Submitted To: Abhijit Bharali Sir

Submitted By: Himanshu Rajpurohit

UID: SM0120072

DECLINE OF THE HARAPPAN CIVILIZATION:

Sir Alexander Cunningham first in a few words excavated the

Harappa site in 1872-73, the apparent ruins of the city were taken
away two decades subsequent to brick robbers. He bring into being a
seal of the Indus of unidentified origin. In 1920, Rai Bahadur Daya
Ram Sahni initiated the first broad excavations at Harappa. The
existence of the forgotten Indus Valley civilization as the first urban
culture on the Indian subcontinent was first brought to the world's
attention by his effort and contemporary excavations at Mohenjo-
daro. His notion was followed by that of MadhoSarup Vats, also of
the Archaeological Survey of India, afterward in the decade. M.S.
The.S. Second, Vats excavated the "Granary," and unconstrained the
findings of his and Sahni's 1940 excavations. Excavations persistent in
the 1930's by other archaeologists, and Sir Mortimer Wheeler
excavated the so-called defense walls in 1946 and bring into being
the first deposits of the pre-Indus Valley civilization (KotDijian).
Harappa was excavated after independence by Mohammed Rafique
Mughal of the Pakistan Archaeological Survey in 1966. The Harappa
Archaeological Project (HARP), under the guidance of George F. Dales
and J. J., started the first systematic, multi-disciplinary excavations of
an Indus Valley town in 1986. Kenoyer Mark. Since then, more or less
every year, these excavations, now also co-directed by Richard H.
Meadow, have proceeded. There is an massive sum of information
about the site yet to be discovered, much of which leftovers
unexcavated. On the site, the initialy deposits go back to 3300 B.C.
Since then, the area seems to have been everlastingly populated.
Archaeologists imagine that the urban center dominating the upper
Indus area was ancient Harappa, the lower Indus Valley was
dominated by Mohenjo-daro, and Ganweriwala was probably the
urban hub of what is now Rajasthan.

 There are the some key reasons for the turn down of the
Harappan Civilization:

 LAW OF NATURE- The corrosion of a culture has been

categorized by well-known scholar Arnold Joseph
Toynbee as its final stage after a culture is born and
progresses to the hit the highest point of effectiveness of
this universal rule of existence, the Harappan culture was
no exemption. The depression began around 1800 B.C.
And the disappearance came about in time.
 FLOODS- A dominant cause for the disappearance of the
Harappan culture must have been the high floods in the
Indus. The silt-clay that covers the distorted houses at
Mohenjo-Daro shows the case. The people may have
been constrained by frequent flooding to leave the
flooded areas and create stable habitat elsewhere. The
fall of Harappa came as a consequence.
 EARTHQUAKS- Geographically, since it fell under a
seismographic region, the Harappan civilization populated
an area that was exposed to earthquakes. The erosion
that took down the buildings must have contributed to
recurrent seismographic vibrations. An noteworthy
justification for the collapse of the civilization of Harappan
is earthquakes.
 MODIFICATION OF THE INDUS COURCE- A number of
scholars feature the collapse of the Harappan culture to
 the Indus River frequently changing its course. As such,
Mohenjo-Daro drifted away from the Indus delta and
water became inadequate. Water shortages may have
contributed to the Harappan people's exodus to new
locations. On the other hand, since the Mohenjo-Daro
condition did not exist in these areas, the alter of
direction of the Indus is not a suitable clarification for the
decline in Lothal, Kalibangan, Rupar etc.
 PLAGUE- The epidemic of the plague disease is illustrated
as an justification for the fall down of the civilization of
Harappan. As revealed by excavation attempts, skeletal
leftovers from the main roads of Harappa and Mohenjo-
Daro put in the picture a sad story. When a plague-like
disease enters a individual household, it leaves its death
shadow everywhere. For that reason, the isolated skeletal
remains lead others to attribute it to a disease such as
plague, although there is no obvious facts of the region's
plague epidemic.
 FORIGN INVANSION- However, Sir Mortimer Wheeler is
of the view that the reason for the collapse of Harappan
civilization is the Aryan raid. In Mohenjo-Daro, there is
archaeological data of genocide and unburied human
residue spotted all the way through. An autopsy on these
bones indicates injuries caused by razor-sharp points or
arms that may have been caused. The Aryans were
conscious of the occurrence and use of iron as arms, not
the Harappan people. The Harapan people's breakdown
and death must have come at the hands of the invading
Aryans.
An unfavorable point for the Harappans, who did not be
familiar with the use of horses, would have been the
Aryan cavalry. This view is also held by Prof D.D. Kosambi.
In accumulation, the Vedas speak of the 'dasa' or 'dasyu'
 forest. The idol Indra of the Vedas is also regarded as the
demolisher of the forts, or Purandara. In the background
of the forts of the Harappan culture, Kosambi's opinion is
practically suitable. Due to cruel clashes with rural and
forest people, regions of Harappan culture that were not
taken by the Aryans may have rotten. outer colonization
goes a lengthy way to explanation for the collapse of the
civilization of Harappan, anyhow. The plentiful factors
enumerated above is accountable for the fall down of the
civilization of Harappan. We now know a lot regarding
this oldest urban community in India, due to
archaeological hard work. in actual fact, their urban
planning, social and religious life, the port of Lothal, the
unique art and architecture, artifacts and pottery have
lead people to look at them with admiration and fear.
India and the planet celebrate at the wonder of the
civilization of Harappan. Yet, the rule of nature could not
be beaten by this society and was, as such, not
everlasting. The Aryans and others afterward conserved
much of the rich traditions left behind.

Webliography:-
1) https://youtu.be/qm7wEJciXa8
2) https://youtu.be/WvMIPfp3PE8
3) https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-
worldcivilization/chapter/disappearance-of-the-indus-valley-
civilization/
4) https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/do-you-
know-the-causes-of-decline-of-the-harappan-civilisation-
1527589233-1
5) https://www.harappa.com/content/introduction