Harappan Civilization

[6000BC-(2800-1900)-1100]
Meaning of Civilization: An advanced stage of human
cultural development having superior technology and
complex economic relationships.
Background:
• 4000-3000BCE- Human Mastered Nature
• Settled:-Banks- Villages-towns-Cities
• Agriculture: Self-surplus food-Freed Some
• Division of Labour: Smiths, Potters, writing,
construction-Improvisation
• Public Building-Development of Technology- A New
Civilization*
 Harappan Civilization
[6000BC-(2800-1900)-1100]
Traits:
1. Evolution of Cities
2. Surplus Food
3. Division of Labour
4. System of writing
5. Public Buildings
6. Development of Technology *
 Harappan Civilization
[6000BC-(2800-1900)-1100]
Ages of Civilization
Stone Age -Paleolithic(old)
-Mesolithic(Middle)
-Neolithic(New)
[Chalcolithic (Stone and Metal)]
Bronze Age-
Iron Age -
 Bronze Age Civilization(3000-
2400BCE):
Stone to Metal First metal Copper
Tools, weapons, implements
Bronze Age: Mixed Copper with tin and Zinc
: Harder and Ductile(easily shaped)
Bronze age Civilizations;
1. Harappan Civilization: Indus(India and Pakistan)
2. Mesopotamian C: Euphrates and Tigris (Iraq)
3. Chinese Civilization: Hwang ho and Yangtze
4. Egyptian Civilization: Nile*
 Harappan Civilization
[6000BC-(2800-1900)-1100]
The Discovery & Significance: It was an important
event coz Indian History stretched back to the
oldest civilization
-Harappa- 1921 by Dayaram sahni
-Mohenjodaro-1922 By RD Banerjee
-It was called so coz first ruins were discovered in
Harappa(West Punjab, Pakistan)
-Together called Indus valley civilization*
 Sources: 1. The Great Bath
Buildings, Seals, Sculptures, Pottery, Script( not
Deciphered)
1. The Great Bath
 Sources: 1.The Great Bath
Features:
1. It is located in Mohenjo-Daro
2. It has a rectangular tank surrounded by corridors,
porticos, rooms
3. Measurement: Overall structure:55/33m. The Tank:
11.8/7.1m depth 2.4m
4. There are two flight of steps leading to the tank in north
and south.
5. Materials used: Burnt bricks, Mortar, bitumen and
gypsum
6. The water is provide by nearby well
7. It is believed that it was mainly used for religious bath.*
 Sources: 1.The Great Bath
The great bath as a source provides following
information
1. It indicates high degree of perfection in
construction at that time
2. It points the presence of ruling class who could
use labour, collect tax and build such structure.
3. Most scholars believe the great bath was used for
religious purpose
4. The design shows efficient planning in the
structural features water supply and sewage
disposal.*
 Sources: 2. Citadel
2. Citadel
 Sources: 2. Citadel
• Citadel means raised area of each city
• The citadel had house of ruling class and
important buildings like the great bath, the
granary, the assembly hall and the work shops
As a source,
• It indicates elaborate planning that went into
development of cities
• It justifies that Harappan civilization was an
urban civilization
• The presence of specific building and houses
indicate some sort of social classification.*
 Sources: 3. Seals
3. Seals:
 Sources: 3. Seals
• About 2000 seals have been discovered
• Majority of them show pictures of one horned
bull, buffalo, tiger, goat, elephant and rhinoceros.
• Materials: Terracotta, steatite, agate, metal etc
• Shapes: Rectangular, square, circular etc.
As a source it provides following information
1. It provides information on trade relations
2. It gives information on their script
3. It provides information on their religious beliefs,
ex Pashupathi seal tells they believed in Shiva,
unicorn seals shows their mythical beliefs
4. It also tells about their dress, food habits and
crops*
Pashupati Seal
Unicorn Seal
 Pashupati Seal
• The Pashupathi Seal
• It shows three faced deity wearing a buffalo
horn head seated crossed legged.
• He is surrounded by animals such as an
elephant, a tiger, a buffalo a rhino and two deer
at his feet.
• This deity is identified as Pashupati Mahadeva
some call him Lord Shiva*
Sources: 4.Bearded Man:
 The Bearded Man
It was discovered in Mohenjo-Daro
It is stone statue.
It has been interpreted in two ways
1. He is priest or Yogi: he has worn shawl across
his body and he has half closed his eyes
2. He is king: he has ribbon on his forehead and
the he is placed in the public place.
This sculpture as a source indicates existence of
skilled artisans.*
Sources:5 .Dancing Girl
 Sources:5 .Dancing Girl
• It is bronze statue
• It was found in Mohenjo-Daro
• The figurine shows vigour, variety and
ingenuity(skill).
• The right arm is rested on the hip and left arm is
heavily bangled.
• It holds a small bowl against her left leg.
• As a source It is a masterpiece art that shows high
degree of development in the art of sculpture.*
Sources:6.Dockyard
Sources:6.Dockyard
 Sources:6.Dockyard
A rectangular dockyard was discovered at Lothal,
Gujarat
It was surrounded by massive walls for protection
against floods.
Materials: baked bricks
It was connected by a channel to gulf of Cambay.
Lothal was an important trading and manufacturing
centre and carried overseas trade.
As a sources it indicates overseas trade and their
skill, development of trade and their knowledge
of seas and tides.
Sources: 7.Script
 Sources: 7.Script
• The Harappans used Pictographic script
• It had around 375 to 400 signs
• The script is found on seals, copper tools,
rims of jars, copper and terracotta tablets,
jewellery and on signboards
• However the script is not deciphered*
 Theories of Origin of the Civilization

1. Foreign Origin:
• Off Shoot of Mesopotamia and migrated from
there.
• However there is striking difference between the
two.
• Trade relation might have influenced
• No evidence to prove trade
• So theory was rejected
 Theories of Origin of the Civilization

1.Indigenous Origin:
• Rooted in Indian Soil
• Villages evolved into urban areas
• Trade with Mesopotamia influenced the growth
• Marked similarities BW Pre harappa and Post
Harappa at Kot Diji, Amri, Kalibangan in terms
of Granary, defensive walls, trade.
• Evolved from agricultural communities.
 Extent of Civilization
• 1.3 million Sq Km
• Sutkagendor (Baluchistan)West to Alamgirpur
(UP) East
• Manda (Jammu) in the North to Bhagatrav
(Narmada valley) to the South.
• Covered Parts of Punjab, Haryana, Sindh,
Baluchistan, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and UP
• The main centres of civilizations are
• Pakistan: Harappa, Mohenjodaro, chanhudaro and
Sutkagendor
• India: Manda, Banawali, Kalibangan, Alamgirpur,
Lothal, Rupar, Rangpur, Dholavira.*
Extent of Civilization
 Urban Planning
Some of the important cities were Harappa in
Montgomery district of Punjab, Mohenjodaro in
Larkana distirct of Sindh others are Chanhudaro,
Lothal, Kalibangan and banawali.
These cities were different from other civilizations
for example the Sumerians developed the cities in
circular pattern where as Harappans built in
rectangular pattern.
Features
1. The whole city was divided in to two areas
The citadel and the residential(lower town)
 Town Planning
Features
1. The whole city was divided in to two areas
The citadel and the residential(lower town) both were
separated by a wall.
2. The citadel area included important buildings like the great
bath, the granary, the assembly hall etc whereas the lower
town included houses of the common people.
3. The streets followed a grid pattern running north to south or
from east to west
4. The houses at street corners were rounded to allow the carts
to pass easily
5. Each house was connected to drain which emptied the waste
water into street drains.
6. The streets crossed the main road at right angles, the
dividing the city into square or rectangular blocks.*
 Houses
Features
1. Houses were built according to a set plan on a high
mound with deep foundation to protect from floods
2. The sizes varied from single room to 12 roomed
houses which include courtyard, private wells, toilets.
3. Each house had covered drains that connected to street
drain.
4. The entrance was from narrow lane
5. The kitchen was placed in a sheltered corner of the
courtyards and the ground floor contained storerooms
and well chamber.
6. Materials: Brick and wood and grass
7. Each house had doors and windows that opened on the
side of streets and not on the main roads.
 Monumental Architecture
I. The Great bath(already discussed)
II. The Granaries:
1. The granaries have found in several cities; Mohenjo-
Daro, Harappa, Lothal and Kalibangan
2. At Harappa there were two rows of six granaries each.
3. To south of the granary there was circular brick
platforms meant for threshing grains (proof- wheat
and barley have found in crevice)
4. Two roomed barracks are found meant for labourers
5. The granary is located on the river bank Ravi
6. The granary had ventilation to prevent grains from
becoming mildewed.*
 Trade
The granaries, seals, uniform script, weights and measures
indicates that the Harappan were involved in Trade.
The evidence also prove that the Harappans not only
traded within but also overseas.
Internal Trade
1. The traded stone, metal, shell etc within through
Barter system.
2. Mohenjodaro, Harappa, Lothal produced tools and
weapons as well as kitchenware and traded them.
3. Rice was imported from Punjab.
4. Lothal, Surkotada provided cotton.
5. Balakot and Chanhudaro were centres of bangle
making.
6. Lothal and Chanhudaro manufactured beads.*
 Trade
External Trade
1. Lothal, Surkotada and Balakot traded with
Mesopotamia, west Asia and Afghanistan
2. Proof: Mesopotamia texts refers trade with Meluha the
ancient name of Indus region through ships and boats
(seals are the proof)
3. They also exported and imported from West and
central Asia
4. Gold from Karnataka and Afghanisthan, copper from
Rajasthan, south India, Baluchistan and Arabia
5. Lead from east or west India.*
 Weights and Measures
A number of weights and measures have been
discovered
1. The people used sets of Cubical stone weights
2. The basic unit was 16(equal to modern
14grms)
3. The larger weights were multiples of 16 like
32, 64, 128 so on
4. The smaller ones were al fractions of 16*
 Transport
For inland trade: People used bullock carts and
horse carts
Proof is copper, bronze and terracotta models of
carts
Overseas trade: people used ships and boats
Proof: Seals and Terracotta models of ships and
boats*
 Art and craft
Main art and craft are
• Weaving: a piece of woven cotton was discovered in
Mohenjodaro and textile impressions in many objects.
• Boat making, seal making, terracotta articles making
were prevalent
• Goldsmiths made jewelry of silver and gold and
precious stones and bead making
• They also produced pottery on the potters wheel with
black geometrical patterns
• The large jars with narrow necks and red pots with
black decorations shows their artistic skills.*
 Sculpture
Terracotta: Many figurines and models of carts the
statue of Mother goddess
Stone: Bearded man of Mohenjodaro
Metal: Bronze statue of dancing girl, figurines of
buffalo, ram and carts models
The sculpture in metal was done through the
‘Lost Wax Process”
In this process the fist figures were made in wax
and covered with clay coating. Then they heat the
figure where the melted wax would come out
through a hole
Later the hollow was filled with molten metal
which would take the shape of the object.*
 Ornaments
Ornaments were worn by both men and women
Examples: necklace, finger-rings, bangles,
armlets, anklets, nose rings, fan shaped head
dress and earrings.
They were made of Gold, silver, precious stones
etc.*
 Toys and Amusements
People played games and many forms of
entertainments
Dice, hunting, fishing were common
They played music with drum and lyre
Toy birds, animals, figurines carts, whistles were
also made*
 Decline
The civilization declined around 1800BCE
The likely causes for the decline were
1. Floods and earthquakes
2. Increased aridity
3. Deforestation
4. Attacks.*
 Decline
1. Floods and earthquakes: Mohenjodaro was
constantly affected by the floods the proof is
the streets were covered with silt and there
are evidence that the people built city again
and again over the flooded area.
cording to RL Raikes the famous hydrologist the
cause for sudden flood might have been
earthquake which might have uplifted the
indus plain, blocked the way to sea and
caused the floods
 Decline
2. Increased aridity: According to historians
DP Agarwal and Sood the increased aridity
caused the decline
The cause for aridity is the tributeries of river
Indus changed their course due to tectonic
disturbances
3. Deforestation: Indus people used large
quantities of wood to produce bronze, to bake
bricks, pottery, stoneware , to make boats and
furniture. This could have caused
deforestation leading to climatic change.*
 Decline
5. Attack of Aryans
• According to historian Mortimer Wheeler
Aryan Invasion might have caused the decline
• He believed that in the last phase men women
ad children were massacred by the Aryans on
the streets
• Proof is skeletons of 13 males and females and
one child was found lying in room.*
 Heritage
The Harappan people though vanished left great heritage
to the future generations
1. The Harappan way of making baked pottery, bricks,
beads, jewellery, textiles etc. were adopted by later
civilizations
2. They were the first to show how to cultivate cotton
and make use of it.
3. In religious sphere the worship of Shiva, the mother
goddess, sacred trees, animals , serpents, religious
symbols, etc were adopted by Hinduism some are
continued till this day.
4. They were first to give world the modern drainage
system, town planning etc.