After the beginning of farming and the growth of villages, people gradually began to live in larger settlements. Around 4700 years ago, some of the earliest cities of the world arose on the banks of the river Indus and its tributaries. This remarkable civilisation is known as the Indus Valley Civilisation or the Harappan Civilisation, named after its first discovered city, Harappa.
The Harappan civilisation was one of the most advanced civilisations of the ancient world. Its cities had planned streets, well-built houses, public baths and covered drains. The people of Harappa carried out trade with distant lands, used seals made of stone, and had their own system of writing, though it has not yet been fully deciphered.
In this chapter, we will learn about the cities of the Harappan civilisation, the planning of their streets and houses, the great bath of Mohenjodaro, their crafts and trade, and the possible reasons for the decline of this great civilisation.
The Harappan civilisation was first discovered in the 1920s when archaeologists dug at two mounds in Harappa and Mohenjodaro. These cities had been buried under the earth for thousands of years. Before excavation, the remains were lying hidden and unknown.
Earlier, people living near these sites had thought that the baked bricks found there were mysterious objects with magical powers, and they used to carry them away. When the sites were scientifically excavated, archaeologists realised that they were looking at the remains of a very ancient and highly organised civilisation. The civilisation was spread over a vast area, from present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of India, including the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana.
The most striking feature of the Harappan cities was their careful planning. The cities were divided into two parts: - The Citadel – the higher, smaller part of the city where important buildings such as granaries and public baths were located. - The Lower Town – the larger part of the city where ordinary people lived in houses.
The streets of the Harappan cities were straight and intersected each other at right angles, dividing the city into rectangular blocks. The roads were laid out in a grid pattern. This kind of town planning is called a grid pattern, and it shows that the Harappans had a very organised administration.
The houses in Harappan cities were made of baked bricks. These bricks were of a standard size, with the ratio of length, breadth and thickness being 4:2:1. The bricks were so uniform that it suggests they were mass-produced in many places using the same standard.
The most remarkable achievement of the Harappans was their drainage system. Every house had a bathroom and a toilet, with drains connected to covered drains that ran along the streets. These drains were made of brick and were covered with large slabs of stone or brick. They had manholes at intervals for cleaning. This well-planned drainage system was better than anything found in other civilisations of that time.
At Mohenjodaro, archaeologists found a large structure called the Great Bath, which is a large, rectangular tank with steps leading down to the water from two sides. The tank was made watertight by layers of natural tar, and water was filled in it from a well.
The Great Bath was probably used for special religious baths. It shows that the Harappans had a deep concern for cleanliness and used water for ritual purposes. Public buildings like the Great Bath suggest the existence of a strong central authority that could organise the construction of such large structures.
The Harappans produced surplus food, which was stored in huge storehouses called granaries. Granaries have been found at sites like Harappa, Mohenjodaro and Lothal.
The surplus grain was stored centrally and could be distributed among the people. The collection of grain from farmers and its storage in granaries suggests that there was a system of tax and government control. The granaries also show that agriculture was the backbone of the Harappan economy.
The Harappans were skilled craftspeople. They made beautiful things like beads, bangles and ornaments from various materials. Beads were made from carnelian (a red stone), jasper, crystal and quartz, and also from steatite (a soft stone) and shells.
The craftspersons used tools like the bow drill and beads were shaped and polished by rubbing them against stone. Copper and bronze were used to make tools and weapons. The Harappans did not use iron. Some of the important tools found include chisels, axes, knives, and flat stones used as grinding stones for making flour.
The Harappans grew crops like wheat, barley, pulses, peas, sesamum and mustard. They also grew rice in some areas. In Gujarat, they grew cotton, which was used to make cloth.
Besides plant food, the Harappans ate meat from animals like cattle, sheep, goat, buffalo and pig. They also hunted wild animals and caught fish and birds. In the dry regions, the Harappans practised irrigation by storing water and drawing it when crops needed it.
The Harappans carried on trade both within their region and with distant lands. Trade was carried by sea and by land. Ships and boats sailed along the coast and down the rivers. The site of Lothal, in present-day Gujarat, had a dockyard, suggesting that ships could come right up to the city for loading and unloading goods.
Seals were one of the most important products of the Harappans. These were made of steatite and had pictures of animals such as the unicorn, bull, elephant, tiger and rhinoceros. The most famous seal is the Pashupati seal, which shows a figure seated in a yogic posture surrounded by animals. Seals were used for trade to stamp goods and to keep records, and they probably also served as identity markers.
The Harappans had their own system of writing, but it has not been fully deciphered yet. The script was written from right to left. It used signs and symbols, and most of the inscriptions found are short, on seals and small tablets.
Because the script has not been read, we do not know the names of the Harappan rulers, their languages, or their religious beliefs. We can only guess these things from the pictures on seals and the remains found. The decipherment of this script remains one of the great unsolved puzzles of archaeology.
The Harappans used standard weights and measures made of stone. They used cubical stone weights in multiples of 16, which were used for weighing goods in trade. Uniform weights suggest that trade was well-regulated.
We do not know much about the rulers of the Harappan cities, but the presence of granaries, big public buildings and standardised weights suggests that some kind of central authority existed. The people of Harappa lived in comfort, with clean water and proper drainage. Their lives seem to have been peaceful, as very few weapons have been found.
Around 3900 years ago, the Harappan cities began to decline and eventually were abandoned. Archaeologists are not sure about the reasons for this decline. Some possible causes suggested are:
The exact reasons are not known, but gradually the people of the Harappan civilisation moved away to newer areas, and the great cities were buried under the earth, to be discovered again thousands of years later by archaeologists.
| Site | Present Location | Special Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Harappa | Pakistan (Punjab) | First discovered city; granaries |
| Mohenjodaro | Pakistan (Sindh) | Great Bath; planned streets |
| Lothal | Gujarat, India | Dockyard for ships |
| Dholavira | Gujarat, India | Water reservoirs; divided city |
| Kalibangan | Rajasthan, India | Ploughed field; fire altars |
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Town planning | Streets in grid pattern, intersecting at right angles |
| Bricks | Standard size, ratio 4:2:1 (length:breadth:thickness) |
| Houses | Made of baked bricks, with bathrooms |
| Drains | Covered brick drains with manholes |
| Citadel | Higher part with granaries and public buildings |
| Great Bath | Large watertight tank at Mohenjodaro |
The Harappan civilisation was one of the world's earliest and most advanced urban civilisations. Its carefully planned cities, standardised bricks, excellent drainage, great public baths and thriving trade show a highly organised society. The people were skilled craftspeople and farmers, and their seals, weights and script reveal a sophisticated culture.
Although the Harappan script remains undeciphered, the physical remains speak of a peaceful and prosperous people. The decline of the cities around 3900 years ago remains a mystery, but their achievements left a lasting impact on the subcontinent. The legacy of the Indus Valley Civilisation reminds us that the roots of Indian civilisation are very ancient, deep and rich.