Indus Valley Civilization
What is Civilisation and Culture The Word Civilisation has been derived from Latin Word Civilis, which means citizens. Civilisation is an advanced state of human society possessing historical and cultural unity. Culture: The culture has been derive from Latin word Cultura, which means cultivation. The culture is a pattern of behaviors and thinking of a group of people living in society.
Meaning The culture is a pattern of behaviors and thinking of a group of people living in society. Civilisation is an advanced state of human society possessing historical and cultural unity. Interdependency Culture can grow and exist Civilization cannot grow What is it? End Means Represents What we are? What we possess? Reflected in Expression Religion, art, dance, literature, customs, morals, music, philosophy, etc. Higher level of inner refinement. Law, administration, infrastructure, architecture, social arrangement, etc. Higher level of general development. Advancement No Yes
Indus Valley Civilization was the first major civilization in south Asia, which spread across a vast area of land in present day India and Pakistan. The time period of mature Indus Valley Civilization is estimated between BC. 2700- BC.1900 ie. for 800 years. Evidence of religious practices in this area date back approximately to 5500 BCE.
The Indus Civilisation was as old as the civilisation of the valleys of Nile and Tigris.
Discoveries The Area of Harappan civilisation is triangular in from. It is extended to near about 1.2 m sq. km. In the 19 th century, British engineers searching for ballast for a railway line in what was then northwestern India and is now Pakistan stumbled upon the remains of an ancient city known only to locals. The discovery of this ancient culture, one of the most remarkable archaeological finds of modern times, compelled scholars to revise their understanding of the earliest history of India and has in recent years sparked a heated debate about the original inhabitants of the Indian Subcontinent. The Indus Valley Civilization, so named because many of its settlements were situated along the Indus River, turned out to be one of the great cultures of the ancient world. The Indus Valley Civilization was as impressive as ancient Egypt and Sumeria.
East: Western UP West: Makran Coast, Baluchistan North: Manda, Jammu South: Narmada
John Marshal was the first person, who described the archeological ruins as Indus Civilisation. The Harappan civilisation till recently showed no definite signs of birth and growth. Excavation of some sites: Harappa (1921) by Daya Ram Sahni, Mohenjodaro (1922) by R.D. Banerjee Dholavira (1967-68) by J.P. Joshi and (1990-91) by R.S. Bisht Kalibangan by Dr. A. Ghosh Lothal (1955-63), Chanhu-daro, Banawali (1975-77), etc.
Society The Indus River Valley Civilization, also known as Harappan civilization, developed the first accurate system of standardized weights and measures, some as accurate as to 1.6 mm. Harappans created sculpture, seals, pottery, and jewelry from materials, such as terracotta, metal, and stone. The social and economic life of the people of Indus Valley Civilization was systematic and organised. The Indus valley population consisted of Proto-Australoid, Meditaranean, Alpinoid and Mongoloid. The Harrpan Society was class divied society, this classification was based on economic condition. All Indus valley sites have distinct burial of the dead practice. Surkotda and Dholavira are two sites where the burial practice resembled the megalithic practice.
They domesticated animals for transportation as well as africulture. The animals of the domestic category viz. zebu (Bos-indicus), buffalo (Bublus bublis), sheep (Ovis arise), goat (Capra hircus), pig (Sus domesticus), ass (Equus asinus), horse (Equus caballus), camel (Camelus dromedaries), elephant (Elephas maximus) and fowl (Gallus gallus) have been exploited as some of these were used in term of food economy, some for transport and other for traction About 70 to 80 percent of the faunal assemblage of the Harappan sites belong to domestic animals.
Life style Jewellery has been found in burials of both men and women. In the excavations at the cemetery in Harappa in the mid-1980s, an ornament consisting of three shell rings, a jasper (a kind of semiprecious stone) bead and hundreds of micro beads was found near the skull of a male.
Foods There are evidences of cultivation of Wheat, Barley, Rice, Date, melon, lemon etc. people were cattle herders and used milk and milk products. There are evidences that people made sweets. Half burnt bones give evidence of nonveg life.
The Indus valley civilization has marvelous craftsmen, skilled in pottery, weaving, and metal working. Many sculptures, seals, pottery, gold jewelry, and figurines in terracotta, bronze, ect. are found in the civilization. The large number of terracotta figurines and toys such as cart, bull, elephant, monkeys, chariots; whistles etc. indicate that the children entertained themselves. There are no clear evidences of Music in the civilization; however, the finding of a dance girl bronze figurine gives some insight about the social entertainment. Art and culture
Economy Harrpan economy was an agrarian economy. The main crops were wheat and barely, they were awear of plough. Harrapns were the first to grow cotton in the world. The agriculture was in flourishing condition which was due to timely and good rains. Predominantly Rainfed Crops as Irrigation was based upon the rainwater but also the sources of irrigations were available.
Bullock cart played a vital role in the economic life of the Harappan people. Three main types are reconstructed with the help of the toy-wheels and cart frames discovered from Lothal. The first type has a solid chassis which is concave or flat. The second and third types have a perforated chassis, but the latter has, in addition, a detachable cross-b.ar
There was use of many kinds of metals including Gold, Silver, Copper, Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise, Amethyst, Alabaster, jade etc. It has been guessed that among the precious stones in the Harappan civilization; Jade came from Central Asia, Turquoise came from Iran, Amethyst came from Maharashtra and Lapis lazuli came from Afghanistan. Besides the raw material, they used to trade: Finished products of metals (pots and pans, weapon, etc.); Precious and semi-precious stones (beads, pendants, amulets, etc.); and Ornaments of gold and silver were also traded to various areas. They procured: Copper from Khetri mines of Rajasthan; Chert blades from Rohri hills of Sindh; Carnelian beads from Gujarat and Sindh; Lead from south India; Lapis-lazuli from Kashmir and Afghanistan; Turquoise and jade from central Asia or Iran; Amethyst from Maharashtra; and Agate, chalcedony, and carnelian
Religion They believed in polytheism. The Indus people probably worshipped Mother Goddess, in addition to male and female deities. The people of India, in fact, have always held a belief in a female energy as the source of all creation. They worshiped: Earth goddess/mother goddess Pashupti Practiced phallic worship Nature(tree, fire, unicorn) Seven rayed sun