Indus Valley Civilisation

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 Number of Questions-Prelims

Prelims (Q.) 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

Ancient/
Medieval

Modern
India/Indian
national 16 17 14 21 15 20 21 16 13 12
Movement
Indian Art and
Culture
Total

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Any of the above Books

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Understanding History
Pre Historic India- Stone Age
(Origin to 10000 BCE)

Indus Valley Civilisation – 2500

BCE- 1600 BCE)

Aryans & Vedic Age (1500

BCE-600 BCE)

Mahajanapda- Foreign Invasions

600 BCE-350 BCE
Buddhism & Jainism

Mauryan Age (325-185 BCE)

Post Mauryan India (200 BCE-300CE)

Gupta Age (320-550CE)

Post Gupta-(600-750 CE)

Harsha, Chalukya & Pallava

Early Medieval ( 750-1000 CE, 1000-1200

CE)

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

- Origin
- Trends & Phases
- Geographical spread Indus Valley Civilisation or the Harappan Civilisation
- Why civilisation (known as the Sindhu Ghaati Sabhyata in Hindi) as the
- Characteristics / Features “Indus-Sarasvati” civilisation and “Sindhu-Sarasvati
- Economy & Subsistence pattern
civilisation
- Political Organisation
- Art & Craft
- Socio-Religious Life
- Decline Theories

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Q. How it All Started?

Name India

- Origin from the term Indus Valley

- 1920’s Harappa & Mohenjodaro @ Valley region
- Later on Aryans – Sapta Sindhu
- Persians Darius I Sindhu Hindu
- Greeks & Romans Indus = India
- Arabs Conquered Sindh Eastern Part – Al – Hind

Q. Age of Civilisations

Mesopotamia Egypt India China

- Euphrates & Tigris - Nile - Indus - Hwang Ho

(Yellow River)

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Q. Features of these Civilisations?

- Urban
- Literate
- Centred on a river valley
- Agri base Dense population
- Free individuals Specialists
- Writing, statue making, buildings, seals etc.
- Independent get similar – large cities
- Multiple differences as well

Q. How it all evolved?

Q. How we came to know about the IVC?

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Discovery

1826 1831 1850s 1871

- Charles Mason - Visit of col. Burns EIC - Alexander cunningham’s - Became boss of ASI
- Stood @ Harappan mounds visit - Found seals & Bricks
- Thought to be the place, - Wasn’t impressed
where Alexander fought the
battle

- But by 1921 – Harappa Excavated by Daya Ram Sahni

1922 – Mohenjodaro by R.D. Banerjee
1924 – Formal Announcement by John Marshall
1940s – Moritime wheeler’s Discovery
1950s to 2000s – Further research discovery of more than 1400 sites
by 2020 – Debate on the origin

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Q. Origin Theory?

Pre & Proto-Harappan Cultures Compromise Theory Foreign Origin

- Kot Diji, Amri Sothi - Indegeneous - Because of trade

(Kalibangan) + - Mature phase shows
- Presence of fort @ Kot Diji - Foreign mixture more contact with
- Diffusion theory mesopotamia
- Few dictators borrowed
features from the sumerian
cities

Q. So what is Correct @ Origin?

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Q. Origin – Phases – Trends – Stages of Evolution

- Based on Archeological findings

- We can see linearity / Continuity in the cultures
- 4 phases of evolution

Pre Harappan Early Harappan Mature Harappan Late Harappan

Early Settlements & Villages Towns Great Cities Decline Period

Mehrgarh Amri Kalibangan Lothal

nomadic people began to

lead a settled agricultural
life

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Trends 1. Mehrgarh-Stage 1

Beginning of Cultures (8000 BCE) - Continuation of central cultivation

- Animal Husbandary
Domestication of Plants & Animals - Crafts & Architecture
- Located @ Bocan pass
Agriculture - Part of baluchistan
- But Hydrologicaly Indus System
Permanent Settlement – Crafts & Tools - Six Mounds – 6000 BCE
- Two storey boluding
- Animal bones – Hows Pastorac Imp.
- Wealth & Urbanisation
- By 2500 BCE – The town was Abon Doned

But by Then, multiple sites evolved on west & east of system

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

2. Amri – Stage Two Phase-I Kalibangan – 2400 BCE

- Transition period - Rectangular city layout

- Pre harappan to mature harappan. - North south axis
- Started @ 4000 BCE - Furtified area
- Kept contact with balochistan - Sewage System Burnt Bricks
- Settled in plains of Indus settlement continued through out - Pottery wheel based
the whole period of IVC. - Later on abondoned, but features copied in other cities

3. Kalibangan – Stage Three Phase – II – 2250 BCE

- Pre – early – mature phase transition - Again revived

- Multiple strata found - New patter – Based on harappa & Mohenjodaro
- 2 phase development - Citadel built on old town
- Lower town @ ground
- Street width – 12, 18 or 24 feet
- Brick size changed
- Remains of fire actar + two platforms
- Absence of mother godess figure

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

4. Lothal Stage Four

- Founded later on trade led toits development

- All features of earlier cities
- Citadel, high platform
- Dockyard with opening Sluice-gates
- Large boulder stones Anchors for the ship
- Major port Trade with foreign lands
- Tools & Seals from foreign land persian seal
- Supplied raw materials

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Geographical Spread ?
 Indus Valley Civilisation

Geographical Spread ?

Map
Locations

Afghanistan Baluchistan & Makran Sindh

Coast
- Mature Phase @ Shortughai - Kohistan & Kirthar
- Trading colony - Darbar kot piedmont.
- Lapis lazuli - Lie on Arterial route - Water sites near by
- Rubies - Suktagendor, sotka- - Larkana Mohenjodaro
- Tin koti & Khairia-kot - Agri & Comm. Centre
- Gola resourses - Maritime links with - Trade route
gulf & Mesopotamia - Alhadino, Mohenjodaro
Chanhu daro

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Geographical Spread ?

Locations

Cholistan Punjab Haryana – Rajasthan Gujarat

- Gaggar-hakra system - Bari doab (Ran-Beas) - Banawali – 40 Acres - Kutch Region

- Desert region - Harappa - Rakhigarhi – 60 acres - Full blown culture
- Large scale crafts - No sites between - 20+ sites located in - Trading centres less of
production Indus – Jhelum - 1250 Sq. kms areas agri.
- 400+ sites discovered Chenab - nearly located - Saurashtra region
- Copper smelting - Ropar (2.6 HA) - Centre for cotton
- Linked to sites in Rajasthan - Resources procurement
- Multiple stone – chert
- Sabarmati carnelian, agate
- Mahi - Pastoral land available
- Luni
- Lothal
- Dholavira
- Nagwada
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Why Urban Civilisation ?

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Q. Why it is called a civilization?

- Cultures in isolation
- IVC A totality
- Social configurations
- Govt Inscriptions Shows literacy (Though script not deciphered)

- Mercantile Use (Trading)

- Civic purpose (Sign Board)
- Design on inscriptions
- Urban society Monumental structures
- Hetrogeneous economic activities
- Planning & Uniformity in dimensions as well as regional variations
- Craft production – Jewellery, stone images seals
- Prevalence of centralised authority
- 12 lakh Sq.km geographical spread
- Design of the houses
- Water management.

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

City Planing of Harappan civilisation etc.

1st Urban Civilisation

Symbolised 1st Urban Revolution

Urban Character is revealed by a large population settlement

How??

Harappa & Mohenjodaroà 30k to 40k Population

High Population densityà As high as 200 persons/sq km

Harappans were involved in arts & crafts; trade & commerce

The cities were administered by Municipalities like mechanism

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Q. Features of the cities of IVC? - Citadel fort layout watch tower bastion, gateways ditches
- Water management
- General Feature – Centralised planning
- Cites based on grid pattern
- Western part – citadel, eastern part – plain area Fresh Drainage
- Monumental size cities > 100 HA Size
- Harappa, Mohenjodaro, Kalibangan – Twin Mounds - Uniformity in housing
- Arrangement of roads
Main road – broad
Admin Residential Other roads – narrower

- Dholavira – 3 parts - Main – straight connectivity & sharp corners

upper – middle – lower areas - Presence of IVC organisation
- Standardised bricks - Road & Drainage
- Same planning, diff. size - Lamp posts
- Mohenjodaro vs. Lothal - Garbage collection
- Lothal vs. Kalibagan

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Q. Purpose of Fort/Citadel?

Purpose from flash floods

Cities were vulnerable to floods as they were located on the river banks

City of Mohenjodaro was destroyed by floods atleast 7 times

Q. How did the historians came to know about this?

G.F Dalesà Trying to drill the hole, found 7 layers of habitations

11.5 feet deep

The forts safeguarded the residents from wild animals & anti-social
elements

At someplaces even lower town was also fortifiedà Kalibangan

Surkotda

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Division of Cities

Cities divided into 2 parts

Citadel Area

Lower town

Both these areas were separated by an open ground

Dholaviraà it was divided into 3 parts

Q. Who used to occupy/live in these areas?

Citadelà Rich merchants, Rich Craftsmen, Ruling Class,

the Prietsly Class

Lower Plain Areaà Common Man

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Q. Housing pattern of IVC?

- Uniform across all sites - House design Courtyard

- Use of bailed bricks + wooden architecture
- Multi storey housing remains of staircases
- Roof Mud plastered + clay + gypsum & lime
- Tiles used for decoration
- Doors wooden, windows Rare
- Ventilation Jali Work can be seen

- Courtyard open
- Bathroom present, toilets separate
- Drainage pipelines present Drain off the waste water

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Q. Water management of IVC cities?

Q. How come a civilisation can survive without for a long period?

Q. From where they used to procure water ?

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Q. Water management of IVC cities?

- How the civilisation survived for this long period

- Water based survival

Fresh water Waste water

- Sources of fresh water

Wells Resorviors
Rivers Ponds, lakes Stepwells
- Mohenjodaro 700+ - 225000 liters
- Major cities located on - Multiple locations - Dholavira
- 1:3 size
banks - Banawali Saraswati - 16 in total
- 2ft 6” size DIA - Interconnected
- Mohenjodaro Indus - Surkotda Stream of
- Burnt Bricks channels
- Harappa Ravi kutch river
- Round & Elliptical shapes - Use of them.
- Chanhudaro Indus - Desalpur
- Rare in eastern
- Kalibangan Ghaggar - Dholavira Mansar &
Kalibangan
Manhar
- Other Civilisation had no
- Lothal Bhogavo
facility
- They used to take
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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Water management system in Harappan Cities

Q. From where did the harappan procured water?

Wells, Ponds & River

@ Mohenjodarà 700 wells have been found

Every house had a well

There also was a public well in every street

@ Harappaà Fewer wells

@ Dholaviraà Most advanced water management system

Series of stepwell have been discoveredà 16 in number

Stepwellà Reservoirs to store water

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Water management system in Harappan Cities

Q. Any other system developed?

To collect rain waterà canals were dug by the harappans

The reservoirs were interconnected for water filtration

One Reservoir so bigà it could store about 225000 Cum of water

This water management was the secret behind the fact that IVC could
Flourish in semi-arid region of Rann of Kutch where rainfall was less
than 75cms

Was dam constructed by the harappans?

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Water management system in Harappan Cities

Was dam constructed by the harappans?

Yes, Dam was used for flood irrigation

Made to Obstruct the flow of the river

In the beginning of the rainy season when it rains, huge water used to
come in rivers, flood irrigation was performed

After receding of water in the month of November, harappans used to

sow seeds & cut crops before the coming of the next flood in April

Now, Q. If water comesà how to drain it off??

Was there any drainage system in harappan cities

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

- Waste water Drainage System?

- Houses connected with drainage lives
- Small drains Big drains
- Mohenjodaro & Lothal Extensive planning
- Over ground & underground drainage
- Regular cleaning Stone slab & bricks put as covers
- Gravity based flow
- Soak pits & sediment pits
- Pottery jars @ opening of drainage lines
- No drainage lines @ kalibangan burnt bricks lanes @ Lothal &
Mohenjodaro

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Drainage System of IVC

On Ground & Underground covered drainage system was there

Every house was connected to a drainage & this drain was connected to
the main drain

Q. What if the drain gets choked up?

The drainage lines were cleaned regularly

There were openings for cleaning purposes

The waste materials at the openings indicate the cleaning of the drains

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Drainage System of IVC

There were soak pits in the drainage at regular interval for water
harvesting

Used to recharge ground water

Q. Where to discharge the waste water?

The waste water from drains was carried to the nearby fields through
small canals for irrigation purpose

Now, Q. Sanitation?
- They were the first ones to build toilets & bathrooms

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Special Features of the Cities ?
 Indus Valley Civilisation

Q. What Specialities found @ these cities? - Lower town

- Temple like structure by wheeler
1. Mohenjodaro - Twin stairway Platform rare stone sculpture found
- Discovered by R.D.Banerjee in 1922 - Barracks – single room tenements
- Continued by John Marshal, KN Dikshit, Earnest Mackay - Woven cloth also found
- Post independence 1960s – G.F. Dales
- Largest of all the cities 40000 population
- Great bath 39*23*8
- located @ Citadel – centre part
- Rooms on both sides
- Ritual bathing
- water proofing from gypson mortar
- Assembly Hall Administrative building
- granary

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2. Harappa

- 1826 – By Mason
- First started by alexander Cunningham – 1872-73
- Brick robbers looted the remains
- Founding of seal
- By 1920 – Dayaram sahni, later on M.S. Vats. Discovery of Granary
- By 1940s – Mortimer wheeler Fortification found.
Pre Indus Deposits
- Post 1947 Harppa Excavated – by G.F. Dales
- Harappa Ganeriwala Mohenjodaro
(Upper) (Centre) (Lower)

- Granaries à Outside Citadel

Two row 50*20ft.
near to the river (Significance)
- Brick platforms – Working floor for threshing
- Single room barracks

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

3. Chanhudaro

- Only city w/o citadel

- Evidances of flooding
- Small pot (Ink pot)
- Metal work – Gold, silver, tin, copper

4. Kalibangan
- 2 phases – pre & proto Harappan
- Ploughed & Dogged up fields
- Two platforms Fire Actars
- Rituals & Cult Sacrifice
- Food jars Found in a room

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

3. Chanhudaro

- Only city w/o citadel 5. Banawali

- Evidances of flooding - 2 phases
- Small pot (Ink pot) - All features of IVC cities
- Metal work – Gold, silver, tin, copper
6. Rakhigarhi – Saraswati
- Largest of the sites> 130 HA
4. Kalibangan - Excavations by Amrendra nath
- 2 phases – pre & proto Harappan - Necropolis
- Ploughed & Dogged up fields
- Two platforms Fire Actars 7. Surkotda
- Rituals & Cult Sacrifice - Gujarat
- Food jars Found in a room - Remains of Horse
- Might be a port city
- Stone rubble fortification

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

8. Dholavira

- Latest & largest to be discovered

- Started by Dr. J.P.Joshi & Continued by R.S Bisht
- All features
- City divided into three sections

Upper town Middle Town Lower town

(Citadel) (Officials & (Mango people)
Closed ones of
the ruler)
- Water management

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

9. Lothal – Discovered in 1956 by SR Rao.

- Dockyard – Brick platform

- Main sea port
- Large wall flood protection
- Metal work, shell making, bead making
- Fire altars – rituals & Cults
- Teracotta figurine of horse
- Cloth impressions over a seal
- Rice husk – earliest cultivation
- Also found @ Rangpur (Ahmedabad)

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

9. Lothal – Discovered in 1956 by SR Rao.

- Dockyard – Brick platform

Q. How come such large
- Main sea port
cities existed ?
- Large wall flood protection
Were there any political
- Metal work, shell making, bead making
organisations ?
- Fire altars – rituals & Cults
Was there a state?
- Teracotta figurine of horse
How did the urbanization
- Cloth impressions over a seal
took place?
- Rice husk – earliest cultivation
Q. What was the art all
- Also found @ Rangpur (Ahmedabad)
about ?

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Q. Polity

- No clear cut evidences

- DD Kosambi Priestly ruling class
- RS Sharma Merchants were rulers
- Political system

- Regional States Centralised empire Ruling class

Eg. Sindh Mohenjodaro - Harappa / Mohenjodaro - One emperor

Punjab Harappa - Overpowered other - Multiple kings
Cholisthan Ganeriwala cities - No palaaces
Raj Kalibangan - Intially via trade - Tombs
Har Rakhigarhi - But no army evidence - Oligarchy?
Guj Dholavira found

Conclusion One central authority + regional autonomy evidence from weight & measures Commerce & Design
1,2,4,8,64

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Process of Urbanisation
 Indus Valley Civilisation

Q. How urbanisation took place?

- Economy played a big role

- But for economy - how changes took place?

Role of Exchanges Urbanisation

Surplus between
Agriculture Pastoralists
different areas
acted as a
Catalyst

Trade & Society

Commerce

- Development
of Art & Craft

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Q. Food & Agriculture

Domestication of Animals Water Management Agriculture

- Goats, Sheeps
- Indian humped cattle
- Boar Crops
- Buffalo
- camel

Wheat & Barley Rice & Wild Rice - Cotton

- Rabi crops - Lothal - Millets
- Rangpur - Mustard Cotton @ Sindh
- Seasame - Summer crop
- Horse Gram - Irrigation facility
- Bullock carts
- Evidences of Ploughing Kalibangan
- Wooden plough
- Grid pattern 2 Crops in same field
- Mixes cropping done
- Mixture of wheat & Barley Insurance Mustard Horse Gram

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Q. Role of animals

Domestication Hunting
(Also meat)
- Rhino
- Sheeps & - Deer
Goats - tortoise
- Indian
humped bull
- Boar
- Camel
- buffalo

- Shikarpur (Gujarat) Cattle & Buffalo

lived till maturity
killed for meat
- Mutton
- Fish & Marine Molluscs

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Economic Life
 Indus Valley Civilisation

Q. Economic Progress

Agri Trading & Social Urbanisation

Surplus Commerce Changes

- Development
crafts
- technology

Craft Production

- Establishment of specialised artisan groups

- Bronze smith, gold smith, brick makers, stone cutter, weavers, terracotta manufacturers
- Axes, chisels, knives, spearheads, arrowheads, small saws etc.
- Bronze art @ Mohenjodaro, copper vessels
- Harappa & Chanhudaro – specialist workshop
- Small gold ornaments – beads, pendants, amulets
- Silver – more found – large number

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Economic life

great progress in all spheres of economic activity

Art & Craft

Specialized groups of artisans

goldsmiths, brick makers, stone cutters, weavers, boat-builders and terracotta manufacturers

Bronze and copper vessels red and black painted

pottery

Gold and silver ornaments are found

Beads were manufactured

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Route for trade

Q. Trade & commerce
Maritime Overland
- Passes
- Makran - Mountains
Internal External
- Gujarat - orientation
coast
- Trade
Evidences Sources? For external trade?
winds
Sumeria – Indus
- texts refer people as meluha - Cylinder seals of Mesopotamia, Iran with Indus motif
- Two intermediate stations – dillmun & Magan - Golf seal @ lothal & bet dwarka
- Discovery of seals @ Mesopotamia
2 dozens – UR, Kish, Susa, Lagash etc.
- Indus beads, pottery, terracotta, ivory
- Rounds seals of gulf origin – indus motifs

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Internal trade
External trade – items
- Rajasthan
- Imports – Gold (AF, Iran) - Saurashtra – Agate Conch shells
- Copper (Bal, Arab) - Maharashtra – Amethyst
- Tin (AF) - West UP, Bihar – Tin
- lapis lazuli (AF) - South India – Gold
- Turquoise (Iran) - Use of bullock carts Teracotta models
- Jade (Cen Asia) - Ships seals
- Ikka tipe chariots Copper & Bronze @ Chanhudaro &
- Export – Agri Products Harappa
- Wheat - Sea route & Riverine routes also used
- Barley
- peas
- oil seeds
- cotton goods
- beads, shells
- terracotta, stone images

- Trade through barter

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

- Centres of Production
- Lothal & Chanhudaro – bead & Cornelian
factories – export to Mesopotamia
- Balakot & Chanhudaro , Kalibangan – shell work
& bangles
- Ivory combs, cylinders, small sticks & pins
- Seals – made from steatite – used for other
items

- Ceramic Traditionà Pottery

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Art & Craftà Main Source for Economy
 Indus Valley Civilisation

- Ceramic – pottery tradition

- Wheel based
- red & black painted also plain
- use of nature motifs birds, fish, animals, plants, trees pipal leaves
- birds holding – fish
- story of panchtantra @ Lothal
- Types – goblets, dishes, basins, flasks, vase, bottles, incense burner, storage jars
- Shows utilitarian character

Type

Glaced polychrome Perforated Knobbed

Small vases

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Pottery

Non- NCERT
The Indus Valley pottery consists chiefly of very fine
wheel-made wares, very few being hand-made.

1- Plain pottery is more common than painted ware.

Plain pottery is generally of red clay, with or without a
fine red or grey slip.

2- The black painted ware has a fine coating of red slip

on which geometric and animal designs are executed in
glossy black paint.

Non- NCERT
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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Pottery
PAINTED EARTHEN JAR
•Found in Mohenjodaro, this jar is made on a
potter’s wheel with clay.
•The shape was manipulated by the pressure of
the crafty fingers of the potter.

•After baking the clay model, it was painted

with black colour.
•High polishing was done as a finishing touch.
•The motifs are of vegetals and geometric
forms.

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Seals
- Made from steatite (soft stones)
- Half inch to two inch – square, rectangular, button, cubical, round
- Cutting polish white lustre
- Images on seal – name & inscriptions
- One humped bull, unicorn, tiger, deer, elephant, tiger, bison, rhino
- Boats, musical instrument, pipal tree
- significance

Identity rights Trading & Education Religion

Commerce
- Property
- Found @ Lothal
- Warehouse

Inside
- Found @ different Location
Outside
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 Indus Valley Civilisation

•Seals
•Usually made of steatite, and
•occasionally of agate, chert, copper, faience and terracotta,
•with beautiful figures of animals, such as unicorn bull, rhinoceros, tiger, elephant, bison, goat, buffalo,
etc.

The purpose of producing seals was 1- mainly commercial.

But also used as 2- amulets, carried on the 3- persons of their
owners, perhaps as modern-day identity cards.

The standard Harappan seal was a square plaque 2×2 square inches, usually made from the soft river
stone, steatite.

Every seal is engraved in a pictographic script which is yet to be deciphered. Some seals have also been
found in gold and ivory.

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

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Sealsà Script Script

script has still to be fully deciphered

Direction of writingà Right to left

Bull likeà Boustrophedon

Seals are depicted and decorated with motifs with animals

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Q. Harappan Script?

- Pictograpic Script
- 400 to 600 signs 40 – 60 basic – rest are variations.

Indo-European / Indo-Aryan SR Rao

- language
Dravidian Soviet Scholars

- Bustrd phedon writing

- Natwar Jha Vedic Glossary on Indus seals
- No Vowels
- Syllabic system
- Rajaram Pictorial & Alphabetic Brahmi script

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Other Artà Copper Forms

Square or rectangular copper tablets,

oWith an animal or a human figure on one side
and an inscription on the other,
oor an inscription on both sides have also been
found.

The figures and signs are carefully cut with a

burin.
These copper tablets appear to have been
amulets.
Unlike inscriptions on seals which vary in each
case, inscriptions on the copper tablets seem to
be associated with the animals portrayed on
them.

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

5. Arts & Crafts Beads and Ornaments

Beadwork and jewellery

items

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Beads and Ornaments

men and women decorated themselves large variety of ornaments

produced from every conceivable material ranging from precious
metals and gemstones to bone and baked clay.

necklaces, fillets, armlets and finger-rings = both sexes

women = girdles, earrings and anklets.

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 Indus Valley Civilisation
Social Life

Beads and Ornaments

§Hoards of jewellery @Mohenjodaro and Lothal =includes necklaces of gold and

semi-precious stones, copper bracelets and beads, gold earrings and head
ornaments, faience pendants and buttons, and beads of steatite and gemstones.
§All ornaments are well crafted.

§cemetery found @Farmana in Haryana = dead bodies buried with ornaments.

§bead industry well developed = factories discovered at Chanhudaro and Lothal.

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 Indus Valley Civilisation
Social Life

Beads and Ornaments

•Q. Materials for Beads??

•Beads were made of cornelian, amethyst, jasper, crystal, quartz,
steatite, turquoise, lapis lazuli, etc.
•Metals like copper, bronze and gold, and shell, faience and
terracotta or burnt clay also used.

•varying shapes—disc-shaped, cylindrical, spherical, barrel-shaped,

and segmented.
•Some beads were made of two or more
stones cemented together, some of stone with gold covers.

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Beads and Ornaments

Social Life
•Some were decorated by incising or painting and some had designs
etched onto them.
•Great technical skill displayed in manufacture of these beads

Harappan people also made brilliantly naturalistic

models of animals,
especially monkeys and squirrels, used as pin
heads and beads.

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Spindle Whorl
Social Life

spindle whorl

large #spindles and spindle whorls in houses discovered

> spinning of cotton and wool was very common.
The fact that both the rich and the poor practised spinning is
indicated by finds of whorls made of the expensive faience as
also of the cheap pottery and shell.

NCERT
Non-
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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Social Life

people were conscious of fashion.

Different hairstyles were in vogue and wearing of beard was
popular among all.
Cinnabar was used as cosmetic and face
paint, lipstick and collyrium (eyeliner).

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Bronze Images
Terracotta Figurines

- toys, clay carts Hand made

- Cult objects Single mould - Mohenjodaro Hara. Daimabad Chanhudaro
- Birds, animals, monkey, dogs, sheep & cattle
- Dancing girl - Ikka - Elephant - Ikka
- Male & female figures
- Rhino
- Ornamental jewellery, head dress
- Buffalo
- Mother & child groups
- chailot
- Head gear – horn like gear
- Mother goddess - lost wax technique

Stone images

Stone pieces @ Mohenjodaro – priest king

2 pieces @ Harappa – Nude make torso

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Stone Statues

found at Harappa and

Mohenjodaro
two male figures—

•one is a torso in red sandstone and

•the other is a bust of a bearded man in

steatite

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Bearded man-as a priest,

Stone Statues

•is draped in a shawl coming under the right arm and covering the left shoulder. This shawl
is decorated with trefoil patterns.

•The eyes are a little elongated, and half-closed as in

meditative concentration.
•The nose is well formed and of medium
size; the mouth is of average size with close-cut moustache
and a short beard and whiskers.
•The hair is parted in the middle, and a plain woven fillet is
passed round the head.
•An armlet is worn on the right hand and holes around
the neck suggest a necklace.

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

MALE TORSO

•In this red sandstone figure, there are socket holes in

the neck and shoulders for the attachment of head and
arms.
•The frontal posture of the torso has been consciously
adopted.
•The shoulders are well baked and the abdomen slightly
prominent.

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Bronze Casting

was practised on a wide scale by the Harappans.

Their bronze statues were made using the ‘lost wax’ technique >
the wax figures were first covered with a coating of clay and allowed to
dry.
Then the wax was heated and the molten wax was drained out through a
tiny hole made in the clay cover.
The hollow mould thus created was filled with molten metal which took
the original shape of the object.
Once the metal cooled, the clay cover was completely removed.

In bronze we find human as well as animal figures -

othe best example of the former being the statue of a girl
popularly titled ‘Dancing Girl’.
oAmongst animal figures in bronze the buffalo with its uplifted
head, back and sweeping horns and the goat are of artistic
merit.

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Bronze Casting

•approximately four-inch-high copper figure of a dancing girl -

Found in Mohenjodaro
•long hair is tied in a bun
•Bangles cover her left arm, a
• bracelet and an amulet or bangle adorn her right arm, and
•a cowry shell necklace is seen around her neck.
oHer right hand is on her hip and her left hand is clasped in a
traditional Indian dance gesture.
oShe has large eyes and flat nose.
oThis figure is full of expression and bodily vigour and conveys a
lot of information

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

•Bronze casting was popular at all the major centres of the

Indus Valley Civilisation.

•The copper dog and bird of Lothal and

•the bronze figure of a bull from Kalibangan are in no
way inferior to the human figures of copper and bronze
from Harappa and Mohenjodaro.
•Metal casting appears to be a continuous tradition.

This bronze figure of a bull from Mohenjodaro deserves

mention.
oThe massiveness of the bull and the fury of the charge
are eloquently expressed.
oThe animal is shown standing with his head turned to the
right and with a cord around the neck.

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Ancient History- Pratik Nayak ©
 Indus Valley Civilisation

Terracotta

> compared to the stone and bronze statues the terracotta

representations of human form are crude in the Indus
Valley >> They are more realistic in Gujarat sites and
Kalibangan.

The most important - the mother goddess

•crude standing female figures adorned with necklaces

hanging over prominent breasts and wearing a loin cloth and
a girdle.

The fan-shaped head-dress with a cup-like projection on each

side is a distinct decorative feature of the mother goddess
figures of the Indus Valley. The pellet eyes and beaked nose
of the figures are very crude, and the mouth is indicated by a
slit.

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Terracotta

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 Religious Life ?

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Q. Religion ? Credible Sources? - Killing of a buffalo by spearmen

- Tiger cooking @ tree diety
- Official religion Found on the seals, pottery - Pipal tree+ diety + fish + goat
- Common animal unicorn, bison, elephant, zebu, tiger, hare, buffalo - Diety worshiped by humans
- Presence of rituals & colts with regional variations. - Sacrificial offering
- Pasupati mahadev Seal @ mohenjodaro - Seven women
- Diff Animal
- Yogic posturer – sitting posture different from padmasana

- Reflects Iranian Style

- Godess – seal @ Kalibangan

- stops two spearmen from infighting
Abondoned with buffalo horns
Hero / Heroine worship

- Chanhudaro Skull of women @ Jar

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Religion ? Credible Sources?

- Mother goddess @ tera cotta

- found @ various places
- stone cones
- Phallic cult

- Presence of great bath Rituals bathing

- Temple @ Mohenjodaro (Not Confirm)
- Sacrificial cults – fire altars
- pits presents in houses
- bones charred remains found
- Relevance & Significance legacy can still be found

- Infact Religious element can also be found from the Burial Practicesà How ?

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

How to cremate?

Mohenjodaro, Complete burial

Harappa, Kalibangan, Lothal and Rupar

post-cremation burial were popular at Mohenjodaro

Lothal the burial pit was lined with burnt bricks indicating the use
of coffins

Wooden coffins
were also found at Harappa

practice of pot burials is found at

Lothal sometimes with pairs of skeletons

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 Decline ?

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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Q. Decline of the IVC?

Environmental Flooding of Geological Epidemic Aryan Economic

Change Rivers changes Invasion reasons
- Health
- Drying of - Mohenjodaro 7 - Earthquake disease - Rigveda - Decline of
rivers times flooded - Sanitation - Mention of trade &
- Gaggar – issues Hari Yupa commerce
hakra - purandhar - Breaking of
(Saraswati) town planning
- Shifting of
course

- Problems with aryan invasion theory?

- No large skeletal remains except mohenjodaro
- No cut marks, massacre
- No archeological evidence
- No exidence of migrating to south
- Recent development (Current)
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 Indus Valley Civilisation

Decline In Phases

Late harappan phase – Changes takes place

Ceramic Bricks No town Overcrowding Foreign trade - Ltd use of

- Planning continues script
- Absence - Less trading
of drains long distance

- Shifting towards Doab (:. Drying of rivers)

- Movement @ Deccan

Trade
- Dense population in Gujarat
Deccan
- Over a period of time the civilisation might have merged with the later chalcolithic sites

Ancient History- Pratik Nayak ©

Q. Latest Discoveries ?
Discovery of Harappan Civilization- Important locations
Dayaram Sahni first discovered Harappa in 1921.
R. D. Banerjee discovered Mohenjodaro or Mound of the Dead in 1922.
The name Harappan Civilization was given by John Marshall after the first discovered site, Harappa.

Name Specialty

Mohenjodaro Great bath, great granary, Urn burial, sculpture of bearded

priest.
Dholavira Giant water reservoir, stadium, dams and embankments

Lothal Dockyard, double burial, rice husk, fire altars, painted jar,
modern day chess, terracotta figure of horse and ship,
Kalibangan Bangle factory

Banawali Clay toy plough

Surkotada First actual remains of the horse bones

Harappan Civilisation-
Early Harappan Culture- Graves
Found in Kutch (Gujarat)

skeletal remains
from a cemetery-like burial site where 26
graves

placed in a specific
manner- east-west
earthen pots
animal skeletons
Nomination dossier of ‘Dholavira: A Harappan City’
● Dholavira, also known as Kotada (large fort),
is located in Khadir island- Rann of Kutchch, Gujarat.

two seasonal streams: Mansar in the north, and

Manhar in the south.
●3 division type town planning – High- Middle-Low
Grounds
Reservoir, channel linking
Sign board
Construction of Dam
Step Well- total 16
Couple’s Grave in Rakhigarhi: Largest site of Harappan Civilisation
first anthropologically confirmed 'couple's grave', which was found in the Harappan
settlement excavated at Rakhigarhi in Haryana.
cemetery existing there has more than 70 skeletons.
Called as Necropolis
INDIA'S FIRST MARITIME MUSEUM – LOTHAL

Significance of Lothal in IVC ?

FOOD OF HARAPPANS
• Archaeological evidence from Indus Valley sites (c. 3300 BC
to 1300 BC) in present-day India and Pakistan suggests
that a purely vegetarian meal will not provide a
complete picture of what the Harappan people ate.
• Judging from the quantity of bones left behind, animal
foods were consumed in abundance: beef, buffalo,
mutton, turtles, tortoises, gharials, and river and sea fish.
• Apart from meat, the people of the Indus Valley Civilisation
grew and ate a variety of cereals and pulses.
• There is archaeological evidence for cultivation of pea
(matar), chickpea (chana), pigeon pea (tur/arhar),
horse gram (chana dal) and green gram (moong).
• Several varieties of wheat have been found at
Harappan sites, as well as barley of the two-rowed and
six-rowed kinds.
• There is evidence that the Harappans cultivated Italian
millet, ragi and amaranth, as well as sorghum and rice.
• Oilseeds such as sesame, linseed, and mustard were also
grown.
This is the first time it’s been proved scientifically that
dairy production was in place in the Indus Valley
civilization in 2500 BCE, and the earliest known
evidence of dairy production,

molecular chemical analysis of residue in shards of

pottery found at the archaeological site of Kotada
Bhadli, a rural settlement located in Gujarat. Of the 59
samples studied, 22 showed the presence of dairy
lipids
process called stable isotope analysis, the researchers
were also able to identify the type of ruminant used for
dairy, and concluded that these were cattle, like cows
and buffalo, rather than goats and sheep

accumulation of a surplus of animal protein, without

affecting the number of animals in your herd

type of vessels used pointed to the milk being

processed rather than being used raw
Previous Years Questionsà
 Question UPSC Pre 2013
Q. Which of the following characterizes/characterize the people of Indus
Civilization?

1. They possessed great palaces and temples.

2. They worshipped both male and female deities.

3. They employed horse-drawn chariots in warfare

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a. 1 and 2 only
b. 2 only
c. 1, 2 and 3

d. None of the statements given above is correct

 UPSC CSE- Prelims 2019
Which one of the following is not a Harappan Site?

(a) Chanhudaro (b) Kot Diji (c) Sohagaura (d) Desalpur

 Question UPSC Pre 2011
Q. Regarding the Indus Valley Civilization, consider the following statements:

1. It was predominantly a secular civilization and the religious element, though present, did not dominate
the scene

2. During this period, cotton was used for manufacturing textiles in India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2

d. Neither 1 nor 2
 Question UPSC Pre 2002

Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using
the
codes given below:
Ancient Site Finding
(A) Lothal i. Ploughed Field
(B) Kalibangan ii. Dockyard
(C) Dholavira iii. Terracota replica of a plough
(D) Banawali iv. An Inscription comprising ten
large sized signs of the Harappan
Script.
Codes
A) Ai; B-ii; C-iii; D-iv
B) A-ii; B-i; C-iv; D-iii
C) A-i; B- ii; C- iv; D- iii
D) A-ii; B-i; C-iii; D- iv
 Question UPSC Pre 2002

Which of the following animals was not represented in

seals and terracotta art of Harappan Sculpture?

a) Cow
b) Elephant
c) Rhinoceros
d) Tiger
Question UPSC Pre 1998

What is the correct chronological order in which the

following appeared in India? [1998]

1. Gold coins
2. Punch marked silver coins
3. Iron plough
4. Urban culture

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 3, 4, 1, 2 (b) 3, 4, 2, 1
(c) 4, 3, 1, 2 (d) 4, 3, 2, 1
Question UPSC Pre 2001

Which one of the following animals was not

represented seals and terracotta art of the Harappan
culture?

(a) Cow (b) Elephant

(c) Rhinoceros (d) Tiger
Q. The ancient civilisation in the Indian sub-continent differed from
those of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Greece in that its culture and
traditions have been preserved without a breakdown to the
present day. Comment.

Q. Mesolithic rock cut architecture of India not only reflects the cultural life o f the times but also
a fine aesthetic sense comparable to modern painting. Critically evaluate this comment.
(2015)

Q. To what extent has the urban planning and culture of the Indus
Valley Civilisation provided inputs to present day urbanisation?
Discuss.
(2014)
 Q. To what extent has the urban planning and culture of the Indus Valley Civilization provided
inputs to the present day urbanization? Discuss. (2014)

Answer Practice Flow

Q. Introduction Body Part-

Conclusion
- Harappan Civilisation Features of Urban Planning
Yes it can be helpful- citing the
- Urban Civilisation Features of Harappan Culture points discussed in the Body
Part
How it can provide inputs- give
example

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Q. To what extent has the urban planning and culture of the Indus Valley Civilization provided inputs to the
present day urbanization? Discuss. (2014)

Q. Introduction

- Harappan Civilisation

- Urban Civilisation

- 1st Urban Revolution

- High Population Density

- Large size of cities

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Q. To what extent has the urban planning and culture of the Indus Valley Civilization provided inputs to the
present day urbanization? Discuss. (2014)

Q. Features of Urban Planning of IVC

- Centralized planning authority

- Gird layout of cities
- Roads cutting at right angles

- Road & Drainage

- Lamp posts
- Garbage collection

- Drainage lines below the roads

- Uniform size of bricks

- Effective water management

- Rain water harvesting

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Q. To what extent has the urban planning and culture of the Indus Valley Civilization provided inputs to the
present day urbanization? Discuss. (2014)

Q. Features of Urban Planning of IVC

- Segregation of cities-
- High class- citadel- protected- boundary
walls- watch towers

- Common people- lower town

- Uniformity in Housing pattern & design

- Row housesà Shows aesthetic sense

- Cities based on river banks- use of

embankments walls

- Assembly halls in Mohenjo-Daro

- Granaries for storage of grains- Mohenjodaro
& Harappa
- Monumental buildings- great bath
- Used for recreation – cultural enhancement

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Q. To what extent has the urban planning and culture of the Indus Valley Civilization provided inputs to the
present day urbanization? Discuss. (2014)

Q. Features of Culture of IVC

- Different types of Pottery- shapes & colour

- Resembles the modern pottery style

- Seals- in the form of currency, religious

symbols

- Jewellery- oranamentation found on the

statues & images

- Ceramic tiles used in Bathroom

- Cities based on speciality of art & crafts

- Harappan Script- standardisation practise

- Shows high degree cultural evolution

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Q. To what extent has the urban planning and culture of the Indus Valley Civilization provided inputs to the
present day urbanization? Discuss. (2014)

Q. Present day Urbanization

- How the IVC can be useful

- Problems in present day Urbanization
- Hap hazard development- no standardisation

- Multifunctional agencies- lack of centralised agency

- Scattered settlements- increasing transit time

- Land use pattern

- Encroachment issues
- Quality of roads

- Design of road & drainage lines in a separate manner

- Water management
- Lack of rain water harvesting in housing
- Asymmetrical design of housing leading higher energy use

- lack of recreational areas-

- Low standard of living

History- Pratik Nayak ©

Q. To what extent has the urban planning and culture of the Indus Valley Civilization provided inputs to the
present day urbanization? Discuss. (2014)

Q. Conclusion

- 21st Century CE

- Era of Smart Cities

- Citizen friendly approach

- High standard living

- Less transit time- high density

- Other things helpful in providing significant

inputs in present day urbanisation & evolving
urban culture of India

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THANKS!