HARAPPAN CIVILISATION

Evolution,Food,Dress,Buildings,Weapons,Medicines,Education
and much more.
INDEX
TOPICS
Discovery
About
Town Planning
Drainage System
Social Life and Buildings
Food And Dress
Hairstyle And Ornaments
Household Articles and Medicines
Weapons
TOPICS
Condition of Women
Agriculture and Economic Life
Industry
Religion
Worship Of Animals
Disposal Of Dead
The Fall
DISCOVERY
 Came to light in 1919/1922
 Discovered by R.D. Banerjee and Dayaram Sahni
 Located in the district of Punjab
ABOUT
 Also known as Indus Valley Civilisation as it was located
and flourished on the valley of the river.
 Harappa was the biggest city amongst the excavated sites
 Moreover, it contributed remarkably for the growth and
development of Indian culture.
TOWN PLANNING
 The Dravidians were probably the builders of Indus Valley
civilisation.
 Streets were broad varying in width from 9 to 34 ft.
 All the lanes were straight from north to south or from
east to west.
 Roads cut each other at right angles and lanes joined with
the streets. Also, it had to provision of street light and
watch and ward system at night.
DRAINAGE SYSTEM
 Drains were made of mortar, lime and gypsum. They were
covered with loose bricks which could be lifted easily to
clean the drains.
 The main drains carried the rain water varied the
circumference from 2 feet to 5 feet.
 It shows that they had fairly developed sense of health
and sanitation.
SOCIAL LIFE AND BUILDINGS
 Social life in thi civilisation was highly developed. There
includes 4 classes i.e. learned persons, warriors,
businessman and working class or labourers.
 Adding to this, buildings were divided into 3 categories i.e.
residential buildings, public halls and the Great Bath.
 Great bath was the most imposing structure. The
dimension is 180 feet by 108 feet. The bathing pool is 39
feet by 23 feet with 8 feet depth.
FOOD AND DRESS
 Food and Drinks include vegan and non-vegan.
 Staple food like wheat, barley, rice; vegetables like pear,
sesame; fruits like banana, dates which were included.
 Beef, mutton, poultry fish was also eaten by people
residing in Harappa.
 They only used woolen clothes.
HAIRSTLYE AND ORNAMENTS
 Men wore long hair, parted in middle with long beards
and moustaches.
 Whereas women wore long hair in plait with fan shaped
bow at the end.
 Men and women were fond of ornaments made of gold,
silver, copper, shell and ivory.
HOUSEHOLD ARTICLES AND MEDICINES
 Along with ornaments, even the household articles were
made of shell, stone and metals like copper and bronze.
 Domestic articles include beaker, bowels, dishes, pans,
heaters, etc.
 In case of medicines; shilajit, coral and leaves of neem
were used.
WEAPONS
 Weapons were made of copper and bronze
 And, their chief weapons include axe, spear, dagger, bows,
arrow, mace, sling and sword.
 But, they were unaware about defensive weapons.
CONDITION OF WOMEN
 Women were treated respectfully in the society
 They seemed to have enjoyed freedom and status in the
society
AGRICULTURE AND ECONOMIC LIFE
 Agriculture was the main occupation during Harappan
Civilisation.
 As the land was quite fertile, they grew crops like wheat,
barley and rice.
 Living standard of the common men of Harappan was
higher than the standard of the common people in Nile
and Mesopotamia.
INDUSTRY
 Along with agriculture, people were also engaged in
different industries.
 Discovery of spindles indicate to the spinning of cotton
and wool.
 Adding to this, there were departments of pottery,
masonry, metal industry where people used to work.
RELIGION
 People of Harappan Civilisation were deeply religious.
 Mother Goddess played an important role in the religious
life.
 Prevalance of the worship is proved by discovery of
numerous terracota figures in different forms.
WORSHIP OF ANIMALS
 The worshipped 3 categories of animals: mythical animals,
ambigious animals and actual animals.
 They worshipped animals like rhinoceros, tiger, elephant,
buffale, humped bull. Also birds like dove and duck as they
were regarded as sacred birds.
 Adding to this, they also worshipped trees, water, fire and
sun
DISPOSAL OF DEAD
 Harappan people have 3 funeral customs: complete burial
of the dead body, burial of bones after wild beasts are of
it and burial of the ashes and bones after burning th
ebody
 According to Sir John Marshall; the third method of
disposal of dead was very much practised by the people
of the Harappan Civilisation.
THE FALL
 Harappan Civilisation began to becline by BCE 1700.
 Several views prevail on the causes of its decline. Few of
them include:
• Flood
• External Invasions
• Deforestation
• Decline of agricultural sector
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