DHARAMASHASTRA

NATIONAL LAW UNIVERISTY

HISTORY PROJECT WORK

STUDY ON TOWN PLANNING OF HARAPPAN CIVILISATION

INSTRUCTED BY-
Ms. Asmita Jataria
Assistant Professor of History

SUBMITTED BY-
Arooshi Sambyal
B.A. LL. B (HONS.)
1st Semester
Roll No. 125
Section A

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to give my heartly thanks to Dharamashastra National Law University, because
of which I got this chance to be a part of DNLU family.

I present my gratitude to our Vice-Chancellor Mr. Balraj Chauhan who represents the
foundation of our University.

I would like to give special gratitude of thanks to my teacher Ms. Asmita Jataria, who
provided me with the opportunity to work on this project.

This research provided me with ample knowledge and learning about ‘The Study on Town
Planning of Harappan Civilisation’ and I am thankful that I got this project that enhanced my
grip on a particular topic.

ABSTRACT

1
 India's Cultural history dates back to about 3200 BC to the times of the lndus Valley
Civilisation or what is also called the Harappan Culture. It flourished for about a thousand
years. This civilization came to light in 1922 while archaeologists were carrying on
excavations at Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, now in Pakistan. Since then, many other
Harappan sites and artifacts such as seals, toys, weapons, sculptures and jewellery have been
discovered along the river Indus up to the river Ganges in the East. Archaeologists believe
that a number of communities lived here in villages, towns and sea-ports.

The sea-port of Lothal on the Gulf of Cambay has an enclosed shipping dock more than 216
metres long and 37 metres wide. It was controlled by a sluice-gate and ships could be loaded
at both high and low tides. Other buildings unearthed in the citadel are the Great Bath,
Granaries, residential houses and the Assembly Hall.

Harappa  is an archaeological site in Punjab, Pakistan, about 24 km (15 miles) west

of Sahiwal, a place in Pakistan. The site takes its name from a modern village located near
the former course of the Ravi River which now runs 8 km in north. The current village of
Harappa is less than 1 km from the ancient site. Although modern Harappa has a legacy
railway station from the period of the British Raj, it is today just a small crossroads town of
population 15,000.

The site of the ancient city contains the ruins of a Bronze Age fortified city, which was part
of the Indus Valley Civilization centered in Sindh and the Punjab, and then the Cemetery H
culture. The city is believed to have had as many as 23,500 residents and occupied about 150
hectares (370 acres) with clay brick houses at its greatest extent during the Mature
Harappan phase (2600–1900 BC),1 which is considered large for its time. Per archaeological
convention of naming a previously unknown civilization by its first excavated site, the Indus
Valley Civilization is also called the Harappan Civilization.

1
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zxn3r82/articles/z9mpsbk#:~:text=It%20began%20nearly
%205%2C000%20years,people%20lived%20in%20these%20cities.

2
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. CHAPTER 1
 Introduction………………………………………………………... 4-5
 Aims and Objectives……………………………………………. .. 5-5
 Research Problems…………………………………………… 6-6
 Research Methodology………………………………………. 6-6
 Scope of Research…………………………………………… 6-6
2. CHAPTER 2
 City Planning………………………………………………… 7-9
3. CHAPTER 3
 Town Planning System………………………………………… 10-14
4. CHAPTER 4
 Other Essentials of the Civilisation…………………………… 15-16
5. CHAPTER 5
 Conclusion……………………………………………………… 17-17
 Bibliography………………………………………………………18-18

CHAPTER 1
3
 INTRODUCTION

Harappan Civilisation, also known as Indus valley civilisation carries town planning as its
major attraction and unique feature. It was a bronze age civilisation located at the north
western parts of south Asia. It lasted from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE and matured from 2600
BCE to 1900 BCE. This civilisation attracted attention of various historians for their urban
planning, baked brick houses, proper drainage system, water supply systems, clusters of large
non-residential buildings, and new techniques used in handicrafts like carnelian products, seal
carving and metallurgy like use of copper, bronze, tin, lead.

The streets were straight and turned at right angles. They were 13 to 34 feet wide and were
well aligned. The streets and roads shaped the city like rectangular blocks. The lamp posts
were situated at intervals. This suggests the existence of street lights. Dustbins were also
situated on the streets. These proves the presence of good municipal administration.

One of the most remarkable features of the Indus valley civilization was its excellent closed
drainage system. Each house had its own drainage and soak pit which was connected to the
public drainage system. Brick laid channels flowed through every street. They were covered
and had manholes at intervals for cleaning and clearing purposes. Large brick culverts with
corbelled roofs were constructed on the outskirts of the city to carry excess water. Thus,
Indus people had a perfect underground drainage system. No other contemporary civilization
gave so much attention to cleanliness.

The most striking feature in Mohenjo daro is the Great Bath. 2It consists of a large
quadrangle. In the centre, there is a huge swimming pool (approximately 39 ft long, 23 ft
wide and 8ft deep) with the remains of galleries and rooms on all four sides. It has a flight of
steps at either end and is fed by a well, situated in one of the adjoining rooms. The water was
discharged by a huge drain with corbelled roof more than 6 ft in depth. The Great bath had 8
ft thick outer walls. This solid construction has successfully withstood the natural ravages for
5000 years. There were arrangements for hot water bath in some rooms.3

The largest building in Mohenjo daro is granary which is 45.71 metres long and 15.23 metres
wide. In Harappa there are a series of brick platforms which formed the base for two rows of
6 granaries each. In the Southern part of Kalibangan brick platforms have also been found.
2
https://www.harappa.com/slide/great-bath-mohenjo-daro-0
3
https://www.ancient.eu/article/430/harappan-cities/

4
These granaries safely stored the grains, which were probably collected as revenue or store
houses to be used in emergencies.

People of Indus valley civilization-built houses and other buildings by the side of roads. They
built terraced houses of burnt bricks. Every house had two or more rooms. There was more
than one storied house. The houses were designed around an inner courtyard and contained
pillared halls, bath rooms, paved floors, kitchen, well etc. Besides residential quarters,
elaborate structures have also been found. One of these buildings has got the biggest hall
measuring 80 ft long and 80 ft wide. It might have been a palace, or temple or hall for
holding meetings. The workmen quarters are also found. There was an excellent system of
water supply. There were public wells by the side of streets. Every big house had its own
well. They also built a dockyard at Lothal.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

1. To study town planning of the urban cities of the Indus civilisation.

2. Comparing town planning of Harappan Civilisation with other civilisations.
3. To study the town planning system of Harappan civilisation.
4. Other factors affected by town planning.

RESEARCH PROBLEMS

1. How town planning of Harappan civilisation was different from another civilisations?
2. How structures were made in the system of Harrapan town planning?
3. How other factors affected Harrapan civilisation?

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 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The research methodology followed for working on this project is doctrinal research
through various books, articles and material available on internet.

SCOPE OF RESEARCH

This research project mainly deals with the study of town planning of Harappan Civilisation
and the various well-developed structures and their proper drainage system and how they
built a locality never the river as they knew the usage of water. Every system in Harappan
civilisation was well planned to the era when it was in practice. What lead to its declination
will be discussed in this project and how it got matured with time. Study of architecture has
been involved in the project.

CHAPTER 2

CITY PLANNING
6
 Urban cities-

The Indus civilization flourished around cities. The ruins of the cities, so far unearthed, show
remarkable town planning, and excellent system of drainage and sanitation of the Indus
valley Civilisation. The city was the heart of the civilization. The life in the Indus cities gives
the impression of “a democratic bourgeois economy” like that of ancient Crete.

Large cities divided into two parts-

Both at Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro and also at Kalibangan, the city was divided into two
main parts. The higher and upper portion of the city was protected by a construction which
looks like a fort. The ruling class of the towns perhaps lived in the protected area. The other
part of the towns was lower in height than the former and common men lived in this area.
The lower area of the towns generally spread over one square mile.

Comparison of Harappan civilisation with other civilisations of the era

The most striking feature of Harappan civilization is its town planning and sanitation. The
basic layout of large Harappan cities and towns shows a regular orientation. One finds the
streets and lanes lay out according to a set plan: the main streets running from north to south
and the cross streets and lanes running at right angles to them.4

The Harappan cities were the creation of careful forethought and planning, as is indicated by
the striking regularity of the divisions, the successfully aligned streets, the orientation of all
principal streets to the points of the compass, the correspondence of the houses and public
buildings with the orientation of thoroughfares, etc.

Streets varied from 9 feet to 34 feet in width and ran straight sometimes as far as half a mile.
They intersected at right angles dividing the city into square or rectangular blocks. Inside this
square or oblong, the area is intersected by a number of narrow lanes crowded with houses.
At Mohenjo daro each lane had a public well, and most of the houses had a private well and
bath. Nowhere was a building allowed to encroach on a public highway as in Sumer.

4
https://www.slideshare.net/ashakumari142/presentation1-28426555

7
Important Harappan cities, such as Mohenjo daro, Harappa, Kalibangan, Dholavira and
Surkotada, were divided into two parts a fortified settlement on the high mounds
designated as 'citadels' and the main residential areas to the west of it called 'lower town'.

At Harappa, Mohenjo daro, Kalibangan and Surkotada, there was a 'citadel', smaller in area
than the 'lower town' and invariably located to the west of it. The citadel at Mohenjo daro
contained many imposing buildings; all made of kilnburntbricks, for example, the great
bath, the college, the granary and the assembly hall.

Harappa was regarded as another capital of the Indus Empire. Here to the north of the
citadel, lay the workmen's quarter, their working platform, and a granary; the entire
complex suggesting a high degree of regimentation of their population.

Situated on the left bank of the desiccated river Saraswati in Rajasthan, Kalibangan reveals
the same pattern of planning as do Mohenjo daro and Harappa, with a 'citadel' on the west
side and a 'lower town' on the east. Thus, the citadel complex consisted of two equal and
well defined parts, one to the south containing several large mudbrick platforms meant for
specific purposes and the other to the north containing residential houses.

The platforms were separated one from the other, as also from the fortification wall: There
was thus regular passages around them; the entire complex on this platform the well, the
bathing pavements, and the clay lined 'fire altars' had a ritualistic purpose. A similar
indication is given by another platform, on the top of which were located a well, a 'fire altar',
and a rectangular pit lined with kiln burnt bricks, containing antlers and bones of cattle,
which seem to suggest a sacrifice.

The lower town at Kalibangan, while showing the usual grid pattern of main thoroughfares,
subsidiary streets, cross streets and lanes, revealed that it too was fortified. Piercing the
fortification wall, which was made of mud bricks, there were at least two gateways, one on
the northern side leading to the river and another on the west providing access to the citadel.
In width the Kalibangan lanes and streets followed a set ratio: thus, while the lanes were 1.8
m wide, the streets, in multiples of the former, were 3.6, 5.4, and 7.2 m wide.

At Surkotada, the settlement pattern of Harappa, Mohenjo daro, and Kalibangan is repeated,
but with a difference. The citadel and the lower town were joined, although their relative
directional position remained the same, the former to the west and the latter to the east.

8
As at Kalibangan, both the citadel and the lower town were fortified. Each had its
independent entrance, located on the southern side; there was also an intercommunicating
gate between the two. In addition to mud bricks, stone rubble, which is easily available in the
neighbourhood, was liberally used for construction.

At the recently excavated Harappan city of Dholavira, there existed three principal divisions,
instead of the usual two at other sites. The first two divisions the 'citadel' and the 'middle
town' were fortified with stone
masonry. The whole planning resembles the European castle having two well-fortified+
areas. The fortifications were provided with bastions at frequent intervals as well as gates,
narrow or wide.

Banawali (Haryana) was one more fortified town of the Harappan civilization. Although the
general principles of Harappan town planning were followed here too, yet there were some
significant departures from the established norms. The town lacked the general conception
of a chessboard or gridiron pattern of planning.

Here the roads are neither always straight nor do they necessarily cut each other at
right angles and systematic drainage is the exception than the rule. Lastly, the general
subdivision of a metropolitan or urban township into two distinctly separate walled
establishments does not hold good at Banawali.

Still, the available evidence proves that there is a basic uniformity in the planning of most
Harappan townships, including Banawali, irrespective of their spatial dimensions. Another
significant aspect of the Harappan town planning was the provision of segregated houses, a
modern feature. The lower township was populated by the merchants, artisans and craftsmen,
while the priestly and ruling class occupied the citadel.

CHAPTER 3

TOWN PLANNING SYSTEM

Harappan Gateways:

9
Most of the large Harappan towns, described earlier, were encompassed by elaborately
designed walls with gateways. The Indus towns possessed no general system of urban
fortification, which was often massive, as at Kalibangan, but the gateways were simple entry
points to the towns. At Surkotada and Dholavira 5these gateways were quite elaborate, while
at other towns they were very simple.

Some of the gateways had attached guard rooms, which were invariably very small. The
Harappan fortifications were not meant to defend the townships from strong attacks by
enemies but were safety measures from robbers and cattle raiders. The fortifications also
provided protection against floods and served as the hallmark of social authority over the area
they commanded.6

Drainage System:

The elaborate drainage system is a unique feature of the Indus Valley civilization, the like of
which has not yet been found in any other city of the same antiquity. Below principal streets
and many lanes ran a main drain, 1 to 2 ft deep, covered with bricks or stones, and provided
with sumps and inspection traps at regular intervals.

Individual house drains, each one with its own sump pit, opened into the street drains, which
in their turn opened into the great culverts emptying into the river. All soak pits and drains
were occasionally cleared by workmen, and drains were provided with manholes at intervals
for cleaning. This elaborate drainage system, like the townplanning, constitutes a notable
point of difference with Sumer, where the inhabitants had, in most cases, vertical pottery
drainage shafts beneath their courtyards, but these had no outlet.

Altogether, the extent of the drainage system and the quality of the domestic bathing
structures and drains are remarkable, and together they give the city a character of its own,
particularly indicating some sort of highly effective municipal authority. These features of
urbanization and town planning are further reflected in the general layout and architecture of
the Harappan cities and towns.

Streets:

5
https://www.harappa.com/lothal/14.html#:~:text=The%20most%20unique%20aspect%20of,smoothened
%20and%20joined%20together%20seamlessly.
6
https://www.harappa.com/blog/mohenjo-daro-street-drains

10
The Indus cities were built on prearranged plans as it is evident in the case of Mohenjo daro
which is very well preserved. There was some kind of municipal or civic authority which
controlled the development of the city. The streets ran in straight lines and crossed one
another at right angles. The streets aligned from east to west or from north to south.

The most famous street called the 'First Street' of Mohenjo daro was 10.5 m wide and would
have accommodated seven lanes of wheeled traffic simultaneously. The other roads were 3.6
to 4 m wide, while the lanes and alleys were 1.2 m (4 feet) upwards. The streets and lanes
were not paved and must have been full of dirt and dust. The 'First Street' was, however,
surfaced with broken bricks and potsherds.

Bricks:

Harappa, Mohenjo daro and other major towns were built entirely of bricks. All the bricks,
burnt or unburnt, were well proportioned. The sundried bricks7 were used at Mohenjo daro
mainly for fillings, but at Harappa it sometimes alternated with burnt brick course by course
and at Kalibangan it seems to have been, if anything, more common, burnt brick being almost
exclusively reserved for wells, drains and bathrooms.

The predominant brick size was 7x14 x 7 that is a ratio of 1: 2: 4. Very large bricks
measuring 51 cm or more were used to cover drains. The bricks were made from alluvial soil
(i.e., deposit of earth left by flood) and shaped in an open frame mould. Recessing and
frogging were still unknown. Kilns of brick have been discovered at a number of places and
some of them were probably associated with copper working.

Sometimes the bricks were stocked in large heaps with wood fire in between. The outside of
the pile was covered with mud plaster to retain the heat. The bricks were well baked to a light
red colour. Wedge shaped bricks were used in the lining of wells, while for making the
bathroom pavements watertight, small bricks (5 * 11 x 24 cm) were employed.

In some bathrooms a sort of plaster of bride dust and lime was reported. L Shaped bricks
were preferred for corners. The later occupants sometimes removed the bricks of the old
houses and reused them. This was possible owing to the non sticking nature of the mud.

Buildings:

7
http://janestreetclayworks.com/2011/02/17/the-history-of-bricks-the-indus-valley/#:~:text=Workers
%20came%20upon%20quantities%20of,them%20themselves%20for%20some%20time.

11
The buildings so far unearthed in the Harappan cities fall into three main classes: (i) dwelling
houses, (ii) larger buildings, (iii) public baths, granaries, etc.

There is much variation in the size of dwelling houses. The smallest have no more than two
rooms, while the largest are so vast as to rank almost as palaces. The buildings were mostly
plain, without any recession or plasters. Only in the floor of one house at Kalibangan
ornamental bricks were used. Probably the verandas were decorated with wooden screws
which have now perished. The ground floor of a small house measured 8 x 9 m and of the
large one was double its size.

The houses were separated from one another by about a foot, probably to avoid dispute with
the neighbour, and the space in between was bricked up at either end to prevent the thief from
scaling the walls. The walls were very thick which suggests that some of the houses were
double storeyed Square holes on the walls remind that the upper floors and roof rested on
wooden beams.

The roofs were made of reed matting and then covered with thick coating mud. The matting
was tied to the wooden beams with cords some impressions of the cord are still noticeable. A
few staircases of burnt bricks have, no doubt, been discovered but, as a rule, wooden
staircases were used which have mostly perished.

The stairways had high narrow steps, sometimes 38 cm high and 13 cm wide to economize
space. The roofs were flat and were enclosed by a parapet. To drain the rainwater, gutters of
pottery were made; a number of them have been found at Chanhudaro. No roof tiles have so
far been traced.

Ordinarily there was an entrance to the houses from the street side. The houses were quite
commodious, divided into well sized rooms, containing wells and bathrooms, and
provided with covered drains, connected with street drains.

The open court was the basic feature of house planning in the Indus valley as in Babylon. The
courtyard, which was usually paved with bricks laid flat, was surrounded by chambers, and
doors and windows opened into it. The kitchen was placed in a sheltered corner of the
courtyard, and the ground floor contained store rooms, well chambers, bath, etc.

12
Doors, Windows and Stairs: Doors were possibly made of wood and were placed at the ends
of the walls, not in the middle. Ordinary houses very rarely had windows in their outer walls.
Possibly, perforated lattices were used as windows or ventilators at the top of the wall.

Stairways, made of solid masonry, are found in nearly every house. They were built straight
and steep, with treads unusually narrow and high. In some cases, the stairways led to the
upper storey's which contained the bath and the living and sleeping apartments.

Kitchen:

The kitchen was small. Fuel was placed on a raised platform. Cooking was mostly done in the
courtyards in the open. A round bread oven has been unearthed in which 'tandoori rotis' were
made. Sometimes between the kitchen and the larger room a 'serving hatch' (an aperture in
the wall) was made, pottery vessels with a hole in the bottom were sunk in the kitchen for
waste water. The water gradually ran into the earth. Bathroom and Toilet:

Every house had its bathroom which was on the side of the street. Latrines, though found
rarely, lay between the bathroom and street for the convenient disposal of water. The
bathrooms and latrines on the first floor had brick channels.

The walls of the bathroom (generally a square small room) were wainscoted with bricks laid
on edges so as to stand three inches above the level of the floor. It had brick pavement
sloping towards one corner. Pottery rasps were used to remove thickened cuticle. Pottery
pipes, each provided with a spigot so that they fitted together, were used for drainage.

College:

Several dwelling houses, large and small, have been unearthed at Mohenjo daro. There were
large Khans (inns), store houses and watch towers. There is an extensive building, on the
west of the stupa mound, which measures 69 x 23.5 m. It was a priestly corporation. It
contains the Great Bath which was excavated by Sir John Marshall. The whole complex is a
single architectural unit with walls sometimes 1.2 m thick. It might have been a college;
hence it is named the 'Collegiate Building'.

Assembly Hall:

13
On the south of the stupa at Mohenjo daro has been discovered a hall, 8 m sq., with a roof
having 20 rectangular brick piers in four rows of five piers each. There are four well paved
aisles which are separated by rows of pillars. The hall was used for some religious assembly.
Sir John Marshall compares it with a Buddhist rock cut temple of a later date, while Mackay
calls it a large market hall with lines of permanent stalls along the aisles.

Storehouse:

At Harappa a building has been discovered measuring 50 * 40 meters with a central passage
7 metres wide. It was a gigantic storehouse for grain, cotton and other merchandise. Some
buildings were used as eating-houses; they have depressions in the floors which one held
large pottery jars for liquids, grains and other foodstuffs.

Palace:

A short distance from the 'First Street' at Mohenjo daro there was a palatial building of
excellent masonry. It has two spacious courtyards, servant quarters and store rooms. It was
either a temple or the residence of the Governor.

CHAPTER 4

OTHER ESSENTIALS OF THE CIVILISATION

Population:

14
The population of the city gradually increased and the big houses were divided into smaller
ones. In later stages, civic rules were not strictly followed. The entire city was protected by a
'city wall'. A small fort has been laid bare in most of the important cities.

Although it is difficult to estimate the population of the Harappan cities, Lambrick has made
a case for a figure of 35, 000 at Mohenjo daro, based upon comparison with the population of
a city of comparable area in Sind in 1841.

Another estimate by Fair service suggests a slightly higher figure of 41, 000. He has also
suggested a figure of 23,000 for the lower city at Harappa, excluding the citadel. According
to Ailchins, Harappa's population may well have been more or less the same as of Mohenjo
daro as both were of the equivalent size. S. R. Rao estimated the population of Lothal to have
been around 15,000 whereas according to S. P. Gupta, Lothal may not have accommodated
more than 2,000 to 3,0008 people during its peak period.

Foundation Deposits:

It was usually believed that Harappans did not use foundation deposits, a system prevalent in
Babylonia and
Egypt. Such deposits help the excavator to fix the date or history of the building.
However, at Kot Diji and Allahdino stone foundations have been unearthed. But nothing
is known about the ceremonics associated with the laying of foundation.

Household Articles:

Various household articles have been found at Harappan sites. These were made of pottery,
stone, shell, faience, ivory, and metal. Copper and bronze appear to have replaced stone as
the material for household implements. Pottery supplied numerous articles for the kitchen
including fleshrubbers, cake moulds, dippers, beakers, bowls, goblets, dishes, basins, pans,
saucers, ladles, heaters, jar stands, storage jars, etc.

Goblets with pointed bases were the customary drinking vessels, which were used only
once. Querns, palettes, and jar stands figure among articles of stone. Jar covers and ladles
were also made of shell. There were needles, awls, axes, saws, sickles, knives, fish hooks,
chisels, etc. made of bronze or copper; the first two also in ivory. Blocks of lead were
probably used as net sinkers.
8
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Indus-civilization

15
Technology, Arts and Crafts:

The Harappan craftsmen exhibit a degree of uniformity similar to that found in town planning
and structure plans. Indeed, it is so marked that it is possible to typify each craft with a single
set of examples drawn from one site alone. It is not yet established whether this feature was
achieved by the centralization of production, linked with efficiency of distribution, or
whether by other factors, but in either case if calls for special attention.

CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSION

The Indus Valley people gave to the world its earliest cities, its town planning, its
architecture in stone and clay, and showed their concern for health and sanitation. They built
a scientific drainage system in their cities.

16
There is enough evidence to show that some of the early conceptions of Hinduism are derived
from this culture. On the whole, the present civilization is a composite product resulting from
a fusion of several cultures where the contribution of the Indus Valley is of utmost
importance.

The people belonging to the Harappan civilization gave the world the structure of advanced
towns, city planning, the use of stone and mud in the construction and presented their interest
in hygiene and wellness. They designed systematic drainage conformity in their towns.

There is enough evidence to conclude that some of the ancient symbols of Hinduism are
received from this civilization. Overall, it may be said that the modern civilization is a
composite consequence arising from an amalgamation of diverse cultures where the growth
of the Harappan civilization is of most importance.

BIBILOGRAPHY

17
 New Insights into Harappan Town- Planning Proportions and Units, with Special
Reference to Dholavira ARTICLE by- Michel Danino
 Town planning Of Harappan Civilisation ARTICLE by- Sthiti Das
 https://www.historydiscussion.net/indus-valley/indus-valley-civilization-town-
planning-art-social-life-and-religion/3015
 https://www.sansarlochan.in/en/town-planning-indus-valley-civilization/
 https://ischools.org/resources/Documents/Discipline%20of%20organizing/Case
%20Studies/IndusValley-Garg2015.pdf

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