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John Marshall, the first scholar to use the term “Indus valley civilization”. TCivilizationion
flourished between 2500 BC-1750 BCE (most excepted).

Geographical Extent of IVC

1. Extent: The Indus valley civilization extended from Sutkagandor (in Baluchistan on the
bank of river dask) in the West to Alamgirpur (Western UP on the bank of river Hindan) in the
East; and from Manda (Jammu Kashmir on the bank of river Chenab) in the North to Daimabad
(Ahmednagar, Maharashtra on the bank of river pravera) in the South.

Image source: NCERT

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2. Important cities

City River Archaeological Importance

A row of 6 Granaries, Mother goddess
Harappa (Pakistan) Ravi
figurines
Great Granary, Great bath, Image of
Pashupati Mahadeva, Image of
Mohenjo-Daro (Pakistan) Indus
Bearded man and Bronze image of a
woman dancer
Port city, Double burial, Terracotta
Lothal (Gujarat) Bhogava
horse figurines.
Chanhudaro (Pakistan) Indus City without a citadel
Dholavira (Gujarat) Indus City divided into three parts.
Kalibangan (Rajasthan) Ghaggar Ploughed field
Banawali (Haryana) Ghaggar Clay Harrow
Sutkagandor (Pakistan) Dask Port like
Surkotda (Gujarat) - -

Prehistoric humans used to eat raw meat and with the passage of time, he learned how to eat
cooked food, use of various metals, agriculture, etc.

After all these advancements, humans came to know about Civilization. It was bronze age
when humans felt the need for Civilization. Indus valley civilization is an ancient civilization
in the Indian sub-continent.

Indus valley civilization was one of the three early civilizations of the world. Indus valley
civilization is also known as the Harappan Civilization.

Discovery of Harappa :

Harrapan civilization was first excavated by Sir John Marshall in 1921. It was a bronze age
civilization that existed in South Asia. Indus valley civilization flourished in the basins of
Indus River. The Civilization was spread over a vast area, including not only the Indus plains
but also the Northern Rajasthan and the region of Kathiawar in Western India.

Features of Indus Valley Civilization:

Following are some of the features of Indus Valley Civilization:

1. One of the most important features of Indus Valley Civilization was systematic town
planning based on the grid system which divided the city into several rectangular blocks.

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2. Kalibangan, a site of Harappa, had two major parts - on the west ‘citadel’ (used for public
gathering) and the other was a lower town (consists of residential areas).

3. The Civilization used bricks on a large scale in building and the use of stone was
extensively founded only at Dholavira.

4. The underground drainage system was found in all the houses which were connected to the
streets.

5. Houses were present on both sides of the streets and these houses had one side entrance
with no windows facing the main street.

6. Street also had the arrangement of street lighting.

7. The houses had kitchens and bathrooms, 4 to 6 living rooms, large houses even had 30
rooms and a staircase.

Major Cities of Indus Valley Civilization:

Some of the major cities of Indus Valley Civilization:

1. Mohenjo-Daro (Sind, Pakistan) :

It was one of the largest cities of the Indus valley situated on the right bank of the Indus
valley. Great bath was situated and people used to take a spiritual bath there. Granary was the
largest building, multi-pillar assembly hall and big rectangular building used for
administrative purposes.

2. Kalibangan (Rajasthan):

Kalibangan means “black bangles” and this site is situated on the southern bank of the
Ghaggar rivers in the Ganganagar district, Rajasthan. The city had pre-Harappan and
Harappan cultural phases. Pre-Harrapan phase discovered the parallelogram citadel.

3. Lothal and Dholavira (Gujarat):

Lothal is located beside a tributary of Sabarmati, in Gujarat, close to the Gulf of Khambhat
and Dholavira is situated at Kutch district. At Lothal, evidence of the use of rice, fire altars,
seals and granary were found.

4. Harappa:

Located on the left bank of river Indus and it is the first Indus site to be excavated in 1921.

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Life in the Harrapan city:

The life based on a matriarchal society was busy. Merchants were the most dominant group,
both men and women were fond of ornaments (like- necklace, finger-rings, bangles, anklets,
bracelets, etc.), people enjoyed dancing singing, fishing, gambling, etc.

Houses, Drains, and Street:

• Houses were two-storeyed, rooms built around a courtyard, water overflowed from
the houses drained on the streets which had an underground drainage system.
• Drains were made up of mortar, lime, gypsum, etc.
• Drains were covered with bricks which shows their sense of hygiene.
• The grid system was a common feature.

Industry in Harappan Civilization:

People of Harappa were engaged in cutting stone, polishing beads, carving seals, metallurgy,
ivory work, and craftwork, evidence of ship industry.

Agriculture:

• Agriculture was the backbone of this society.

• People used a wooden plough, stone stickles for harvesting.
• Cotton was the major trade good. Proofs of Rice husk was found.
• Wheat and Barley were majorly cultivated.
• They had no idea about Iron implements.
• People grew wheat, barley, dates, peas, sesame, mustard, ragi, bajra, and jowar.

Domestication of animals

• Oxen’s, Buffalo, Goats, Sheep and Pigs were domesticated.

• Asses and camels were used as Beasts of Burden.
• Elephants and Rhino were known.
• Remains of horse found in Surkotada and evidence of horse in Mohenjo-Daro and
Lothal are also found.
• But Civilization was not horse-centred.

Religious life in Harappa:

• Peoples worshipped Pasupathi Mahadeva and a terra cotta figure of mother goddess
was excavated.
• It shows a plant is growing out of the embryo of a woman.
• No temples were found.
• Pipal, bull, dove, the pigeon was worshipped.
• They also believed in evil spirit.

Technology and crafts

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• Bronze (Copper + tin) tools widely used

• Stone implements were still in vogue
• Potter’s wheel was put to full use
• Bronze smiths, Goldsmiths, Boat-Making, Brick-laying etc. were other occupations
commonly found

Trade of Indus Valley Civilisation

• Presence of granaries, weights and measures, seals and uniform script signifies the
importance of trade.
• The barter system was widely prevalent.
• Lothal, Sutkagendor were port cities used for conducting trade.
• Trade destinations – Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asia. Contacts with Mesopotamia
civilization are also seen.

Political organization of IVC

• Cultural homogeneity achieved through a strong central authority
• No temples or religious structures found. Harappa was possibly ruled by Merchants
class.
• Weapons are rarely found.

Religious practices of IVC

● Terracotta figure of Mother Goddess.
● Phallus and Yoni worship.
● Pasupathi Mahadev seal found with the elephant, tiger, rhino and a bull surrounding
him with two deer near his feet.

Tree and animal worship of IVC

● Pipal tree worship was found.
● One horned Unicorn recognized as Rhino and the humped bull was commonly
worshipped.
● Use of Amulets to ward off ghosts and evil spirits.
● The lion was not known in Harappan culture.

The Harappan script

● Harappan script Pictographic in nature but not deciphered so far.
● They are recorded on seals and contains only a few words.
● Harappan Script is the oldest script in Indian Subcontinent.

Weights and Measures

● Use of standardized weights and measures to keep accounts of private property, to
indulge in trade and commerce etc.
● Weights are found in multiples of 16.

Harappan Pottery of IVC

● Well-developed Pottery techniques with elaborate designs of trees and circles.

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● Red ware pottery painted with black designs.

Seals of Indus Valley Civilisation

● Seals were used for the purpose of trade or worship.
● Images of animals such as Buffalo, bull, tiger etc. were found inscribed in the seals

Statue of IVC
● Discovery of Bronze statue of a naked woman and bearded man steatite statue

Terracotta figurines of IVC

● Terracotta – Fire baked earthen clay
● Used as toys or objects of worship
● Massive stone works were not found in Harappa which shows the poorly developed
artistic works made of stone

End of Harappan Civilization:

● Harappan Civilization ended around 3900 years ago. Archaeologists and scholars
suggest the reason for the downfall of the Civilization was due to:
● the drying up of rivers, deforestation. The main cause of the deforestation was the use
of firewood for banking bricks and smelting of copper ores and overgrazing of green
cover by cattle. Decreasing fertility due to increasing salinity on the account of the
expansion of nearby desert.
● Sudden subsidence of uplift of land causing floods.
● Earthquakes caused changes in the course of Indus.
● Harappan culture destroyed by invading Aryans.

Post-urban Phase (1900BC – 1200BC)

● Sub-Indus Culture
● Primarily chalcolithic
● Development of Ahar and Gilund Culture, Malwa Culture and Jorwe Culture Kayatha
culture at various phases in post-Harappan Civilization.