IVC

Indus Valley Civilization was the first major civilization in south Asia, which spread
across a vast area of land in present day India and Pakistan (around 12 lakh sq.km).
The time period of mature Indus Valley Civilization is estimated between BC. 2700BC.1900 ie. for 800 years. But early Indus Valley Civilization had existed even before
BC.2700.
Features of Indus Valley Civilization
BC. 2700- BC.1900 ie for 800 years.
On the valleys of river Indus.
Also known as Harappan Civilization.
Beginning of city life.
Harappan Sites discovered by Dayaram Sahni (1921) Montgomori

district, Punjab, Pakistan.
Mohanjodaro discovered by R. D. Banerji Larkana district, Sind,

Pakistan.
City was divided into Citadel(west) and Lower Town(east).
Red pottery painted with designs in black.
Stone weights, seals, special beads, copper tools, long stone blades
etc.
Copper, bronze, silver, gold present.
Artificially produced Faience.
Specialists for handicrafts.
Import of raw materials.
Plough was used.
Bodies were buried in wooden coffins, but during the later stages H
symmetry culture evolved where bodies were buried in painted burial
urns.
Sugar cane not cultivated, horse, iron not used.
Indus Valley Sites and Specialties

Harappa
Seals out of stones
Citadel outside on banks of river Ravi
Mohenjodaro
Great Bath, Great Granary, Dancing Girl, Man with Beard, Cotton,
Assembly hall
Term means Mount of the dead
On the bank of river Indus
Believed to have been destructed by flood or invasion(Destruction was

not gradual).
Chanhudaro
Bank of Indus river. discovered by Gopal Majumdar and Mackey

(1931)
Pre-harappan culture Jhangar Culture and Jhukar Culture
Only cite without citadel.
Kalibangan
At Rajastan on the banks of river Ghaggar, discovered by A.Ghosh

(1953)
Fire Altars
Bones of camel
Evidence of furrows
Horse remains ( even though Indus valley people didnt use horses).
Known as third capital of Indus Empire.
Lothal
At Gujarat near Bhogava river, discovered by S.R. Rao (1957)
Fire Altars
Beside the tributary of Sabarmati
Store house
Dockyard and earliest port
double burial
Rice husk
House had front entrance (exception).
Ropar
Punjab, on the banks of river Sutlej. Discovered by Y.D Sharma (1955)
Dog buried with humans.
Also read: Hindu Temple Architecture: Pallava
Banawali
Haryana
On banks of lost river Saraswathi
Barley Cultivation.
Dholavira
Biggest site in India, until the discovery of Rakhigarhi.
Located in Khadir Beyt, Rann of Kutch, Gujarat. Discovered by J.P

Joshi/Rabindra Singh (1990)
3 parts + large open area for ceremonies
Large letters of the Harappan script (sign boards).
Religion of Indus Valley People
Pashupathi Mahadev (Proto Siva)
Mother goddess
Nature/ Animal worship
Unicorn, Dove, Peepal Tree, Fire
Amulets
Idol worship was practiced ( not a feature of Aryans)
Did not construct temples.
Similarity to Hindu religious practises. (Hinduism in its present form

originated later)
No Caste system.
Indus Valley Society and Culture
Systematic method of weights and measures ( 16 and its multiples).
Pictographic Script, Boustrophedon script Deciphering efforts by I.

Mahadevan
Equal status to men and women
Economic Inequality, not an egalitarian society
Textiles Spinning and weaving
3 types burial, cremation and post cremation were there, though

burial was common.
Majority of people Proto-australoids and Mediterraneans (Dravidians),

though Mongoloids, Nordics etc were present in the city culture. Read
more on races of India.
Reasons for Decline of Indus Valley Civilization

Though there are various theories, the exact reason is still unknown. As per a recent
study by IIT Kharagpur and Archaeological Survey of India, a weaker monsoon might
have been the cause of decline of Indus Valley Civilization. Environmental changes,
coupled with loss of power of rulers (central administration) of Indus valley to sustain the
city life might be the cause (Fariservis Theory). There might be resource shortage to
sustain the population, and then people moved towards south India. Another theory
by Dr Gwen Robbins Schug states that inter-personal violence, infectious diseases
and climate change had played a major role in the demise of the Indus Valley
Civilization.

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Indus Valley Civilization was the first major civilization in south Asia, which spread

Features of Indus Valley Civilization

BC. 2700- BC.1900 ie for 800 years.

On the valleys of river Indus.

Also known as Harappan Civilization.

Beginning of city life.

Harappan Sites discovered by Dayaram Sahni (1921) Montgomori

Mohanjodaro discovered by R. D. Banerji Larkana district, Sind,

City was divided into Citadel(west) and Lower Town(east).

Red pottery painted with designs in black.

Copper, bronze, silver, gold present.

Artificially produced Faience.

Specialists for handicrafts.

Import of raw materials.

Plough was used.

Sugar cane not cultivated, horse, iron not used.

Indus Valley Sites and Specialties

Seals out of stones

Citadel outside on banks of river Ravi

Term means Mount of the dead

On the bank of river Indus

Believed to have been destructed by flood or invasion(Destruction was

Bank of Indus river. discovered by Gopal Majumdar and Mackey

Pre-harappan culture Jhangar Culture and Jhukar Culture

Only cite without citadel.

At Rajastan on the banks of river Ghaggar, discovered by A.Ghosh

Known as third capital of Indus Empire.

At Gujarat near Bhogava river, discovered by S.R. Rao (1957)

Beside the tributary of Sabarmati

Dockyard and earliest port

House had front entrance (exception).

Punjab, on the banks of river Sutlej. Discovered by Y.D Sharma (1955)

Dog buried with humans.

Also read: Hindu Temple Architecture: Pallava

On banks of lost river Saraswathi

Biggest site in India, until the discovery of Rakhigarhi.

Located in Khadir Beyt, Rann of Kutch, Gujarat. Discovered by J.P

3 parts + large open area for ceremonies

Large letters of the Harappan script (sign boards).

Religion of Indus Valley People

Pashupathi Mahadev (Proto Siva)

Nature/ Animal worship

Unicorn, Dove, Peepal Tree, Fire

Idol worship was practiced ( not a feature of Aryans)

Did not construct temples.

Similarity to Hindu religious practises. (Hinduism in its present form

Indus Valley Society and Culture

Systematic method of weights and measures ( 16 and its multiples).

Pictographic Script, Boustrophedon script Deciphering efforts by I.

Equal status to men and women

Economic Inequality, not an egalitarian society

Textiles Spinning and weaving

3 types burial, cremation and post cremation were there, though

Majority of people Proto-australoids and Mediterraneans (Dravidians),

Reasons for Decline of Indus Valley Civilization

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