Time span and extent of the Harappan Civilisation
Today our cities have wide roads, water supply and drains. About four and a half thousand years ago India already had planned cities — those of the Harappan Civilisation.
The Harappan Civilisation is an ancient urban civilisation that developed in the Indus valley; it is also called the Indus Valley Civilisation. It is named after Harappa, where it was first found.
Key idea 1 : Three phases — Early Harappan (about 3300 to 2600 BCE) — a move from villages to cities. Mature Harappan (about 2600 to 1900 BCE) — the peak; main centres Mohenjodaro, Harappa, Dholavira, Lothal. Late Harappan (about 1900 to 1300 BCE) — gradual decline.
Key idea 2 : Extent — The civilisation spread over about 15 lakh square kilometres. Its remains are found up to Manda in Jammu and Kashmir in the north, Balochistan in the west, Alamgirpur in Uttar Pradesh in the east and Daimabad in Maharashtra in the south.
Key idea 3 : Major sites — Harappa, Mohenjodaro, Kalibangan, Lothal, Dholavira, Rakhigarhi, Banawali and Chanhudaro. Many settlements were along the Indus and in fertile regions.
- Easy : How long did the Mature Harappan phase last? — 2600 − 1900 = about 700 years.
- Medium : Which is the southernmost Harappan site? — Daimabad (Maharashtra).
- Exam-type : Why is it called Harappan? — The first excavations were done there.
In the figure: Early, Mature and Late Harappan phases (BCE).
What happened before the Harappan Civilisation was discovered? In the 19th century contractors building the Lahore-Multan railway used baked bricks from the mounds of Harappa as filling under the tracks. Engraved seals were found along with the bricks. In 1853 Alexander Cunningham surveyed the site; one seal stayed in his mind, but its importance was not understood then.
What happened after the Harappan Civilisation was discovered? In 1921 Daya Ram Sahni began systematic excavation at Harappa, and from 1922 Rakhal Das Banerji worked at Mohenjodaro. Seals and bricks at both places looked alike. On 20 September 1924 John Marshall announced this forgotten civilisation to the world in the ‘Illustrated London News’.
Mature phase = about 2600 to 1900 BCE; excavation began = 1921; announcement = 1924.
The Indus civilisation was not only along the Indus; it spread to Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Maharashtra.
Early 3300 – Mature 2600 – Late 1900. Memory clue: 33, 26, 19 — three phases, three numbers.
Spot the difference
| Phase | Period (BCE) | Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Early | 3300–2600 | Villages to cities |
| Mature | 2600–1900 | Peak, planned cities |
| Late | 1900–1300 | Decline |
Practice questions
- 1Why is the Harappan Civilisation also called the Indus Civilisation?
- 2When did excavation begin at Harappa?
- 3State the three phases of the Harappan Civilisation.
- 4Write four major sites of the Harappan Civilisation.
- 5Which site in Maharashtra is linked with the Harappan Civilisation?
- 6What loss may have been caused by using Harappa’s bricks for the railway?
- 7Who announced the discovery, when and where?
- 8Describe the extent of the Harappan Civilisation in your words.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Because many of its remains were found in the Indus valley.
- 2In 1921.
- 3Early, Mature and Late Harappan phases.
- 4Harappa, Mohenjodaro, Lothal and Dholavira.
- 5Daimabad.
- 6Remains of many ancient structures were destroyed and evidence was lost.
- 7John Marshall on 20 September 1924 in the ‘Illustrated London News’.
- 8About 15 lakh sq km; Manda in the north, Balochistan in the west, Alamgirpur in the east and Daimabad in the south.
Town planning, houses and the Great Bath
Our school plan is neat — classrooms, ground, water and toilets are separate. Harappan cities were also laid out like this.
Harappan cities were planned towns divided by wide roads in a grid, with houses of baked bricks and covered drains.
Key idea 1 : Roads and parts of the city — Roads were wide and in a grid; houses were built in the rectangular blocks they formed. The city had two or more parts, each with its own wall. The raised north-west part is called the ‘citadel’, where administrators probably lived. South of it lived the common people.
Key idea 2 : Bricks and houses — Bricks were of one standard proportion — length, breadth and thickness in the ratio 1 : 2 : 4. While building a wall, two bricks lengthwise and two crosswise were laid alternately, which made walls strong. A courtyard lay in the middle with rooms around; a well and bathroom were near the entrance.
Key idea 3 : Drains and the Great Bath — Waste water from every house flowed out through baked clay pipes, and street drains were made of brick and covered — showing awareness of health. The tank of the Great Bath at Mohenjodaro was about 12 m long, 7 m wide and 2.5 m deep; some scholars think religious rituals were held there.
- Easy : If a brick is 5 cm thick, what are the breadth and length as per 1 : 2 : 4? — 10 cm and 20 cm.
- Medium : Who probably lived in the citadel? — Administrators.
- Exam-type : What is the floor area of the Great Bath tank? — 12 × 7 = 84 sq m.
In the figure: Citadel, lower city and covered drains.
What happened before the excavations of 1921–22? In 1856, while building a railway line, British engineers dug out old baked bricks from the mounds of Harappa and used them as ballast. Nobody knew that an ancient city lay buried there.
What happened after the excavations of 1921–22? In 1921 Daya Ram Sahni began digging at Harappa, and in 1922 Rakhaldas Banerji at Mohenjo-daro. In 1924 Sir John Marshall announced to the world a forgotten ancient civilisation whose cities had straight streets and drains.
Harappan cities are famous for grid roads, baked bricks and covered drains.
The citadel is not the lower part of the city; it is the raised, protected part.
Bricks 1 : 2 : 4; tank 12 × 7 × 2.5 m. Memory clue: ‘1-2-4 brick, 12-7-2.5 tank’.
Spot the difference
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Roads | Wide, grid-like |
| Bricks | Baked, ratio 1 : 2 : 4 |
| Drains | Of brick, covered |
| Great Bath | Mohenjodaro, about 12 × 7 × 2.5 m |
Practice questions
- 1What is a citadel?
- 2What was the ratio of Harappan bricks?
- 3How were Harappan roads laid out?
- 4Where is the Great Bath?
- 5Why would drains be covered?
- 6How were the houses built? Tell three things.
- 7What lessons can we take from Harappan town planning today?
- 8Compare a Harappan city with your city/village in three points.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1The raised, walled and protected part of a city.
- 21 : 2 : 4.
- 3Wide roads in a grid and rectangular blocks formed by them.
- 4At Mohenjodaro.
- 5To avoid bad smell and disease.
- 6A courtyard, rooms around it, a well and bathroom, baked bricks.
- 7Planned roads, drains and care for cleanliness.
- 8Answer as per your place; e.g. are roads planned, are drains covered, how is water supplied.
Life, agriculture, crafts and trade
In the market we buy by paying. Harappan people also traded beads and ornaments with people of far-off lands.
Harappan people practised farming, crafts and trade; their clothes, ornaments, toys and seals tell us about their life.
Key idea 1 : Food, clothes and ornaments — Wheat, barley, peas, sesame, ragi, lentils and pulses were the main food; in some places also milk, meat and fish. Men and women wore a knee-length lower garment and an upper garment; they knew cotton. Beads, necklaces, earrings and bangles were made using clay, stone, shells, copper, silver and gold.
Key idea 2 : Agriculture and crafts — Wheat and barley were the main crops. Evidence of a ploughed field was found at Kalibangan (Rajasthan); its plough marks match today’s fields. Artisans made objects of metal, clay and gold and wove cloth.
Key idea 3 : Trade and seals — Trade was carried on with Mesopotamia (today’s Iraq) and Egypt. Beads, ornaments, pottery and cotton were exported; metals and precious stones were imported. Faience and carnelian beads were important exports. Seals used for trade show animals like ox, elephant, rhinoceros and tiger, and a one-horned animal. A dockyard was found at Lothal.
- Easy : What were the main Harappan crops? — Wheat and barley.
- Medium : Where was a ploughed field found? — Kalibangan.
- Exam-type : With which lands did Harappans trade? — Mesopotamia and Egypt.
In the figure: Harappa’s trade with Mesopotamia: ornaments went out and metals and stones came in.
Farming — wheat, barley; trade — Mesopotamia; seals — animal pictures.
Harappan people were not only farmers; they were also artisans and traders.
Farming, crafts, trade — three supports. Memory clue: ‘Fa-Cr-Tr’.
Spot the difference
| Area | Example |
|---|---|
| Farming | Wheat, barley, cotton |
| Crafts | Beads, jewels, clay toys |
| Trade | Mesopotamia, Egypt; seals |
Practice questions
- 1What was the main Harappan food?
- 2What evidence was found at Kalibangan?
- 3Which goods did Harappans export?
- 4What is faience?
- 5What pictures are found on seals?
- 6What do we learn about Harappan clothing?
- 7Which clay toys were found? Give three examples.
- 8How might trade have benefitted Harappan cities? Write your opinion.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Wheat, barley, peas, sesame, ragi, lentils and pulses.
- 2Evidence of a ploughed field.
- 3Beads, ornaments, pottery and cotton.
- 4A glass-like blue-green material used to make bangles and beads.
- 5Ox, elephant, rhinoceros, tiger and a one-horned animal.
- 6Men and women wore a knee-length lower garment and an upper garment; cotton was known.
- 7Bull, dog, elephant, wheeled cart and top (any three).
- 8Wealth grew, artisans got work and new goods were obtained.
Causes of the decline of the Harappan Civilisation
If customers stop coming, a shop cannot run. The same may have happened to Harappan cities when trade fell.
The Harappan Civilisation did not end suddenly; researchers believe cities slowly emptied due to river changes, natural calamities and falling trade.
Key idea 1 : Change in river course — If a river changes its course, water becomes scarce and farming and life suffer.
Key idea 2 : Natural calamities — Calamities such as great floods, droughts or earthquakes may have damaged the cities.
Key idea 3 : Decline of trade — After about 2300 BCE trade with Sumer slowed. During the reign of Sargon of Akkad sea trade between the two civilisations flourished; after him political instability came to Mesopotamia and trade stopped. So Harappa’s economy was endangered and people began leaving the cities. Though the cities vanished, Harappa’s influence did not end.
- Easy : What was first lacking when the river changed? — Water.
- Medium : Which king was Sargon? — Of Akkad.
- Exam-type : What was the effect of declining trade? — The economy was in trouble and people began leaving cities.
In the figure: River change, natural calamities and slowing trade.
The decline was gradual; the causes are what researchers think ‘may’ be — estimates, not certain facts.
The Harappan Civilisation was not destroyed overnight; people slowly left the cities.
River – calamity – trade. Memory clue: ‘R-C-T’: three causes.
Spot the difference
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| River changed | Water scarcity, less farming |
| Calamities | Damage to cities |
| Trade slowed | Economy in trouble |
Practice questions
- 1State any two causes of the decline of the Harappan Civilisation.
- 2What is the effect of a river changing course?
- 3Who was Sargon?
- 4Why did trade decline?
- 5Where may people have gone after the decline?
- 6Why did the influence of the Harappan Civilisation not end?
- 7How can we say the decline was gradual, not sudden?
- 8What should today’s cities learn from Harappa about water and cleanliness? Write your opinion.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1River changing course and slowing trade (or flood, drought).
- 2Water becomes scarce and farming is hit.
- 3A powerful king of the Akkadian Empire, in whose time sea trade with Mesopotamia flourished.
- 4Because of political instability in Mesopotamia.
- 5From the cities towards nearby villages and other regions.
- 6Because its remains tell us about history, traditions and life, and it is a base of our culture.
- 7Because trade fell, people kept leaving cities and settlements emptied — this happened gradually.
- 8The importance of planned roads, covered drains and cleanliness; using water carefully.