Indus valley civilization
📖 History of the Indus Valley Civilization
The Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), also called the Harappan Civilization,
flourished between c. 3300 BCE – 1300 BCE, with its mature phase from
2600 BCE – 1900 BCE.
It was one of the world’s earliest urban civilizations, along with
Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt.
It covered a vast area (~1.3 million km²) across modern-day Pakistan,
northwest India, and parts of Afghanistan & Iran.
Major cities: Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro, Dholavira, Lothal, Kalibangan,
Rakhigarhi.
Features of the Indus Valley Civilization
1. Urban Planning
o Cities were built on a grid pattern (streets intersecting at right
angles).
o Use of baked bricks (standardized sizes).
o Citadel (fortified high area for administration, granaries, and public
buildings).
o Lower town for common residences.
2. Drainage System
o Advanced underground drainage and sewage system with covered
drains.
o Every house was connected to the street drains, showing concern for
hygiene.
3. Architecture
o Multi-storeyed houses with courtyards.
o Public buildings like the Great Bath of Mohenjo-Daro (probably used
for ritual bathing).
4. Economy
o Agriculture: Wheat, barley, peas, cotton, sesame.
o Domestication: Cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, elephants.
o Trade: With Mesopotamia (evidence of seals, beads).
o Use of weights & measures (binary system, uniform standards).
5. Art and Craft
o Pottery (red ware with black designs).
o Terracotta figurines, bronze sculptures (e.g., Dancing Girl of
Mohenjo-Daro).
o Jewelry in gold, silver, and semi-precious stones.
o Use of spinning and weaving (cotton & wool).
6. Writing System
o The Indus Script (still undeciphered). Found on seals, pottery, copper
tablets.
7. Social & Religious Life
o No clear evidence of kings or temples (suggests possible egalitarian
or merchant-based society).
o Worship of Mother Goddess, animals, trees, and a proto-Shiva figure
(Pashupati seal).
o Fire altars (at Kalibangan) suggest ritual practices.
⚙️Innovations & Achievements
Urban planning & sanitation ahead of its time.
Standardized weights and measures for trade.
Dockyard at Lothal – one of the world’s earliest known docks.
Use of cotton (IVC was likely the first civilization to grow and use cotton for
textiles).
Water management – wells, reservoirs, and drainage.
Craft specialization – bead-making, metallurgy (bronze, copper, lead, tin).
📉 Decline of the Indus Valley Civilization (c. 1900 BCE – 1300 BCE)
The decline was gradual, not sudden, and historians suggest multiple causes:
1. Environmental Causes
o Shifting of rivers (Saraswati/Ghaggar-Hakra dried up, Indus changed
course).
o Floods in some areas (Mohenjo-Daro evidence).
o Decline in rainfall → drought & reduced agricultural output.
2. Economic Decline
o Breakdown of long-distance trade with Mesopotamia.
o Agricultural decline led to urban decay.
3. Internal Factors
o Overuse of land → soil exhaustion.
o Possible social unrest or weakening of centralized organization.
4. Invasions (Less Supported)
o Some earlier theories suggested Aryan invasions caused destruction,
but modern scholars see this as unlikely.
✅ Conclusion
The Indus Valley Civilization was a remarkable Bronze Age culture, excelling in
urban planning, sanitation, trade, and craftsmanship. Its decline was more due to
environmental changes and economic factors rather than external invasions.
Despite its fall, it left a lasting legacy in South Asian culture, agriculture, and
urban traditions.
