ovosn016 Ines Valley Civilization lasmania - Civil Services Preparation Online| UPSC & IAS Staty Material
Indus Valley Civilization (2900 — 1700 BC
«= Indus valley civilization is older than chalcolithic culture but was far more developed
= Marked the beginning of Bronze age civilization
Sights of Indus Valley Ci
Early (Pre Mature Late Phase (Post
Harappan) (Harappan) Harappan)
Harappa (Pakistan
@ Ravi)
Mohenjodaro
(Pakistan @ Indus)
Chanhudaro
(Pakistan @ Indus)
Sutkagendor
(Pakistan)
Sukotada (Gujrat)
Lothal (Gujrat @
Bhogava)
Kalibangan —_‘Kalibangan
(Rajasthan @
Ghaggar)
Banawali Banawali (Hissar
@Ghaggar)
Rakhigarhi Rakhigarhi (Hissar Rakhigarhi
@Ghaggar)
Dholavira Dholavira (Kutch) — Dholavira
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Bhagwanpura
Manda (Jammu),
Chandigarh,Shangol
(Punjab),
Daulatpur,Mitthal
(Haryana),
AlamgirpurHulas (West
UP)
Developments in Indus Valley Civilization
Citadel / Acropolis at cities for member of ruling class (west side) & brick houses below
citadel in town for commoners
Remarkable grid system of roads > Roads cutting at right angle to each other
Large scale use of burnt bricks & total absence of stone buildings
Remarkable underground drainage system connecting all houses & streets covered by
bricks / stone slabs
Agriculture technology was well developed (But no use of ploughshare) : Wheat, Rice,
Barley, Peas etc, + Domesticated large scale of animals
Cotton was Ist produced by Indus people hence Greeks called it Sindon which is derived
from Sindh
Harappan were Ist to produce silver in the world + wore gold, silver & beads Jewelry
Practiced boat making, seal making, Bronze smith, Weavers etc.
Granaries & seals show Harappan carried on considerable trade but only through Barter
system
No temples has been found at any of the site hence can be said that it was ruled by
merchants not priests
Worshiped Goddess Earth, Pipal Tree, Pashupati Mahadeva & Animals (Bull / Unicorn
Rhino)
1" to invent the art of writing — Right to left— (Pictographic only—> Not deciphered so far)
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= Used weights for trade (Mostly in multiple of 16) & Bronze made marked sticks for
measurements,
= Were expert in Potter’s wheel & pottery making
«= Their greatest artistic creation was ” Seals”
+ Mostly limestone was used for sculptures.
Indus Valley
Civilization Site
Mohenjodaro
Lothal
Kalibangan
Harappa
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Remarkable Feature
Great Bath (Largest Brick Work)
Great Granary (Largest Building)
Impressive drainage system
Bronze image of dancing girl
Image of steatite bearded man
Piece of woven cotton
Seal of pashupati
Prepared Garments
Skeletons on stairs of well (Mount
of the dead)
Artificial Dock (Manchester of
Harappan civilization)
Art of double burial
Cotton cultivation
Granary & Wooden plough
Wells in every house
Camels Bone
2 rows of 6 granaries
38.ovosn016 Ina Valley Civilization lasmania = Civil Services Preparation Online! UPSC & IAS Staty Material
Chanhudaro = Lancashire of India
= Only city without citadel
= Bangles Factory
= Beads Factory
Rakhigarhi = Biggest Site
Theory of Decline of Indus Valley Civilization
= Natural Calamities such as floods, Earthquakes ete.
= Decrease in Land fertility
= Outbreak of an epidemic
= Decline of trade & Invasion of Aryans
Notable Points
By the fragmentary remains of the buildings constructed by these people it is not yet possible
to know enough about the architectural skill and tastes of the people, However, one thing is
clear, the extant buildings do not give us any clue as to aesthetic considerations and there is a
certain dull plainness about the architecture which may be due to their ruined and
fragmentary condition.
There does not appear to be any connection between the cities built in the 3rd millennium
BC, with an astonishing civic sense, of first rate well-fired brick structures, and the
architecture of subsequent thousand years or so, of Indian art history, after the decline and
decay of the Harappan civilization and the beginning of the historic period of Indian history,
mainly the time of the great Mauryas of Magadha.
These thousands years or so were a period of tremendous, intellectual and sociological
activity and could not be barren of any artistic creations. However, due to the fact that during
this time sculpture and architecture was utilising organic and perishable materials such as
mud, mud brick, bamboo, timber, leaves, straw and thatch, these have not survived the
ravages of time.
Two important remains of the oldest times are fortifications of the old Rajagriha town, in
Bihar and the fortified capital of Sisupalgarh, perhaps the ancient Kalinganagar, near
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Bhubaneswar.
Rajagriha fortification wall is made in the roughest possible manner, unhewn stones being
piled one on top of the other; belongs to the 6"-5" century BC. However at Sisupalgarh in the
2" -1" century BC, stone masons were at work using large blocks of stones to make a very
well-made fort entrance that could be closed with huge doors turning on hinges.
We know it for a fact that stone masonry and stone carving were imported in Ashoka’s times
from Persia, There is abundant evidence of stone masons mark similar to those at Persepolis
(Persia).
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