Indus Valley Cvilization (IVC)

Indus
Valley Civilization

Sainik
School Entrance Exam Class IX History Notes

Civilization In World

a)  
Mesopotamia
Tigrish River

b)  
China
Heong Ho

c)  
Egypt
Nile

d)  
IVC
Indus

v The
Indus Valley Civilization was established around 3300 BC.

v It
flourished between 2600 BC and 1900 BC (Mature Indus Valley Civilization).

v It
started declining around 1900 BC and disappeared around 1400 BC.

v The
nuclear dates of the Civilisation appear to be about 2500–1700 BCE

v This
is also called Harappan Civilization
after the first city to be excavated, Harappa (Punjab, Pakistan).

v Harappan
(Ravi) was first excavated in 1921 by Dayaram Sahni. Indus Valley
Civilization was larger than ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia civilisations.

v Chrles Masson First Europian To Discover
IVC

v Pre-Harappan
civilization has been found in Mehrgarh,
Pakistan, showing the first evidence of cotton cultivation.

Area Of Civilization :

a)   Northernmost
site àManda (Jammu-Kashmir),

b)   Southernmost
site àDaimabad (Maharashtra),

c)    Easternmost
site à Alamgirpur (Uttar Pradesh),

d)   Western-most
site à Sutkagendor (Pakistan-Iran border)

Indus
Valley Civilization Important Sites

a.    In
India: Kalibangan (Rajasthan),

b.    Lothal,
Dholavira, Rangpur,

c.    Surkotda
(Gujarat),

d.    Banawali
(Haryana),

e.    Ropar
(Punjab).

f.      In
Pakistan: Harappa (on river Ravi),

g.    Mohenjodaro
(on the Indus River in Sindh),

h.    Chanhudaro
(in Sindh).

v The
civilization was first discovered during an excavation campaign under
Sir John Hubert Marshall in 1921–22 at Harappa following the discovery
of seals by J Fleet.

v Harappan
ruins were discovered by Marshall, Rai Bahadur Daya Ram Sahni and Madho Sarup
Vats.

v Mohenjodaro
ruins were excavated for the first time by R.D.
Banerjee

v The
Indus Valley cities show a level of sophistication and advancement not seen in
other contemporary civilizations.

Most cities had similar patterns.

v There
were two parts:

a.    a
citadel and the lower town.

b.    Most
cities had a Great Bath.

v There
were also granaries, 2-storied houses made of burnt bricks, closed drainage
lines, excellent stormwater, and wastewater management system, weights for
measurements, toys, pots, etc.

v A large number of seals have been
discovered.

v Agriculture
was the most important occupation. The
first civilization to cultivate cotton.

v Animals
were domesticated like sheep, goats, and pigs.

v Crops
were wheat, barley, cotton, ragi, dates, and peas.

v Trade was conducted with the Sumerians.

v Metal
products were produced including those with copper, bronze, tin, and lead. Gold
and silver were also known. Iron was not
known to them.

v No structures like temples or palaces
have been found.

v The
people worshipped male and female deities.

v A seal which was named ‘Pashupati Seal’
has been excavated and it shows an image of a three-eyed figure. Marshall
believed this to be an early form of Lord Shiva.

v Civilization
also was advanced in making artworks.

v A
statuette named ‘Dancing Girl’ has been
found from Mohenjodaro and is believed to be 4000 years old.

v  A
figure of a bearded Priest-King has also been found from Mohenjodaro.

v Lothal was a dockyard.

v Disposal
of the dead was by burial in wooden coffins.

v The Indus Valley script has not yet been
deciphered.

Indus
Valley Civilization Decline

v Mortimer Wheeler suggested that the
Aryan invasion led to the decline of the Indus Valley.
This theory has now been debunked.

v Robert Raikes suggests that tectonic
movements and floods caused the decline.

v Other
causes cited include a drying up of the rivers, deforestation, and destruction
of the green cover. It is possible that some cities were destroyed by floods
but not all. It is now accepted that several factors could have led to the
decline of the Indus Valley civilization.

FAQ
about Indus Valley Civilization

v Q1When was Indus Valley Civilization
first identified?

v The
civilization was first identified in 1921 at Harappa in the Punjab region and
then in 1922 at Mohenjo-daro, near the Indus River in the Sindh (Sind) region.

v Q2Which site got the status of UNESCO
World Heritage Site related to Indus Valley Civilisation?

v The
ruins of Mohenjo-daro were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.