town planning system, socio economic life, drainage, religion, trade and occupation, art and crafts, harappan sites, decline

1. INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION

2. The Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) was a Bronze Age civilization (3300–1300 BCE;
mature period 2600–1600 BCE) mainly in the northwestern regions of South Asia,
extending from what today is northeast Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwest
India. Along with ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia it was one of three early
civilizations of the Old World, and of the three, the most widespread. It flourished
in the basins of the Indus River, which flows through the length of Pakistan.
The Indus Valley Civilization is also known as the Harappan Civilization, after
Harappa, the first of its sites to be excavated in the 1920s, in what was then the
Punjab province of British India, and now is Pakistan. The discovery of Harappa,
and soon afterwards, Mohenjo-Daro, was the culmination of work beginning in
1861 with the founding of the Archaeological Survey of India in the British Raj.
Indus valley civilization
The Harappan Civilization or the Indus Valley Civilization was the most fascinating and
first urban civilization in the world that flourished in the vast plains created by the River
Indus and its tributaries.

3. The most characteristic feature of the Harappan
Civilization was its urbanization. The cities show
evidence of an advanced sense of planning and
organization. Each city was divided into the citadel area
where the essential institutions of civic and religious
life were located and the residential area where the
urban population lived. In the citadel the most
impressive buildings were the granaries which were
store -houses. Near the granaries were the furnaces
where the metal workers produced a variety of objects
in metals such as copper, bronze, lead and tin. The
potters also worked in this part. The workers lived
together in small quarters near the factory. Another
well-known building was the Great Bath. It might have
served the purpose of ritual bathing vital to any
religious ceremony in India. In Mohenjo-Daro there is
also a large building which appears to have been the
house of the governor. Another building nearby was
either a meeting hall or a market place. Below the
citadel in each city lay a town proper. The town was
extremely well planned.
Town planning systemFEATURES

4. Socio – Economic Life
.Food: Specimens of wheat and barley show that they were cultivated in that region. Rice
was also probably grown. There is evidence to show that date palms were grown in the
area. Besides these, the diet of the people consisted of fruits, vegetables, fish, milk and
meat of animals i.e. beef, mutton and poultry.
Dress: From the sculptured figures it can be seen that the dress of men and women
consisted of two pieces of cloth-one resembling a dhoti, covering the lower part, and the
other worn over the left shoulder and under the right arm. Men had long hair designed
differently. Women wore a fan shaped head dress covering there hair. The discovery of a
large number of spindles showed that they knew weaving and spinning. Similarly it was
concluded, by the discovery of needles and buttons, that the people of this age knew the art
of stitching.
Ornaments: Both men and women wore ornaments made of gold, silver, copper and
other metals. Men wore necklaces, finger rings and armlets of various designs and shapes.
The women wore a head dress, ear rings, bangles, girdles, bracelets and anklets. Rich
people wore expensive ornaments made of gold while the poor had ornaments made of
shell, bone or copper.

5. Cosmetics: The ladies of Mohen-jo-daro were not lagging behind in styles as used by
the ladies of the present day, when it came to the use of cosmetics and the attainment of
beauty. Materials made of ivory and metal for holding and applying cosmetics prove that
they knew the use of face paint and collyrium. Bronze oval mirrors, ivory combs of various
shapes, even small dressing tables, have been found at Mohen-jo-daro and other sites.
Women tied the hair into a bun and used hair pins made of ivory. Toilet jars, found at
Mohen-jo-daro, show that women took interest in cosmetics.
Furniture and Utensils: The furniture and utensils found at Mohen-jo-daro show a
high degree of civilization because of their variety in kind and design. The beautifully
painted pottery, numerous vessels for the kitchen, chairs and beds made of wood, lamps
of different material, toys for children, marbles, balls and dice, indicate what people
manufactured in those days.
Conveyance A copper specimen found at Harappa resembles the modern Ekka (cart) with
a top-cover. Bullock carts with or without the roof was the chief means of conveyance.
Amusements and Recreation: The Indus Valley people liked more of indoor
games than outdoor amusements. They were fond of gambling and playing dice. Dancing
and singing were considered great arts.

6. he most striking feature of this Harappan civilization (Indus Valley Civilization) is that the
Indus Valley people had constructed their drainage system on very scientific lines.
Drainage System
The drainage system and drains were covered with bricks or stones and were
provided with inspection traps and main holes at regular intervals for inspection.
Every care was taken that the house-wives did not throw refuse or dirt in the
drains. Every house had its own soak-pit which collected all the sediments and
allowed only the water to flow into the street drain. The elaborate drainage
system of the Harappan people shows that they had developed a high sense of
health and sanitation.

7. The various articles discovered at
different sites in the Harappa and
Indus Valley suggest that these people
indulged in some sort of image-
worship. The most commonly found
figurine is that of a female deity who
has generally been identified with
“the Mother Goddess”. The people of
India, in fact, have always held a belief
in a female energy as the source of all
creation. Side by side with the
worship of the Mother Goddess, the
worship of a male-God “Shiva
Pashupati” was also very popular in
Harappan Religion.
Religion

8. Trade and Occupation
Indus Valley cities lived by trade. Farmers brought food
into the cities. City workers made such things as pots,
beads and cotton cloth. Traders brought the materials
workers needed, and took away finished goods to
trade in other cities. Trade goods included terracotta
pots, beads, gold and silver, coloured gem stones such
as turquoise and lapis lazuli, metals, flints (for making
stone tools), seashells and pearls. Minerals came from
Iran and Afghanistan. Lead and copper came from
India. Jade came from China and cedar tree wood was
floated down the rivers from Kashmir and the
Himalayas.
Agriculture was the main occupation of the Indus Valley
people. Crops such as wheat, barley, peas and bananas
were raised. In the olden days, there was enough rain in
that region and occasional floods brought a great deal of
fertile soil to the area. People used to plough the land
with wooden ploughshares drawn by men and oxen.
From the existence of granaries it is concluded that there
were surplus food-grains.

9. Some Specimen of Art& Crafts

10. HARAPPAN SITES

11. DECLINE
Law of Nature
Floods
Earthquakes
Change of the Course of the Indus
Plague
Foreign Invasion