&Ccs
O
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 the discovery of a number of clay spindles op
diferent sizes, all over these cities.
Moreove
needles and buttons have also been found there,
T h e y preferred loose dresses, Men wore dhoti
and a
shawl.(The women wore a type of skirtand
wrappeda shawl round their shoulders.

Men kept their hair short and their beard

of umped Bull, a
eal showing trimmed.Women on the other hand liked to keep
specificaly Indian breed from gures and bull.ceremony w
long hair and dressed their hair in a variety g
remote anbquiyY
styles. They used combs to decorate their hair)

Men and women, both rich and poor,

wore

AIAUN ornaments. Necklaces, fillets, armlets and finger-

rings were c o m m o n to both men

and
addition to these, women also wore girdles (belt
women. Inn

for the waist), ear-rings, nose-rings, anklets,

bangles, nose-studs and bracelets. B

Svastika design. A unicorn seal,

Seal with
le

O
and
Seal showing a Horned
A Hindu seal from the Ithyphallic God surrounded ornaments of Harappa.
and
Jewellery
Harappan culture. rhinoceros,
by a buffalo, a
an elephant and a uger.
fond
They were
loved cosmetics.
these The women

and most of
in Harappan script beautiful and charming
400 signs number of of looking
have been found
on seals./A large No (6) Food: The people of the
Indus Valley ate
of few letters. these in
millstones
small, a group They ground
them are very in the wheat and barley.
bread. Rice too was a part of
discovered
been
bilingual inscription has and each and baked
them into
It is pictographic milk and milk products,
Besides these,
Harappan script so fa. object. It
was their food.
and bananas),
fresh
abstract, o r pomegranates
SIgn stands for a sound, of fruits (especially taken by them
an inverntion w e r e also
left to right and was vegetables,
fish and meat
written from
the Harappans themselves.B-y(b) of their food. B-2(b)
as items most
was the
PEOPLE Agriculture
THE (c) Occupations of the
Indus
ECONOMIC LIFE OF of the people
6) Valley occupation
they
Ornaments:
The Indus important
near the rivers,
so
Their fields
were
(a) Dress and
cotton

the world to spin Valley. 73

in
w e r e the first
trom
confimed
People This has
been
dnd woollen yarn.

REDWA NOTE
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 built small
dams, channels and
ran pply ot embankments to the children. These toys were mostly madeo
ch
water/ The
granaries suggests that the existence of the terracotta or bakedlclay Small imaginative oys were
claySma
production wO
toodgrains was quite in tion of also known to those people.) f-/0
surplus.
Domestication of animals was another bul
OCcupation of the people. Oxen, bulls, P
pigs, buttaloes and elephants sheep,
Camels and asses
were used
were
as
domesticated.
the beasts
burden. or

there were
carpenters, goldsmiths, potters, Terra cota animals e.g.a squirrel, a turte and a bird from

toy-makers, weavers, engravers, seal-makers and

the Chanhodaro, now in National Museum Delhi,

p-2b) brick-layers. Bead-making, tool-making

weapon-making were the other pccupations.an (4) RLIGION OF THE INDUS VALLEY PEOPLE
(d) Trade
and commerce Trading and Very little is known about the religion of the
commerce were flourishing occupations
of
people of the Indus Valley. They practised image
merchant class people in the Indus Valley. the
would import Ihey worship.
precious stones, different metals
and other articles from Southern commonn
and Eastern
India, Kashmir, tigurine discovered
Central Asia and western
countries. Similarly, through land routes in is that of a
female
Baluchistan and Persia, trade between the Indus deity, somewhat
Valley and Sumer (or Mesopotamia) existed. similar to Shakti or
"the mother
(e) Play and amusements: The Indus Valley
people also found time for play and amusements. goddess". They
regarded her as the
They preferred indoor games or hobbies. A large
number of dices have been found during source of all power
and
excavation. This shows that dicing and gambling creation
was favourite game of these people. Ihey were Similarlya seated ,
3eal of Pashupati
also fond of music and dance. Besides these, Tigure of a male- AII
hunting, keeping pet animals or birds and god, carved small stone-seal, has
on a
been found.
enjoying bull-fighting were their other pastimes. It is a three-faced god, resembling Shiva or

AV CA large number of toys and dolls have also Pashupati of later

Hinduism)
This god is
Kbeen excavated.)They cared for the playthings of surrounded by animals like
tiger and elephant on
the right, buffalo and rhinoceros on its left
and
a horned deer under the
seat. This god
sits in a
yogic posture, which justifies Lord Shiva being
called as the "Mahayogi".
The three faces of the
tigure also justify Lord Shiva to be called as the
"Trimukha'". So, the people of the Indus
seemed to have
Valley
Gambling was a popular
pastime that had been enjoyed as worshipped Shakti and
early the period of the Indus Valley Civilisation.
as Shiva
sandstone dice and the two
These Besides these(they held certain animals and trees
pottery objects were found at
Harappa (2300-1750 BC). as sacred and worshipped them.)
A-1
74 Candid ICSE History &Cvics
O REDMI NOTE9
CO AI QUAD CAMERA
 important animals (5) ART OF WRITING
Tned by them were
vOshippe Indus Valley people
used
the
ed bull, elephant The purposes.
But their

nuped
puttanoe ger, i bison, e t c . pictographic script for writing
mystery for
Their
scholars. script
tree
aorshipped b y them
Was also Script is still a in the beginning,
but in t h e
ad 62 basic signs (1900 to
these
1600 BC),
the Indus ater Harappan period
people of to 22.
also
believed ins ome
signs were reduced p
ley
vaof life after So death.

in LOTHAL DOCKYARD @-yla)

y buriedSome dead
their
site of
the
Lothal w a s the
others t is believed that
developed
town
burial. They
graves.
urn culture. The
actised Later Harappan
in search
of
belongings arrived here
laced the main like when the Harappans
port.
The

the
Othe
dead food, m o r e fertile
plains and potential
most
sils, ornaments and as the
Lothal developed
Dockyard
along with centre of the
bead industry.
mirror-sets, etc., of important port
and in
dead body,
as they
Aerra cotta figure s t r u c t u r e is
223m long
and 35 m
the
dead might aMother Goddess, The large 1.7
that the inlet c h a n n e l
thought 8 in depth. An
for the next life. The discovery width and m
these things bottom level of
the 4.26 metres

of amulets
(a taveez) Suggests that they
thread or metres above the
water to escape.Other
the evil
magic ana charms keep
to allowed e x c e s s
believed in deep tank tanks and
erosion
nad also begun the worship of siltation of the
spirits away. They inlets prevented
would have
unloaded
After a ship
of the banks. and
would have opened
its cargo, the gates
Stone sculpture of beard man
Sea waters in
found in allowed it to return to the Arabian
tall, was
1927, a seated
male figure, 17.5 cm
with unusually
ornamental brickwork
and a the Gulf of Cambay.
a building excavations
wall-niche. Though
there is no evidence
that
priests or Archaeological finds
from the
this
archaeologists dubbed
city, ancient Egypt and
monarchs ruled the it to trade with
ike the Dancing Gir, testify of the
dignified figure a "Priest-king'"; hydraulic knowledge
Mesopotamia. The
Civilization. His
Indus Valley
has become symbolic of the the fact that
thick lips, stylised
beard can be judged by
straight n o s e , ancient Harappans
halfclosedexcessive use of lines to create beard
eyes,
and hair
could dock at Lothal in
the 1850's. In 1942
and hair, boats
from Baruch to nearby
texture with design on his timber was brought
garments indicate definite
Sagarwala.
attempt of Indus valley archaeological finds
Many seals and other
artist at portraiture. Two
holes beneath the highy reveal that Lothal was a significant trading
centre
civilisation. A long wharf
Syized ears suggest that of the Harappan
warehouse.
anecklace or other head
connected the dockyard to the main
ornament was attached to The dock w a s located away from the main
to avoid deposition of
silt. Modern
tne sculpture. The left current
shoulder is covered witha Oceanographers
have observed that the
cloak. The upper lip 1S
Harappans must have possessed great
Snaved and a short
to tides in order to build such
Combed beard frames the Stone sculpture
of a priest. knowledge relating
75
face.
OndREDMENNOE9
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 a dock on the ever-shifting course of the END OF THE INDUS VALLEY
abarmati, as well as
exemplary hydrography CIVILISATION
and maritime engineering This is the earliest 1800 BC., the Valle
Indus
known dock found in the world, Around

berth and service ships. It is

equippedthatto Civilisation came
to a sudden Nothing
end.

Lothal engino
speculated
certain can be
said about the
reason of this
and
u tidal movements, sudden end. It is all a
guess work. May be the
their effects on
brick-built structures, since tne civilisation met with(a)
natural calamity like an

also enablerd
bricks. This knowledge
untselect earthquake, (b) or a devastating
iood, (C) or a
Lothal's location in the Aryan
to climatic change (dpr an
attack
Trom
Khambhat has the
highest ti tne Gult of tribes (e) or deforestation
or an epidemic.

nighest tidal amplitude and ships can be sluiced

through flow tides in the river
estuary
Recapitulation his varying needs and
tastes and beganto wnern he

degan to live in cities and cared to satisfy

a n the dawn of civiusatio.
k of
mproving the quality of life, it marked
Therefore, this civilization is called
and Harappa were set up in the Indus Valley.
esUKe Mohenjodaro
the Indus Valley Civilisation.
are simitar to
remains found in Rupar, Lothal, Kalibangan, Kot-Digi and other places those of
AS the Culture.
Civilisation is also called the Harappan
narappa, the Indus Valley
wide pucca roads, cutting each other at
arappan or valley cities were well planned, with straight
Indus
covered drainage, regular street lights. Brick Kilns and industries
ignt angles, having rounded orners,
were located outside the city.
) the public bath and the dwelling
had three categories of buildings, namely, large buildings,
Indus valley was the speclal part of the city. It was made on à raised 8round, and had
houses for people. "Citadel
most of the public buildings like granaries, Workshops, assembly hall, etc. there.

The Great Public Bath at Mohenjodaro was well-designed, having galaries, rooms, stairs, inlet and outlet
system. it was used on religious and festive occasions.
Men and women preferred two dresses, 1.e., a dhoti/shawl made from cotton or wool.
Men and women used ornaments made of gold, silver, ivory, bronze or shells, depending upon their
income. They dressed their hair. Women used cosmetics and perfumes.
Besides agriculture and domestication of animals, the people had other occupations also such as carpentry,
goldsmithy, pottery, engraving, weaving and toy-making, etc.
The rich merchant class was carrying on a regular trade with other cities in India and other countries like
Sumer (Mesopotamia). Lothal shipyard, discovered near Anmedabad, contirms import and export and
other maritime activities.
Games and hobbies like dicing and gambling, music and dance, hunting, taming animals and birds
interested these people. They also took care of children's toys.
They worshipped mother goddess or the Shakti and Lord Shiva or the Pashupati of later Hinduism. Besides
these, they also worshipped certain trees, animals and birds. They also believed in life after death. S0
they buried their dead and placed other articles with the dead body.
Hundreds of terracotta seals have been dug up. These have not been deciphered so far. Only after this i5
done, shall we have more information about this civilisation. They had, of course, developed an art of
Writing in pictographic Script.
The Indus valley civilisation came to an abrupt and sudden end in about 1500 BC. Reasons for this end are
à guess work.

Candid IcsE History &Cvics

CREDMI NOTE 9
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LEY
ley
Exercise
ning A
TANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
this 1. Mention the pertod aunng which the Indus
the did the Indus Valley Valley Civilisation flourished. a20O
Civilisation come to be known
an Name four cities connected with as
Harappa
3
69 Po ppa, mohe)o
the
or a Why are MOnenjodaro and
Indus Valley Civilisation.
bangan
4. Harappa called planned
cities ? ac yth Vo197
yan 5. Mention wo reasons to show
that the Indus
an evidence to prove that
Valley people had a good sense of town planning.
Give the
6. people of the Indus Valley cared for their personal y
How did the women ot the
7
Indus Valley
Civilisation clothe and
decorate themseves 1jon9
Mention two OcCupations of the
people of the Indus Valley.
8.
9. Mention two
4ailultwt, DemeS
indoor games in which the Indus Valley people took interest.bLInG0 ambling
10. Give twO reasons tO Suggest that the Indus Valley people cared for the children's amusenens.
to
11. Give
two of the religion of the Indus
main features Valley people. 77
12. Give two possioIe reasons tor the sudden and abrupt end of the Indus Valley Civilisation. 7
ed
13. Name a major trading centre of Harappan Civilisation. Lothal Dockyaa

of B. STRUCTURED QUESTIONS
reference to
Civilisation with
account of the public buildings in the Indus Valley
at Give an
following :
(b) The Drainage system 0
() Urban planning
g () Dwelling houses.77 under the following two heads:
of the Indus Valley
Describe the life of
the people (b) Occupations3, 7Y
(a) Dress and ornaments 9p
t
(Trade and commerce.
74 discuss the following:
arts and crafts
r e f e r e n c e to the Harappan and painting 2
With (b) Carving
Art of making pottery 7
eir ()
() Seals. 7 2
Civilisation explain: 7,73
(6) Harappan Script.
r e f e r e n c e to
the Harappan
4. With
Dockyard
(o) The Lothal
Ke
SKILL
na BASED ON questions
QUESTIONS the following
C. given picture
and
answer

observe the
ds Carefully
structure.

name of this associated.

Mention the it is
9 with
which
es the period
Mention ?
Where is it located any
two.
Mention
features ?
What are its
is

REDMI NOTE 9
e
Al QUAD CAMERA
CandidICSE History&.Cics