FIRST CLASS

INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION

Pre-Harappan Civilization
Mehrgarh
Balochistan, Pakistan.
1974 J. F. Jarrige discovered on the bank of river Bolan.
Time period – 7000 – 3200 BC

1. Charles Masson was first person to visit Harappa in

1826 and gave the earliest reference of the civilization
➢In 1853 Alexander Cunningham second time gave
the reference of IVC.
➢In 1861 Alexander Cunningham founded The
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
➢He also called father of ASI.
2.In 1912, J. Fleet discovered the Harappan seals, which
led to the excavations under Sir John Marshall.
• Indus seal:
➢It was made of steatite (soft stone) and square
shaped.
➢Purpose– to make the ownership of property.
➢Emblem– Unicorn/ Bull.
 3.In the year 1924, Sir John Marshall named this
civilization as Indus Valley Civilization.

4. Sutkagan Dor on the Makran coast represents

Western boundary, Alamgirpur Uttar Pradesh
represents Eastern boundary, Manda Jammu and
Kashmir represents Northern extreme, Daimabad in
Maharashtra represents Southern boundary.

Boundary line of Indus Valley Civilization

NORTH
(Manda Jammu and Kashmir)

WEST EAST
(Sutkagan Dor on the Makran) (Alamgirpur of U.P)

SOUTH
(Daimabad of Maharashtra)

Total area – 12Lakhs 99 thousand 600

5. Harappan people used different types of pottery

such as glazed, polychrome, incised perforated and
knobbed. (mainly black and red pottery).
 6. Indus Valley Civilization belongs to Chalcolithic age.
(copper stone age)

7. Indus Valley Civilization was an Urban Civilization.

8. According to Anthropological survey, authors of

Indus population were of four types - a) Proto-
Australoid b) Mediterranean c) Alpine d) Mongoloid.

9. The civilization of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Chinese

resemble a great deal with the Indus Valley
Civilization.

10. A seal consists of three faced deity seated in yogic

posture with two horned head, surrounded by seven
animals- Rhino, Elephant, Bison, Humped Bull, Tiger,
Buffalo, Deer.

11. Mesopotamians named Indus Valley Civilization as

‘Meluha’.
12. Flood, drought, deforestation, orthodox mentality etc
were the various reasons to the end of the Indus Valley
Civilization.
• Several reasons to the end of Indus Valley Civilization—

➢Aryan Invasion Theory by M. Wheeler.

 ➢Flood Theory by S R Rao, Mackey, Dales, Raikes.

➢Climate Change Theory by Orelstein, A N Ghosh.

➢Earthquake theory by Robert Raikes.

➢Change of the course of river Indus – Lambrick.

➢Environmental degradation theory - John Marshall

➢External Aggression - Gorden Childe, Stuart Piggot

➢Ecological imbalance - Walter Fairservis

13. Time period of the Indus Valley Civilization - Early

Harappan 3200-2600 BC, Mature Harappan- 2600-1900
BC, Late Harappan- 1900-1300 BC.
• According to John Marshall the time period of Indus
Valley Civilization was 3250- 2650 BC.
• According to C-14 test the time period of Indus Valley
Civilization is 2300- 1750 BC.

Important Centre of the Indus Valley Civilization

Place River Location Important

Finding/ Features
Harappa Ravi Montgomery/ • In 1921,
Sahiwal Dist., Harappa was
Western discovered by
Punjab, Dayaram
Pakistan Sahni. It was
the 1st
discovered site
of the Indus
Valley
Civilization.
• Great Granary–
Two rows of six
granaries.
• Single Room
Barrack (Labour
Quarter)
• A male statue
in a dancing
pose made of
red sand stone.
Some Historian
opined that is
the Nataraja
Shiv.
• Vanity case,
coffin burial, .
• Copper Ilka,
Copper Mirror.
 • They 1st used
Silver
• Cemeteries 'H'
And 'R' 37
• Famous bull
seal.

Mohenjo- Indus Larkana Dist., • In 1922

Daro Sindh, Mohenjo-Daro
Pakistan was discovered
by Rakhaldas
Banerjee. It
was the 2nd
discovered site
of the Indus
Valley
Civilization.
• The local name
of Mohenjo-
Daro was ‘The
Mound of
Dead’ (in
Sindhri
Language).
• One of the
largest Indus
Centre.
• Bronze statue
of Dancing Girl.
• Great Bath.
(The great bath
is like a
swimming
pool.)
• Great Granary
considered as
the largest
building of the
Indus Valley
Civilization.
• Image of
Pashupati or
Adi Shiva.
• Statue of a
bearded man
and it is called
the ‘Priest King’
• Indicating
Violent Death
• Evidence of
cotton cloth
was found.
• Multi pillared
assembly hall
was found
 • A pair of
skeletons was
excavated.
• Maximum
number of
seals was
excavated from
here.
• This city
discovered and
rebuilt 7 times
because 7
layers was
found.
• Cylindrical Seal
• Temple Like
Structure
Chandhudaro Indus Sindh, • In 1930- 31, it
Pakistan was excavated
by N G
Mujumdar,
later it was
further
excavated by
Ernest John
Henry Mackay.
• Only Indus City
there was no
 Citadel
excavated.
• An ink pot was
found.
• Evidence of
Lipstick.
• Other cosmetic
like eye-liner,
face powder,
combs, razor,
scent,
perfume, toilet
jars made of
ivory was
found.
• It was the
Lancashire of
India.
• Existence of
pre-harappan
as well as
harappan
culture.

Amri On the Sindh, N.G Majumdar in

bank of Pakistan 1935
 the Indus Antelope
river evidence

Sutkagan Dasht Baluchistan, • Stein in 1929

Dor River Pakistan • Westernmost
site of IVC.

• In 1954, it was
Bhogavor, discovered by S
Lothal Sabarmati Gujarat, R Rao.
India

• Port city.
• Artificial
dockyard.
• Model of a ship.
• Evidence of Rice
cultivation.
(Another Place:
Rangpur)
• Evidence of
double burial–
burying a male
and female in a
single grave.
• It was also
called ‘Mound
of Dead’.
 • Bread maker
shop, coper
furnace, painted
jar was found.

• A Chase Board
was found.
• Lothal is known
as Manchester
of Harappa for
its cotton trade.
• White tusk of
elephant
founded in
Lothal.
• Fire Pits,
Surgery of Skull,
Persian Seal
were found.
• House having
front entrance.
• Discovery of
ivory scale.

Surkotada Kutch • Discovered by J

Region, P Joshi. (1964)
Gujarat • Provided 1st
actual remains
of horse bones.
 • Burial room was
found.
• Pot burial was
found.

Dholavira Kutch • Discovered by J

Region, P Joshi (1968)
Gujarat and later 1985
excavated by R
S Bisht

• Use of rock for

construction.
• A stadium was
found.
• Evidence of
signboard
inscriptions.
• Water
management
system was
present, water
reservoir was
used.
• A spoken wheel
was found.
• It is the only
Harappan site
 to be divided
into three
parts– Upper,
Middle and
Lower and all
three areas
were covered
by walls.
• Largest letter of
the Harappan
script have
been found
from here.
Kalibangan Ghaggar Ganganagar • Discovered by
Dist., A. Ghosh and B.
Rajasthan B Lal. 1953
• Bones of Camel.
• Plough field.
Oldest plough
field in India.
• Proof of
Boustrophedon
style of writing.
• Fire alter, pot
burial, Evidence
of Furrow,
Mesopotamian
seal.
 • The city was
built by mud
brick.
• It is also known
as 3rd capital of
Indus Empire.
• Earthquake
evidence.
Manda J&K • Discovered by J
P Joshi.
• Northernmost
site of the Indus
Valley
Civilization.

Godavari
Daimabad Basin Maharashtra • 1958 by B.P
Bopardikar
• Southernmost
site of the Indus
Valley
Civilization.
• Bronze image of
charioteer with
chariot
founded.
• Ox, elephant
and copper
rhinoceros
 were excavated
from here.
Alamgirpur Hindon Uttar • 1974 Punjab
Pradesh University
• Easternmost
site of the
Indus Valley
Civilization.
• This site was
discovered by
Punjab
University
Ropar Sutlej Eastern • First site
Punjab, excavated after
Pakistan independence.
• Double burial
of a twin grave
of a man and a
dog was found.
Kotdigi Indus Sindh, • It is a pre-
Pakistan Harappan site.
• This site was
destroyed by
fire.
Rakhigarhi Ghaggar- Hisar Dist. • It is biggest site
Hakra Haryana of Indus Valley
River Civilization in
plain India.
 • One of the key
people–
Amarendra
Nath.
• Excavation
Date: 1963,
1997- 2000,
2011- at
present.
Banwali Sarasvati Haryana • Discovered in
1973 by R.S
Bhist
• No drainage
system found.
• Fishing rod
made of coper
found.
• 12 horned tiger
seal found.

Town planning

1. The towns were divided into two parts a) Upper

part of citadel - possibly occupied by member of ruling
class and b) lower part- containing brick houses which
were inhabited by common people.
2. Grid system was followed.

3. Roads cut across one another almost at right angles

and the city was divided into many blocks -
rectangular and square in shapes.

4. The use of burnt bricks.

5. Underground drainage system- in almost all cities

every big and small house had its own courtyard and
bathroom.
Drains were covered with bricks and sometimes with
stone slabs. The street drain was equipped with
manholes

Political Life

1. There is no clear idea about the political

organisation of the Harappans. But, if we take into
account the cultural homogeneity would not have
been possible to achieve without a central authority.

2. According to R. S. Sharma merchants were the

rulers and D. D Kaushambi opines that priests were
the rulers.
3. It must be noted that Harappans were lacking in
weapons.
 Agriculture

1. Agriculture was the backbone of the civilization.

2. Crops produced Wheat, Barley, Dates, Peas,
Sesame, Mustard, Millet, Ragi, Bajra and Jowar.
3. First to produce cotton in the world.
4. Sugarcane cultivation was unknown to them.

Trade

1. Agriculture, industry and forest produce provided

the basis for internal and external trade.
2. Trade was based on barter system.
3. The Harappans traded not only with other parts of
India but also with many other countries of Asia like
Egypt Mesopotamia
• Two important trading centres between Harappa and
Mesopotamia— Makran to Dilmun.
Imported goods
✓ Gold- Afghanistan Persia, Karnataka
✓ Silver- Afghanistan, Iran
✓ Copper - Khetri Rajasthan
✓ Lapis lazuli - Badakhshan
 ✓ Tin – Bihar, Central Asia
✓ Amethyst- Maharashtra
✓ Jade - central Asia
✓ Lead – Rajasthan, South India
✓ Carnelian - Saurashtra

Religious Practices

1. Mother Goddess was a common feature of religion.

2. The chief male deity, Pashupati or Adi Shiva.
3. Trees (pipal), animals (bull), birds (dove, pigeon)
and stones were worshipped.

Weights and measures

There was good system weight and measures. They

were made up of limestone and steatite etc in cubical
shape. They were in multiple of 16.

Script

• The Harappan script is yet to be deciphered. It is

pictographic in nature. (similar to Dravidian script)
• It was written from right to left in the first line and
then left to right in the second line. This style is
called Boustrophedon.
• The fish symbol is most represented.
• More than 400 symbols or letters used in
Harappan script.

Occupation
• Agriculture.
• Trade & Commerce

Industry
• Cotton Textile
• Brick Making
• Gems & Jewellery

Metal
• Gold and silver used as ornaments.
• Coper and bronze daily used metals.
• Iron was unknown to them.

Burial system in Indus Valley Civilization

• Complete burial: Full body was buried inside the

earth.
• Partial burial: Only bones were buried. Pottery
burial is also a type of partial burial.
• Cremation: Burning the body after death.