The Indus Valley Civilization was an ancient civilization located in what is Pakistan and northwest India today, on the fertile flood plain of the Indus River and its vicinity. Evidence of religious practices in this area date back approximately to 5500 BCE. Farming settlements began around 4000 BCE and around 3000 BCE there appeared the first signs of urbanization. By 2600 BCE, dozens of towns and cities had been established, and between 2500 and 2000 BCE the Indus Valley Civilization was at its peak.

1. Indus River Valley
Civilization
Boutkhil Guemide
University Mohammed Boudiaf, M’sila
Algeria

2. INTRODUCTION
 Indus Valley Civilization: An ancient civilization
that thrived along the course of Indus river in North-
Western part of Indian subcontinent
 Harappan Civilization: It was first discovered in
1921 at the modern site of Harappa situated in the
Punjab province of current day Pakistan.
 Time Duration of Indus Valley Civilization:
2500-1750 B.C.

3. India’s Geographic Features
 The Indian subcontinent
is a large, wedge-shaped
peninsula that extends
southward into the Indian
Ocean.
 Subcontinent: A large
region that is part of a
continent, but is separated
from the rest of the content
in some way.

8. Identification of
Geographic Features in India
Indus River
Ganges River
Peninsula
and/or
Subcontinent

9. Himalayan Mountains
 This peninsula is surrounded on
the north and northwest by the
Himalayan Mountains.
 This has often limited India's
contact with other cultures. This
is known as cultural isolation.

10. Seasonal winds known as monsoons bring rain every summer.
India is dependent upon monsoons to grow their crops. Not
enough rain brings drought. When there is too much rain,
rivers rise and cause deadly floods and destruction of crops.

13. Indus River Valley Civilization
 About 2500 BC, about the time
when the pyramids were rising
in Egypt, the first Indian
civilizations were forming in the
Indus River Valley.
 Little is known about these
civilizations, but Harappa and
Mohenjo-Daro were most
likely twin capital cities.

15.  The Indus Valley Civilization covered parts of
Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, Gujarat, Rajasthan and
the fringes of Western Uttar Pradesh
 It extended from Jammu in the North to mouth of
River Narmada in the South and from the Makran
Coast of Baluchistan in the West to Meerut in the East
 It covered an area of 1299600 sq. Metre.
 The Indus Valley Civilization was the most
extensive among all other ancient civilizations

16. More than 1000 sites belonging to this
civilization
Out of these, only 6 can be regarded as
cities: Harappa, Mohenjo- daro, Chanhu-
daro, Lothal, Kalibangan and Banwali
Largest site of Indus Civilization:
Mohenjo-daro

18. Harappan Civilization Town Planning
 Town planning was the hallmark of Harappan culture
 Harappan towns and cities were built as per grid pattern
wherein roads and by lanes bisected each other at right angles.
 Drainage system in Indus Civilization towns was very
impressive.
 Burnt bricks were widely used for construction purpose.
 Major towns had two parts:
(i) A fortified settlement/citadel on the upper side possibly
occupied by elite class people,
(ii) the lower town, which had houses occupied by common
people

19. Purpose of Early Cities
Each city was large
in area and contained
a large structure
located on a hilltop.
Many believe these
structures could have
served as a fortress
or even a temple.

23. Complexities of the Cities
 The most historically striking
feature of these two cities
were the way in which they
were both well planned.
 Each city was laid out in a
grid pattern, the blocks similar
to those seen in modern cities.
 The homes seem to have been
built with bricks and in a
pattern repeated throughout
the city.

24. Plumbing In the Cities
 In addition, these cities
seem to contain houses
with plumbing
systems, including
baths, drains and water
pipes.

26. Politics
The large city size indicates a strong
central government that was probably
lead by a priest-king.
NO record to indicate that the Indus
Valley Civilization had any official
political system.

27. Economy
 The development of widespread irrigation systems allowed the
indigenous population to provide food for themselves and for
trade.
 Wheat and barley were primary crops.
 Rye, peas, cotton, and rice were also grown.
 Domestication of animals also served as an important tool for
cultivation and as a source of food.
 Oxen, buffaloes, goats, sheep and pigs were domesticated.
 Dogs were regarded as pets.
 Cats were also domesticated
 Donkeys and camels were used as beasts of burden
 Harappan people were also familiar with Elephants and

29. Trade with Sumer
 Most of the people of the
Indus valley were
farmers.
 They were the first people
to grow cotton and weave
it into cloth.
 There is early evidence of
trade with other
civilizations including

30.  Basic Hinduism was one of many
religions practiced in the Indus Valley
Civilization after it was introduced by
the Aryans.
 Researchers have found swastikas (a
symbol that generally takes the form of
an equilateral cross), Hindu gods
(Shiva and Rudra), and a Mother
Goddess symbolizing fertility.
 Researchers believe that the Aryans
influenced the Hindu religion.
 The Indus Valley Civilization was a
polytheistic religion.

31. The Indus Valley Civilization social
structures was at first based on skin color
The Indus Valley has a caste system with
five classes:
Brahmins (priests and the king)
Kshatriyas (warriors and aristocrats)
Vaishyas (cultivators, artisans, and
merchants)
Sudras (peasants and serfs)
Pariah (The Untouchables, The
Castaways)

32.  The Indus Valley Civilization was the first civilization in
the world to develop precise measurement and weighing
equipment
 It had large irrigation systems
 Most of the technology was used to aid in agriculture
 Other trade technologies such as boats and carts were
employed for trade
 Tools
 Developed a measuring system and tools for
measurement
 Constructed from bronze and possibly copper and iron
 Clay was utilized for both art and tool manufacturing
 Weapons
 Constructed from bronze
 Weaponry was not as advanced as it was in the
Mesopotamian society
 Swords were not developed
 Isolated geography negated the need for advanced
weaponry

33. Harappan Script
 Harappan script is regarded as
pictographic since its signs represent
birds, fish and a variety of human
forms.
 The script was boustrophedon,
written from right to left in one line and
then from left to right in the next line.
 The number of signs of the Harappan
script is known to be between 400 and
600.
 The language of Harappan people is
unknown as its script has not been
deciphered till date.

34. Dice
Physical and written evidence of dice
and dominoes have been uncovered by
archaeologists.
An ancient form of Ludo was played as
well as an ancient form of chess, which
was played in the Indus valley.
A board, uncovered in the area of
Mohenjo- Daro, was said to be the
oldest chess board discovered in the
world.

35. Seals of the Indus Valley
 The seals are the key which archaeologists used to realised that the Indus
civilization really exists.
 There was two seals found in 1924 in two different ancient cities six
hundred km apart which proved the two cities were linked.
 The seals were used for part of trade and some seals have their family
names carved on.
This seal was found seventeen feet
and four inches below the ground!
This is a unicorn seal found in
Morhenjo daro in 1931 and proved
they believed in mythical creatures.

36. Indus valley’s jewellery
People of the Indus Valley
really loved they are
jewellery, one of the Indus
valley civilization best
features is its jewellery.
Each bead in the Indus valley
is approximately 2-3
centimetres long.
The Indus valley is rich in many
metals and worthy stones such
as Carnelian, gold, copper,
turquoise and other metals

37. Decline of Indus Valley Civilization
 Scholars have put forward number of theories to
explain the decline and the final collapse of the
Indus Valley Civilization.
 Some of these theories highlight the natural causes
whereas others mention human causes for the
decline.

38. Aryans Take over Indus Valley
 Just like not much is known about the
development of this region, not much is
known about its decline.
 For unknown reasons, around 1750 B.C. the
Indus Valley began to decline. Then about
1500 B.C., nomadic warriors known as the
Aryans conquered the Indus Valley.