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Essay on Harappan Civilization: Harappan Civilization is one of the four oldest civilizations in the world: Mesopotamia (Iraq), Egypt, the Indus Valley (Harapan), and China. According to Archaeological excavations, the Harappan Civilization existed from 3300 to 1300 BCE. Based on the findings, the existence of this civilization was divided into three phases; the Early Harappan Phase from 3300 BCE to 2600 BCE, the Mature Harappan Phase from 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE, and the Late Harappan Phase from 1900 BCE to 1300 BCE.
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Major Harappan Sites and their Excavators
The Harappan Civilization was first discovered by Dayaram Sahni in 1921. He was an Indian Archaeologist, who was working under the guidance of Colonel Meke and Sir John Marshal. Daryaram discovered the city of Harappan in the Montgomery district of Punjab, on the left bank of river Ravi. After India’s partition, the city is located in Pakistan.
- At Harappan, Dayaram found a row of 6 granaries, stone lingam and yoni figurines, a virgin goddess seal, wheat and barley in a wooden mortar, and dancing Natraja.
- In 1922, another Indian archaeologist, RD Banerjee, discovered Mohenjodaro in the Larkana district of Sindh, on the right bank of the River Indus (Pakistan). In Mohenjodaro, he found a Pashupati seal, a bronze image of a dancing girl, three cylindrical seals, and a seated male sculpture of the priest King, the Great Granary, and the Great Bath.
- After 9 years of rigorous search, NG Majumdar excavated Chanhudaro in Sindh, Pakistan. The findings at this site included shops for shell ornament makers, bead makers, metal workers, and other precious stones.
- Apart from the above-mentioned sites, other places were also discovered in the following years. Kalibangan in Rajasthan was discovered by Luigi Pio Tessitori, an Italian Indologist.
- Interestingly, four more sites were discovered in the Indian state of Gujarat alone. These were: Dholavira and Surkotada in the Rann of Kutch; Lothal near the Gulf of Cambay, and Rangpur on the left bank of river Mahi.
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Did You Know: Harappa Was the First City to be Discovered? That is why this civilization is often known as the Harappan Civilization.
Town Planning in Harappan Civilization
Town planning in the Harappan Civilization was not uniform. However, the grid system is unique in itself. Streets were cutting across one another at right angles (90 degrees). This divided the entire town into large, rectangular blocks.
- The town was divided into two sections or parts: the Upper Part (Citadel) and the Lower Part.
- The Citadel was fortified on the Western side of the town and consisted of public buildings for members of the ruling class.
- The Lower town was located on the Eastern side where common people lived.
- One interesting town-planning feature of the Harappan Civilization was the Underground Drainage System, which connected all houses to the street drains.
- At Mohenjodaro, the Great Bath was discovered. The Great Bath was used for religious bathing. It was systematically designed so that steps at either end lead to the surface. Alongside the Great Bath, there were changing rooms as well.
- At Harappa, Six rows of Granaries were discovered.
- Common houses in the lower town were made up of burnt bricks, and they included a square courtyard, which had several rooms on all sides. The bathrooms were tiled and the windows did not face the main streets.
- On streets, lamp posts were also installed, indicating the existence of street lighting.
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Harappan Civilization Religion
Indus Valley people had their own deities and gods. Pashupati Mahadeva, or Proto Shiva, was the chief male deity. Two deer presented at his feet, and a seal encircled by a buffalo, elephant, tiger, and rhino appeared to him. The four animals were facing in different directions.
- Mother Goddess was the female deity. She was depicted in various styles. There were also signs of Phallus and Yoni worship.
- In Lothal, Kalibangan, and Harappa, evidence of fire worship has been found. The Unicorn bull and the Pipal tree were also worshipped.
- The Harappans also believed in evil powers, and there were signs of using amulets as protection against them.
Harappan people followed a highly developed urban way of life. The society mainly consisted of middle-class urban people. There was evidence of various classes, like priests, merchants, craftsmen, peasants, and labourers
- The dress of men consisted of two clothes; the upper and lower cotton garments. There is evidence of wool and necklaces.
- The vanity case reveals that the Harappan women knew the art of wall painting.
- Ploughed fields have shown the evidence of domestication of animals like buffaloes, oxen, sheep, asses, elephants, pigs, and dogs.
- Products like wheat, pulses, and barley were produced in Harappa. The Eastern part of the civilization showed evidence of rice cultivation.
Trade and Commerce
The Harappan people were constantly engaged in domestic and international trade. There is no evidence of metallic or hard money. Only a barter system was practiced.
- Trade was based on the production of agricultural, industrial, and forest products.
- Weights and measures in Harappa were made of limestone and steatite.
- Mesopotamian cylindrical seals have been found in Mohenjodaro.
Arts and Craft
The Harappans were aware of bronze and used it to make their tools. Bead making and jewelry of gold and silver have been found.
- Cotton fabrics were used in summer and woollen in winter.
- Both plain and painted pottery have been found. Pots were decorated with human figures, plants, animals, and geometrical patterns.
- Seals were made up of steatite pictures of unicorns, bulls, buffalo, tigers, and rhinoceros. Seals were used to mark the ownership of property.
Script and Language
Harappan scripts and language are undeciphered. It means the language in which they are written is not known to us. Scripts are pictographic, where fish are mostly represented.
- The overlapping of letters shows that scripts were written from right to left in the first line and from left to right in the second line. This writing style is called Boustrophedon.
- At Dholavira in Gujarat, a signboard inscription bearing 10 pictographs has been found.
Decline of Harappan Civilization
Archaeologists and historians have cited several reasons for the decline of the Harappan civilization. The most widely accepted factors are external aggression, climate change, and epidemics, which might have led to the decline of the Harappan civilization.
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Ans: Harappan Civilization is one of the four oldest civilizations in the world: Mesopotamia (Iraq), Egypt, the Indus Valley (Harapan), and China. The Harappan Civilization was first discovered by Dayaram Sahni in 1921. He was an Indian Archaeologist, who was working under the guidance of Colonel Meke and Sir John Marshal. Town planning in the Harappan Civilization was not uniform. However, the grid system is unique in itself. Streets were cutting across one another at right angles (90 degrees). This divided the entire town into large, rectangular blocks.
Ans: The Harappan Civilization was first discovered by Dayaram Sahni in 1921. He was an Indian Archaeologist, who was working under the guidance of Colonel Meke and Sir John Marshal.
Ans: Archaeologists and historians have cited several reasons for the decline of the Harappan civilization. The most widely accepted factors are external aggression, climate change, and epidemics, which might have led to the decline of the Harappan civilization.
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