- One of the brightest spots in the renowned heritage of our culture is the excavated remains of the Harappan Civilization. The Indus Valley Civilization, as it was earlier called commonly, now it is a less used term considering the fact that the civilization remains were found far reach from the Indus river to, even to the banks of Ganges river.
- Harappan Civilization was a contemporary to the other greatest civilizations of those times like Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Chinese etc.
- Earlier, scattered chalcolithic cultures in and around Western side of subcontinent later converged in the famous sites to create an urban society. It was a Bronze Age society extending from modern northeast Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwest India.
- The civilization developed in four phases: Pre Harappan-Phase [chalcolithic communities], Early Harappan Phase (3000 BCE-2600 BCE), Mature Harappan Phase (2600 BCE-1900 BCE), and Late Harappan Phase (1900 BCE-1300 BCE).
- Sir John Hubert Marshall led an excavation campaign in 1921-1922, during which he discovered the ruins of the city of Harappa. By 1931, the Mohenjo-Daro site had been mostly excavated by Marshall and Sir Mortimer Wheeler. By 1999, over 1,056 cities and settlements of the Indus Civilization were located.
- Recently discovery of some additional ‘mounds’ discovered in the Rakhigarhi,
Haryana makes it the largest civilization site at present
- Major spots to remember are the Mohenjo-Daro [Sindh], Harappa [Pakistani Punjab], Dholavira, Lothal [Gujarat], Kalibangan [Rajasthan], Rakhigarhi[Haryana].
- Mesopotamians speak about ‘Meluhans’, which is the term they used to represent Harapan people. Harappan people had extensive trade practice with Mesopotamians as it is evident from the remains of dockyard, usage of seals etc. Absence of coins indicate trade was based on barter system.
- Harappans are believed to have used Indus Script, a language consisting of symbols normally written from right to left. A collection of written texts on clay and stone tablets unearthed at Harappa. But unfortunately, the Harappan script is yet to be undeciphered.
- They worshipped nature in its crude form. Mother goddess was revered and so was the ‘Pasupathi Mahadeva’. The Harapan seal depicting a yogic posture with trident head is considered by historians as the earliest depiction of lord shiva. No evidence of temples is a mystery.
- The development of sculpture making, art and architecture was astonishing. Sculptor, ornaments and jewelry making was at its peak. Among the various gold, terracotta, and stone figurines found, a figure of a “Priest king” is made up of steatite ( it is a type of metamorphic rock). Another figurine in bronze, known as the “Dancing Girl,” found in Mohenjo-Daro is a real wonder. They employed the idea of ‘Lost wax technique’ for bronze sculptor making. Other than bronze,terracota and stone were also used to make sculptors and seals. Terracotta works also included cows, bears, monkeys, and dogs. In addition to figurines, the Indus River Valley people are believed to have created necklaces, bangles, and other ornaments.
- Harappans were less aware of the animal Horse. Or we can say it was not a horse centric society.
- Their Urban planning was world renowned. They used burnt bricks in construction which made the constructions durable. The urban space was known for its precise street road connections called as ‘grid pattern’. Partially-excavated Rakhigarhi demonstrate the world’s first known urban sanitation systems. Drainage were covered giving attention to sanitation. The city of Mohenjo-Daro contains the “Great Bath,” which may have been a large, public bathing and social area.
- Some cities had well-built forted citadel [high ground] depicting places of importance.
- Thriving trade between Indus cities were there largely using river systems.
- The real reason for the decline of this wonderful civilization is still a case of study. The climate change and resulting flood, Aryan invasion are two prominent theories depicted by historians as the, may be, reason for its decline.
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