The Indus Valley Civilization lasted from 3300-1300 BCE in South Asia along the Indus River valley. Some of the major cities included Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro, and Dholavira. The cities had advanced architecture like bathhouses, granaries, and drainage systems. The society was primarily urban and agricultural, with most people being farmers or craftspeople. The civilization engaged in extensive trade of goods like shells, stones, and metals. While the language remains undeciphered, archaeology shows a highly developed urban culture with skilled artisans. The civilization eventually declined due to factors like flooding and migration.

1. Indus Civilization
----- by Prativa Sikdar
BLISc , 2018 - 2019
Jadavpur University

2. Introduction
• It was a Bronze age civilisation.
• Also known as Harappan Civilisation.
• Lasting from 3300-1300 BCE.
• Situated at South-Asia.
• Area – 1,299,600 sqkm.
• Discovered by – Alexander
Cunningham(1921)
• Extent – From north-east Afghanistan,
through much of Pakistan, into
western and northwestern
India.
• Population – 150,000 – 250,000 appx
in total.

3. Most Important Cities
City Year Situated at Excavators Features
Harappa 1921 Punjab
(Pakistan)
Dayaram Sahni Stone dancing Nataraja
excavated
Mohenjodaro 1922 Punjab
(Pakistan)
R.D. Bannerjee Great bath, assembly hall
Chanhudaro 1925 Sindh Mackay Only site without Citadel
Lothal 1954 Gujarat S.R. Rao Dockyard city,
Evidence of rice
Kalibangan 1961 Rajasthan B.B. Lal Ploughed field, camel bones,
two types of burials
Dholavira 1967 Kutch J.P. Joshi Harappan inscription found
Surkotada 1972 Gujrat J.P. Joshi Horse, oval grave& pit burial
found
Banwali 1973 Haryana R.S. Bisht Barley found

4. Dholavira Lothal
Mohenjodaro
Harappa

5. Architecture
• The cities are build on numerous mounds
(elevated grounds)
• Two sections for each city – i) Citadel
(administrative building, religious
centres, bathhouses, & granaries)
ii) Lower town (people lived)
• Advanced architecture
--- Impresive dockyards
--- Graneries
--- warehouses
• Walled city (protection from flood water)
• Well planned streets
• Proper sanitation & drainage system
• Baked brick houses
• Well built bathrooms
• Wells throughout the city
• No large monumental structures

6. Society & Politics
• Primarily urban.
• There are no king.
• Governed by Priest King.
• Everyone has equal rights in
society.
• Some merchants but mostly
farmers.
• There are so many craft
specialist, like potters, metal
workers, seal makers etc.

7. ECONOMY
• Based on agriculture & trade.
• Standards of weights &measures
was established
• Industry= textiles.
• Cotton used for textiles.
• Jewels made from gold, silver
&copper.
• Most city dwellers were traders
or artisans.

8. AGRICULTURE
• Harappans were
agricultural people.
• The people harvested
different kinds of crops
like Wheat, Barley,
Peas, Sesame, Melons,
Dates, Cotton.
• Each city has
“Granaries” or food
storage areas.

9. Trade
• Shells, Stones, Terracotta
pots, lapis lazuli and Metals
were trade products.
• Barter system was followed.
• Navigation system was there,
which shows ships and boats
were available.
• Traded with Mesopotamia,
Southern India, Afghanistan
and Persia for gold, silver,
copper & turquoise.

10. Trade relations

11. LANGUAGE & Culture
• Language
– Had writing system of
300 symbols, but
scientists cannot
decipher it
• Culture
– Harappan cities
appear uniform in
culture, no great
social divisions
– Animals importance
to the culture; toys
suggest prosperity

12. Art & crafts
•Dancing girl
•Pottery
•Terracotta cart
•Jewellery

13. Religion
• Normally termed as
animism. i.e., worship of
trees, animals.
• Terracotta figure of
Mother Goddess found.
• Chief male deity,
Pashupati, the lord of
beasts & animals.
• Use amulets to prevent
ghosts & evil forces.

14. End of the Civilization
• Repeated floods caused the
course of the Indus River to
shift away .
• The Ghaggar-Hakra river
shifted & forced the people
to move.
• Shift in major trade routes.
• Deforestation & soil
erosion.
• Migration/ Invasion of
Aryans.

15. Latest discovery & technique
• Rakhigarhi – the
largest indian site of
Indus Civilization in
Haryana.
• C-14 process is
backdated now.
• DNA method is used
for smooth work.

16. Conclusion
• Highly planned urban city.
• Standardized economy.
• Talented artwork, which are inspiration
for today’s world.
• The Indus Valley script has never been
translated.
• So we know very little about the people.