Father of indology William Jones who founded Asiatic Society of Bengal in 1784
The Indus valley civilization (IVC) was a unique bronze age/chalcolithic civilization
it's area is about 1. 3 million square kilometres
It extended from sutkagendor in Pakistan to alamgirpur Uttar Pradesh
Mandy in Jammu and Kashmir and Daimabad in Maharashtra
it is believed that the civilization had 3 capital/headquarters mohanjodaro ----kalibangan
The Civilization flourished around the Indus and Saraswathy river basin India.
The Indus Valley Civilization covered parts of Sind, Baluchistan, Afganistan, West Punjab, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Maharashtra.
Over 1000 Indus Valley Civilization sites have been discovered.
Urban and Globalised economy, not a closed economy.
Town Planning: Harappan cities were divided into two parts - a fortified settlement on the high mounds in the western side called ‘citadels’(acropolis) and the main residential areas called ‘lower town’.
Citadel was fortified.
‘citadel’ was smaller in area than the ‘lower town’ and located to the west of the cities.
The streets ran in straight lines crossing one another at right angles.
Houses stood on both sides of the streets.
Houses, drains, wells and bathing platforms were made of Kiln-burnt bricks.
Most of the houses had wells within.
drainage system carried the waste water to the main underground drain of the street.
The main street ran from north to south varied from 9 feet to 34 ft in width.
Metallurgy:They used some technical methods for the production of lead, copper, tin and bronze.
Seals were decorated with animal motifs such as elephants, buffaloes, tigers, and most of all unicorns.
Political system: It is speculated that the rulers might have been wealthy merchants, or powerful landlords or spiritual leaders.
Writing system: Their scripts were pictographic in Boustrophedon style.
Swastika symbol
These scripts are found on various seals, pottery copper tablets, tools etc. It is not deciphered yet.
Religious life: Harappan people had features worship of mother Goddess, Sacred animals, trees etc.
Agriculture: The civilization subsisted primarily by irrigation based agriculture.
They consumed vegetarian and non vegetarian food
It is assumed that they produced a surplus Agricultural Products which might have been stored in the Great granaries.
They used stone blades, which were mounted on wooden sticks for cultivation purpose
Wheat barley, field peas, mustard, sesame seeds, etc. were grown. Rice cultivation was not unknown even though not widely prevalent.
Trade and commerce
Harappan cities were bustling centres of industry, trade and commerce.
Carpenters, metal-smiths, weavers, gold-smiths and jewellers produced goods of high quality which were in demand within as well as outside the Harappan territory.
Government and municipal servants regulated and maintained municipal services, weight and measures and trade routes.
Bullock carts, pack animals, boats and sea – going ships were used to transport goods.
Harappan type seals and materials found at Bahrain, sumeria and in Mesopotamian cities provide evidence of extensive overseas trade.
Cotton was the most important item of export.
copper and possibly, also
tin, imported from Mesopotamia.
Jade came from China and cedar tree wood, used for furniture and boat making, was floated down the rivers from Kashmir Himalayas.
Seals were affixed by merchants to bales or parcels of their goods as trademarks or proofs of ownership.
Agricultural surplus might have been traded.
The presence of imported precious stones and metals shows that they were very rich and have made extensive Global trade of finished goods.
It suggest that they have enjoyed a positive balance of trade.
MAJOR IMPORTS
Copper Khetri (Rajasthan, Balochistan, Arabia)
Gold Kolar (Karnataka, Afghanistan, iran)
Silver Afghanistan, Persia (Iran)
Tin Afghanistan, Central Asia, Bihar
Lead Afghanistan, Rajasthan, South India, Iran
Lapis Lazuri & Sapphire Badak-shan (Afghanistan)
Important cities
Mohenjo-Daro
The Great Bath of Mohenjodaro is the most important public place measuring 39 feet (length) x 23 feet (breadth) x 8 feet (depth)
great granary found here is largest building 0f the civilisation measuring 150 feet (length) x 50 feet (breadth).
It is located within the citadel and next to the Great Bath.
1st city with a drainage system
Pashupati seal.
Bronze Statue of a dancing girl.
Priest king statue
Ivory weight balance.
Largest site.
Prepared Garments.
Harappa(1921)
Founded by Charles Mason of EIC in 1853 and excavated by Daya Ram Sahni
About 25, 000 people in 250 acre land
Cemetery H & R37.
Coffin burial.
Granary outside the fort.
Phallus worship.
On the banks of river Ravi, Pakistan.
Mother goddess.
Lower fortified town.
Hariyupia in Rigveda
Kalibangan
Fire Altar.
Copper ox.
Evidence of earthquake.
Wooden plough.
Wooden drainage.
Camel’s bone.
Lothal
Port Town.
Evidence of Rice.
Fire Altar.
Graveyard.
Ivory weight balance.
Copper dog.
Chanhudaro
Bangle factory.
Ink
pot.
Only city without citadel.
Carts with seated driver.
Rangpur
Evidence of Rice.
Surkotada
Horse bone.
Stone covered grave.
Canals.
Amri
Actual remains of Rhinoceros.
Ropar
Buildings made of stone and soil.
Dog buried with humans.
One inscribed steatite seal with typical Indus pictographs.
Oval pit burials.
Banawali
Oval shaped settlement.
Only city with radial streets.
Toy plough.
Largest number of barley grains.
defferent Dholavira
Only site to be divided into three parts.
Giant water reservoir, Dams, Embankments.
Unique water harnessing system.
A stadium.
Rock – cut architecture.
Reason of decline of the Indus Valley Civilization : After 700 years, the arappan cities began to decline.
Two reasons are believed to have led to the decline of the Indus valley civilization.
1. natural disasters such as drought, floods, etc or long-term climate change.
2. the invasion 0f the nomadic Aryan tribal group who used iron implements and horses which Were powerful and unknown to Indus Valley people.
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