Ancient Civilizations in India
• The Indus Valley Civilization was an ancient civilization thriving along the Indus River and the Ghaggar-Hakra
River in what is now Pakistan and north-western India. Among other names for this civilization is the Harappan
Civilization, in reference to its first excavated city of Harappa.
• An alternative term for the culture is Saraswati-Sindhu Civilization, based on the fact that most of the Indus Valley
sites have been found at the Halkra-Ghaggar River.
• R.B. Dayaram Sahni first discovered Harappa (on Ravi) in 1921. R.D. Banerjee discovered Mohenjodaro or
‘Mound of the Dead’ (on Indus) in 1922. Sir John Marshal played a crucial role in both these.
• Harappan Civilization forms part of the proto history of India and belongs to the Bronze Age.
• Mediterranean, Proto-Australoid, Mongoloids and Alpines formed the bulk of the population, though the first two were more numerous.
• More than 100 sites belonging to this civilization have been excavated.
• According to radio-carbon dating, it spread from the year 2500 – 1750 BC.
• Copper, bronze, silver, gold were known but not iron.
River in what is now Pakistan and north-western India. Among other names for this civilization is the Harappan
Civilization, in reference to its first excavated city of Harappa.
• An alternative term for the culture is Saraswati-Sindhu Civilization, based on the fact that most of the Indus Valley
sites have been found at the Halkra-Ghaggar River.
• R.B. Dayaram Sahni first discovered Harappa (on Ravi) in 1921. R.D. Banerjee discovered Mohenjodaro or
‘Mound of the Dead’ (on Indus) in 1922. Sir John Marshal played a crucial role in both these.
• Harappan Civilization forms part of the proto history of India and belongs to the Bronze Age.
• Mediterranean, Proto-Australoid, Mongoloids and Alpines formed the bulk of the population, though the first two were more numerous.
• More than 100 sites belonging to this civilization have been excavated.
• According to radio-carbon dating, it spread from the year 2500 – 1750 BC.
• Copper, bronze, silver, gold were known but not iron.
Geographical Extent :
• Covered parts of Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, Gujarat, Rajasthan and some parts of Western UP. It extended from Manda in Jammu in the north to Daimabad in the south and from Alamgirpur in W. UP to Sutkagendor in Baluchistan in the west.
• Major sites in Pakistan are Harappa (on Ravi in W Punjab), Mohenjodaro (on Indus), Chanhu-Daro (Sindh), etc. In India, major sites are Lothal, Rangpur and Surkotda (Gujarat), Kalibangan (Rajasthan), Banwali (Hissar), and Alamgirpur (Western UP).
• Major sites in Pakistan are Harappa (on Ravi in W Punjab), Mohenjodaro (on Indus), Chanhu-Daro (Sindh), etc. In India, major sites are Lothal, Rangpur and Surkotda (Gujarat), Kalibangan (Rajasthan), Banwali (Hissar), and Alamgirpur (Western UP).
• Largest and the latest site in India is Dholavira in Gujarat. Dr. J.R Joshi and Dr. R.S. Bisht were involved in it.
Indus Valley Civilization Town Planning :
• Elaborate town-planning. It followed the Grid System. Roads were well cut, dividing the town into large
rectangular or square blocks. Lamp posts at intervals indicate the existence of street lightning. Flanking the
streets, lanes and by-lanes were well-planned houses.
• Used burnt bricks of good quality as the building material. Elsewhere in the contemporary world, mud-bricks were used.
• Houses, often of two or more storey, varied in size, but were quite monotonous a square courtyard, around which were a number of rooms. No window faced the streets. The houses had tiled bathrooms.
• Good drainage system. Drains were made of mortar, lime and gypsum and covered with large brick slabs for easy cleaning. Shows developed sense of health and sanitation.
• The towns were divided into 2 parts: Upper part or Citadel and Lower Part. The Citadel was an oblong artificial platform some 30-50 feet high and about 400-200 yards in area It was enclosed by a thick (13 m at Harappa) crenelated mud-brick wall. In Citadel public buildings, granaries, important workshops and religious buildings were there. In lower part people used to live.
• In Mohanjodaro, a big public bath (Great Bath) measuring 12 m by 7 m and 2.4 m deep, has been found. Steps led from either end to the surface, with changing rooms alongside. It was probably used for ritual bathing.
rectangular or square blocks. Lamp posts at intervals indicate the existence of street lightning. Flanking the
streets, lanes and by-lanes were well-planned houses.
• Used burnt bricks of good quality as the building material. Elsewhere in the contemporary world, mud-bricks were used.
• Houses, often of two or more storey, varied in size, but were quite monotonous a square courtyard, around which were a number of rooms. No window faced the streets. The houses had tiled bathrooms.
• Good drainage system. Drains were made of mortar, lime and gypsum and covered with large brick slabs for easy cleaning. Shows developed sense of health and sanitation.
• The towns were divided into 2 parts: Upper part or Citadel and Lower Part. The Citadel was an oblong artificial platform some 30-50 feet high and about 400-200 yards in area It was enclosed by a thick (13 m at Harappa) crenelated mud-brick wall. In Citadel public buildings, granaries, important workshops and religious buildings were there. In lower part people used to live.
• In Mohanjodaro, a big public bath (Great Bath) measuring 12 m by 7 m and 2.4 m deep, has been found. Steps led from either end to the surface, with changing rooms alongside. It was probably used for ritual bathing.
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