About the Indus Valley Civilization
The Indus Valley Civilization, also called the Harappan Civilization, was India’s first urban civilization. It flourished in the north-western part of the subcontinent, in the basins of the Indus river and the now-dry Ghaggar-Hakra (Saraswati). It is called ‘Harappan’ after Harappa, the first site to be excavated. Harappa was excavated in 1921 by Daya Ram Sahni, and Mohenjo-daro was discovered in 1922 by R. D. Banerjee. In 1924, John Marshall, the then Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India, announced the discovery to the world, and he was the first to use the name ‘Indus Valley Civilization’. Because its people used bronze, it is also described as a Bronze Age civilization; iron was unknown to them.
The civilization is usually divided into the Early Harappan (c. 3300–2600 BC), the Mature Harappan (c. 2600–1900 BC) and the Late Harappan (c. 1900–1300 BC) phases. Its most distinctive feature was town planning. Cities were laid out on a grid pattern, with streets crossing at right angles, and were generally divided into a raised citadel in the west and a lower town in the east. Houses were built of burnt (baked) bricks, usually in the ratio 4:2:1. The most striking example of their engineering skill is the covered drainage system. At Mohenjo-daro we find the Great Bath, and both Harappa and Mohenjo-daro had a Great Granary.
The Harappan economy rested on agriculture, animal husbandry, crafts and trade. They grew wheat and barley, and evidence of rice has been found at Lothal and Rangpur. They were the first people in the world to grow cotton. They kept cattle, buffalo, sheep and goat, but the horse was not known to them. They used a binary system of weights (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and so on) made of cubical chert. Their seals were mostly made of steatite, and the script was pictographic and has not yet been deciphered; it was generally written from right to left. The Harappans traded with Mesopotamia, where the Indus region was known as Meluhha. The dockyard at Lothal is the best proof of their sea trade.
In religion, no temple has been found. The people appear to have worshipped a Mother Goddess and a male deity identified as a proto-Shiva, shown on the famous Pashupati seal. The bronze Dancing Girl and the steatite Priest King were both found at Mohenjo-daro. Important sites include Harappa (on the Ravi), Mohenjo-daro (on the Indus, the largest site), Rakhigarhi (the largest site in India, in Haryana), Lothal (dockyard, Gujarat), Dholavira (water reservoirs and signboard, on Khadir Bet in the Rann of Kutch), Kalibangan (earliest ploughed field, on the Ghaggar in Rajasthan) and Chanhu-daro (bead-making, Sindh). The westernmost site is Sutkagendor, the easternmost is Alamgirpur, the northernmost is Manda and the southernmost is Daimabad (where a bronze chariot was found). A. K. Sharma claimed to have found horse bones at Surkotada. The civilization declined around 1900 BC, probably because of floods, climate change and the drying up of the Ghaggar; the old ‘Aryan invasion’ explanation is now rejected.
Timeline of the Indus Valley Civilization
- 1921: Harappa excavated by Daya Ram Sahni.
- 1922: Mohenjo-daro discovered by R. D. Banerjee.
- 1924: John Marshall announces the discovery of the Indus Valley Civilization.
- c. 3300–2600 BC: Early Harappan phase.
- c. 2600–1900 BC: Mature Harappan phase.
- c. 1900 BC: Decline of the civilization.
Main Facts about the Indus Valley Civilization (Quick Revision Bullets)
- Another name: Harappan Civilization.
- India’s first urban civilization: the Indus Valley Civilization.
- Harappa excavated: 1921, by Daya Ram Sahni.
- Mohenjo-daro discovered: 1922, by R. D. Banerjee.
- Discovery announced: 1924, by John Marshall.
- Mature Harappan dates: c. 2500–1750 BC (broadly 2600–1900 BC).
- Largest site overall: Mohenjo-daro.
- Largest site in India: Rakhigarhi.
- Dockyard: Lothal.
- Great Bath: Mohenjo-daro.
- Reservoirs and signboard: Dholavira.
- Earliest ploughed field: Kalibangan.
- Bead-making centre: Chanhu-daro.
- Westernmost site: Sutkagendor.
- Easternmost site: Alamgirpur.
- Northernmost site: Manda.
- Southernmost site: Daimabad.
- Metal unknown: iron.
- First in the world to grow: cotton.
- Animal not known: the horse.
- Script: pictographic and undeciphered.
- Trade partner: Mesopotamia (Indus known there as Meluhha).
Important Persons and Terms
- Daya Ram Sahni: excavated Harappa in 1921.
- R. D. Banerjee: discovered Mohenjo-daro in 1922.
- John Marshall: announced the discovery in 1924 and first used the name ‘Indus Valley Civilization’.
- A. K. Sharma: claimed to have found horse bones at Surkotada.
- Great Bath: a tank at Mohenjo-daro proving advanced water management.
- Pashupati seal: a seal showing a three-faced seated figure surrounded by animals, identified as a proto-Shiva.
- Meluhha: the name of the Indus region in Mesopotamian records.
- Steatite: the material mainly used for making Harappan seals.
Why the Indus Valley Civilization Matters for Exams
This is one of the most frequently asked topics in Indian history. Common questions include: What is another name of the civilization? (Harappan Civilization.) Who excavated Harappa and when? (Daya Ram Sahni, 1921.) Who discovered Mohenjo-daro? (R. D. Banerjee.) Who announced the discovery? (John Marshall.) Which is the largest site? (Mohenjo-daro.) Which is the largest site in India? (Rakhigarhi.) Which site has a dockyard? (Lothal.) Which site has the Great Bath? (Mohenjo-daro.) Which metal was unknown? (iron.) Which was the first crop the Harappans grew in the world? (cotton.) A frequent trap is to confuse Mohenjo-daro (largest overall) with Rakhigarhi (largest in India). Another trap is to say the Harappans knew the horse; in fact they did not. Students should also remember that the Dancing Girl and the Priest King were both found at Mohenjo-daro, and that the civilization declined around 1900 BC.
How to Prepare the Indus Valley Civilization
- Fix the discovery facts. Harappa 1921 (Sahni), Mohenjo-daro 1922 (Banerjee), announcement 1924 (Marshall).
- Learn the sites by speciality. Lothal for the dockyard, Dholavira for reservoirs, Kalibangan for the ploughed field, Chanhu-daro for beads, Mohenjo-daro for the Great Bath.
- Learn the extremes. Westernmost Sutkagendor, easternmost Alamgirpur, northernmost Manda, southernmost Daimabad.
- Learn the economy. Wheat and barley, cotton first in the world, binary weights, trade with Mesopotamia (Meluhha).
- Learn the decline. Around 1900 BC, due to floods, climate change and the drying of the Ghaggar.
Common Exam Traps
- Mohenjo-daro is the largest site overall, but Rakhigarhi is the largest in India.
- The Harappans did not know the horse; they knew cattle, buffalo, sheep and goat.
- Iron was unknown; the Harappans used copper and bronze.
- The Great Bath is at Mohenjo-daro, not at Harappa.
- Lothal is in Gujarat, and it is famous for the dockyard.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is another name of the Indus Valley Civilization?
It is also called the Harappan Civilization, after Harappa, the first site to be excavated.
When and by whom was Harappa first excavated?
Harappa was first excavated in 1921 by Daya Ram Sahni.
Which is the largest site of the Harappan civilization?
Mohenjo-daro is the largest site of the civilization, while Rakhigarhi is the largest Harappan site located in India.
Which metal was unknown to the Harappans?
Iron was unknown to the Harappans. They used copper and bronze, and also knew gold and silver.
What is the evidence of Harappan foreign trade?
Harappan seals found in Mesopotamia, and Mesopotamian seals and weights found at Harappan sites, prove their foreign trade. The Indus region was called Meluhha in Mesopotamian records.
Why did the Indus Valley Civilization decline?
It declined around 1900 BC, probably because of floods, climate change and the drying up of the Ghaggar; the old ‘Aryan invasion’ theory is now rejected.