Indus Valley Civilization
Indus Valley Civilization, also known as Harappa Civilization (because Harappa was the first discovered site of Indus Civilization), was the oldest period of development of the Indian Civilization.
- Developed during Neolithic Age
- An Indigenous Civilization
- Fully developed urban Civilization
- John Marshall was the first person who use the term of ‘Indus Civilization’
- Indus Valley Civilization belongs to Proto-Historic Period or Bronze Age
- [Bronze = Copper (80%) + Tin (20%), Bronze is used, so it was an age of developed science, and copper was used maximum].
- Bronze Age period is also called Chalcolithic Civilization as chalcolithic means copper stone. Copper was the first metal used by the man in the world.
Contemporary Civilizations
Mesopotamia or Sumerian (Modern Iraq) civilization Mesopotamian civic establishments shaped on the banks of the Tigris. Early civic establishments started to conform to the hour of the Neolithic Revolution—12000 BCE. A portion of the major Mesopotamian civic establishments incorporate the Sumerian, Assyrian, Akkadian, and Babylonian civic establishments. Proof shows major utilization of innovation, writing, legal codes, reasoning, religion, and architecture in these societies. Its most extreme exchange was with Indus Valley Civilization.
Egyptian Civilization (Egypt)
Egyptian civilization expanded along the Nile River in huge part in light of the fact that the river’s yearly flooding guaranteed reliable, rich soil for developing crops. repeated battles for political control of Egypt demonstrated the significance of the area’s agricultural production and financial resources. The Egyptians kept set up accounts utilizing a writing system known as hieroglyphics. Egyptian rulers utilized the idea of divine kingship and developed monumental design to exhibit the power. Old Egyptians grew wide-arriving at exchange systems along the Nile, in the Red Sea, and in the Near East.
Civilization of China
Chinese development started along the Yellow River in the Shang age, and expand from that point when Bronze Age culture arrived at its peak. At that point, Acient Chinese philosophies, for example, onfucianism and Daoism, created in the feudal Zhou era as China extended in an area and population.
Facts about the Indus Valley Civilization
| Attribute |
Information |
| Area | 12,99,600 sq.kms |
| Capital Cities | Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro (known as twin capitals, by Stuart Piggott) |
| Port Cities | Lothal (an ancient and the biggest port), Sutkagendor, Allahdino, Balakot and Kuntasi |
| Shape | Triangular |
| Time
|
According to Radiocarbon Dating (C-14), the universally accepted time is 2350 BC to 1700 BC
However, other timings , also prevalent according to some scholars, i.e. Developing Phase: 3500 BC to 2600 BC Developed Phase : 2600 BC to 1900 BC Declining Phase: 1900 BC to 1300 BC |
| Decline
|
Scholars differ in terms of decline of Harappan Civilization. Possible reasons are:
|
| Expansion
|
|
Salient Features
Social Features
- First urbanization in India (The most characteristic feature of the Harappa Civilization was its urbanization)
- Town planning system (Grid pattern & well drainage system)
- Equality in society (Indus Civilization was Matriarchal society because family chief was mother)
- Peace loving Society due to lack of dangerous weapons
Economic Features
- Trade depended on Barter system (Medium of exchange of goods)
- Main occupation was agriculture (Wheat and Barley was the two main food crops.)
- Trade/commerce – Foreign trade with Mesopotamia or Sumerian (Modern Iraq) Bahrin etc.
- Export/import – (Export: Agriculture products, cotton goods, Red pottery painted with designs in black)
- Production of cotton (Indus Civilization were the first Civilization to produce cotton in the world).
Religious Features
- No evidence of Temple was found
- Evidence of idol worship of mother goodness (Matridevi or Shakti)
- Ropar – there is no evidence of mother goddess
- Evidence of Pashupati Mahadeva – lord of Animals (Proto Shiva)
- Nature worship
- Animal worship – Unicorn, ox, Humped bull (Existence of cow but no evidence was found)
- Tree worship – Peepal
- Fire worship- Havan Kund (found in Kalibangan) Rulers who banned on sati system:
- Muhammad Bin Tughluq : Delhi Sultnate
- Mughals : Humayun, Akbar, Aurangzeb
- Marathas
- Albuquerq (Europian only in GOA)
- William Bentinck : Banned sati system by rule no. 17th with the help of Raja Ram Mohan Rai, for first time in Bengal in 1829.
- In 1830, this system was completely stopped (Mumbai and Madras)
Scripts of Indus Valley Civilization
- Ten (10) letter script found on white board of block.
- Direction: Right to Left then Left to Right
- Boustrophedon type (Kalibangan)
- About 5,000 texts have been documented from the Harappan sites.
