Indus Valley Civilization

Timeline and Location 3500 BC

Evidence of earliest Neolithic occupation - 10,000 BCE

Beginning of settlement in eastern hills of Baluchistan: 7000 BCE

Mehrgarh: 3500 BCE

Concentrated proto-urban environment

Farming in flat Indus river valley.

Hunting and herding in hills and mountains.

Differences in architectural character -

Identity based on social structure and craft; not from family

lineage or affiliation to a God

Hence absence of ritual centres, burial monuments, etc

Mehrgarh- Location and Society 3500 BC

Area: 200 hectares

Scale of settlement: Village later evolved into a regional

trading centre

Centralized social organization

Typology of settlement: Agro-pastoral

No dominant temples or ritual sites

Major occupation: Grain Cultivation

Architecture: Square, mud-brick buildings - Multi-roomed

Granaries. They were centres of social life

Material: Mud bricks

Mud Brick Granaries Center of Social Life

Multiple rectangular rooms

Corridor running throughout
Absence of doors grain was fed from top

Animal bones
Granary:
mixed with
Human Bones
Charred grains ashes
in Corridors
Butchery
Ritual practice
Activity

Remains of
stone tools
and Steatite -
Workshop
Early Harappan Period 2500 BC
Early Harappan Period 2500 BC
Early Harappan Period 2500 BC

True urban settlement

Indus script not yet deciphered probably called themselves Meluha

Population: about 50,000 in the important cities

Area: Around quarter of a million square miles

No. of towns and cities: more than 1000

Standardized system of weight and measures

Traded with Mesopotamians - Exported bricks, beads, wood, metal and

lapis lazuli

Mode: Ships (through Persian Gulf) and Wagon Cart (Northern Land
routes)

Cultivated cotton
Phases of Deveopment

4 phases of Indus Ghaggar-Hakra Civilization:

1. The urbanization of Ghaggar-Hakra river valley: 2800 BCE

2. The rising dominance of the four cities Harappa, Mohenjo Daro, Rakhigarhi and Ganweriwala: 2500 BCE

3. The new urbanization of areas in south and east: 2200 BCE

4. The postdecline reurbanization of Ghaggar-Hakra River valley: 1700 BCE

Planning and Architectural Characteristics

People moved close to the river to expand and increase

agricultural production

Those regions were prone to flash floods and sudden change of

route of river.

Used standardized burnt-bricks

Huge platforms of bricks over existing mounds

Walls for defence from attack as well as floods

Official seals used for trading
Interconnected drainage system - Covered drains and clay pipes

A system of large and small cities

A few specialized cities such as ports and mining towns.

Largest cities were divided into Upper town (Palaces, exclusive

walls and ceremonial spaces) and lower town (housing)
Dholavira
The city was on an island in Rann of Kutch - a very dry area

Enough water had to be harvested for the dry season

30 ft thick wall

A series of strategically located dams and holding tanks that allowed excess water to escape during sudden heavy rains (flood)

Man-made lake surrounding the city for additional water storage

Society and Planning

Strong Political system - Social hierarchy with ruling class; City divided into sections of larger and smaller houses

No central authority/kingship

Absence of large temples or castles

Road networks were rectilinear

Depiction of Shiva (proto-divinity) and many supernatural animals like unicorn on terracotta seals
Decline of Ghaggar-Hakra

The river dried up due to change of course of its major tributaries after an earthquake in Himalayas

Change of course towards Indus

Abandonment of valley region

Movement towards east (Ganga plain) and some to north-west (Assyria)

Mohenjo Daro

Meaning: Mound of the dead

Destroyed at least 7 times and built again and again on the same place
Located in southern Indus valley
Received very little rain
Prone to ice floes and landslides resulting in flash floods
Mohenjo Daro
Mohenjo Daro - Planning

Two largest building areas were built on raised platform of bricks

Series of culverts to disperse flood water

Drains under the main streets running to settling tanks

Inward looking neighbourhoods with blank walls toward the streets

Alignment of streets with cardinal directions

Streets in grid-iron pattern

Public baths and two large assembly halls in upper city (Citadel)

Plan of the upper city

Mohenjo Daro- Planning

Main street (10 meters wide) Narrow alleys (2.45 meters wide)
Mohenjo Daro- Planning

Entrance Gate to Harappa

Mohenjo Daro- The Great Bath

Located at the intersection of major streets

Social and ritual center of the city

Size of pool: 12m X 7m ; 3 m deep

Symmetrical staircase on north and south

Narrow deep water channels for inlet and outlet Pool

Pool area was open to sky

Burnt bricks - Lined with a layer of bitumen

Series of rooms, colonnade and a well

Wooden second floor

Ritual urns and ashes have been found

Mohenjo Daro- The Great Bath
Mohenjo Daro- Granary

2 rows of six rooms (15.2m X 6.1m each)

7 meter wide passageway

Granary
Mohenjo Daro Architecture of Houses

No opening on major streets

Doors opened in alleys (narrow inner roads) and windows in open courtyards.

Maximum 2-storeyed house, having upper floor built in timber

Lower floor- burnt bricks

Number of rooms varied from 2 to 20

Larger houses had provision of well, bathrooms and toilets

Mohenjo Daro Architecture of Houses
Thank You