• The Indus valley Civilization belongs to Proto Historical period.
• It is a Bronze Age Civilization.
• The most Accepted period is 2500 BC – 1750 BC.
• In 1924, Jhon Marshall Director general of the ASI announced the discovery of a new civilization in Indus Valley in the world.
• Jhon Marshall was the first researcher to use the term Indus Valley Civilization as the Harappan Civilization.
• Harappa is the first discovered site in Indus Valley Civilization.
• Indus Valley Civilization is also called Saraswati – Sindhu Civilization as most of the sites have been found at the Hakra-Ghagger river.
• There are another 3 important civilizations contemporary to the Indus Valley Civilization in the world:-

• Indus Valley Civilization Spread over Baluchistan, Sindh, Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh and Northern Maharashtra.
• Famous sites and location:-

• Mohenjodaro is the largest site of Indus Valley Civilization and Rakhigarhi is the largest Indian site of Indus Valley Civilization.
• Mohenjodaro means “mound of the Dead” at sindi and Lothai means “mound of the Dead” at Gujarati.
• Lothal, Allahdino, Sutkagendor,Kuntasi and Balakot are the port cities of Indus Valley Civilization
• Harrapa and Mohenjodaro are the Capital cities of Indus Valley Civilization.
• Archaeologist discovered 4 difference type people were built Indus Valley Civilization

1) Mongoloids

2) Proto –Australoids

3) Alpinoid and

4) Medeterranean/Dravidears.

• South Indian language- Dravidean group of language

North Indian language –Aryan group of language

• Extension of Indus Valley Civilization Northern most site -Manda (Chenab River) in Jammu and Kashmir

Western most site - Sutkagendor (Dashk River) In Pakistan and Iran Border

Eastern most site - Alamgirpur (Hindon River) in Uttar Prade

Southern most site - Daimadad (Pravara River) in Maharahtra

Town Planning

• Ever city is divided into two parts. Upper part or Citadel and lower part. Upper part or Citadel is protected by the wall. Chadhudara is only city doesn’t had citadel.
• Dholavira- The city was divided into 3 parts.
• Every city is Indus Valley Civilization is built on Grid Pattern and underground drainage system except Banawali.
• The Great Bath (12 by 7 and 2.4 m) has been found at Mohenjodaro.
• A group of six granaries in row have been found at Harappa.
• Burnt bricks were used for building material except Rangpur and Kalibangan.The houses were often two or more storeyed.

Religious Life

• The chief male deity was Pashupati Mahadeva. In Mohenjodaro, a seal was found consists of the Pasupati Mahadeva ( Proto Shiva) image with three heads two horns surrounded by elephant, buffalo, rhinoceros, tiger and two deer(appear at the feet).
• The main object of worship was the mother Goddess or Shakti (Matridevi).
• Yoni (fertility) and Lingam (Phallus) was also worship.
• Tree (Pipal), animals (Bull, Unicorn), birds (Pigeon, dove) snake and stone were worshiped. However no temple has been found.
• Fire alter have been found at Kalibangan and Lothal.
• There are three methods of disposal:-

1) Complete burial

2) Burial after exposure of the body to birds and beats.

3) Cremation followed by the buried of the ashes.

Script

• The script is not alphabetical but pictographic in nature.
• Writing was Boustrophedon- writing in right to left in one line and left to right in next line.

Agriculture

• Indus people sowed seeds in November and reaped their harvests in April.
• Wheat and Barley were main crops.
• Commercial crops- cotton, mustard.
• Soil was fertile due to the flooding caused by river Indus.
• The Indus people were the first to produce cotton.
• In Dholavira Dam and irrigation were found.
• In Lothal rice grain was found.
• In Mohenjodaro a fragment of woven cloth were found.
• In Rangapur rice husk was found.
• Evidence of grewing Barely found in Banawali.
• Plough usage evidence were found two places Kalibangan (wodden plough) and Banawali (Terrakota replica of plough was found).
• Cats, dogs, oxen, buffaloes, goats sheep asses and camels were domesticated. Skeleton of horse were found at Sutkotada and terrakota horse was found at Lothal. Humped Bulls were favoured by the Harappans.
• They used bulls and oxen for ploughing .

Industries

• Ship building industry – Lothal
• Bead making factory- Chandhudaro and Lothal
• Textile industry (cotton), brick industry and Metalogical industry (Bronze and copper) also found.

Trade and commerce

• Used boats and bullock-carts for transportation
• There was no metallic money. Carried exchanges through a barter system.
• They import gold from Kolar (Karnataka), Afghanistan; silver from Afghanistan, south India; tin from Bihar, Afghanistan; Lapis lazuli from Afghanistan and copper from Baluchistan, Khetri(Rajasthan).
• 16 was the unit of measurement. Weights and measures were made of Steatite, limestone and it was cubical in shape.
• The Indus Valley Civilization seal were found in Mesopatamia. Mesopatamia seals were always cylindrical in shape.
• Copper, Bronze, silver and gold were known but not iron.

Important Harappan Sites

Decline of the Civilization