☼ Harappan/Indus Civilization (2500 BC - 1750 BC)
☼ Salient features of the Civilisation
• The most appropriate name is— Harappan Civilization (Harappa is the first discovered site).
• The most prevalent name is —Inuds Civilization (the largest concentration of settlement-along the Indus river valley).
• The most accepted time limit of Harappan Civilization was between 2500 BC and 1750 BC
• John Marshall was the first scholar who uses the term 'Indus Civilization'.
• The Indus Civilization belongs to Proto-Historic Period (Chalcolithic Age / Bronze Age).
• Capital Cities of The Indus Civilization were— Harappa, Mohenjodaro.
• Port Cities were— Lothal, Sutkagendor, Allahdino, Balakot, Kuntasi.
• Mohenjodaro was the largest site of Indus Civilization, and Dholavira was the largest Indian site of Indus Civilization.
• Common Features of Major Cities were-
a) Systematic town-planning on the lines of 'grid system'
b) Use of burnt bricks in constructions
c) Underground drainage system (giant water reservoirs in Dholavira)
d) Fortified citadel (exception-Chanhudaro).
• Surkotada (Kutchh district, Gujarat) : the only Indus site where the remains of a horse have actually been found.
• The Sumerian texts refer to trade relations with 'Mehiha1' which was the name given to the Indus region.
• Shatughai and Mundigaq were the Indus sites found in Afghanistan.
• The Sumerian texts also refer to two intermediate stations—Dilmun (Bahrain) and Makan (Makran coast). Susa and Ur are Mesopotamian places where Harappan seals were found.
• The Harappans were the earliest people to produce cotton (It was called 'Sindon' by the Greeks).
• Barter system is assumed to have been the normal method of exchange of goods as there is no evidence of coins,.
• Lothal was an ancient port of Indus civilization.
• The Indus Civilization was primarily urban.
• There is no clear-cut evidence of the nature of polity, but it seems that the ruling authority of Indus Civilization was a class of merchants.
• The Harappan people did n't worship their gods in temple. No temple in fact has been unearthed. An idea of their religion is formed from the statues and figurines found.
• The most commonly found figurine is that of Mother-Goddess (Matridevi or Shakti). There is evidence of prevalence of Yoni (female sex organ) worship.
• The chief male deity was the 'Pasupati Mahadeva' i.e. the lord of Animals (Pro to-Shiva) represented in seals as sitting in yogic posture; he is surrounded by four animals (elephant, tiger, rhino and buffalo) and two deer appear at his feet. There was the prevalence of Phallic (lingam) worship.
• Thus Shiva-Shakti worship, the oldest form of worship in India, appears to have been part of the religious belief of Harppan people (esp. humped bull).
• The remains and relics also reveal that zoolatry i.e. animal worship and tree worship (esp. peepal) were in vogue in those days.
• There is the evidence of pictographic script, found mainly on seals. The script has not been deciphered so far, but overlap of letters on some of the posts herds from Kalibanga show that writing was boustrophedon or from right to left and from left to right in alternate lines. It has been referred to as Proto-Dravidian.
• Steatite was mainly used in the manufacture of seals.
• Humpless bull is represented in most of the Indus seals.
• Inhumation or complete burial was the most common method of disposal of the dead.
• The origin of the 'Swastika' symbol can be traced to the IndusCivilization.
• According to M. Wheeler's opinion 'Indra is accused of causing the decline of Indus Civilisation'.
• The Rigveda speaks of a battle at a place named 'Hariyumpia' which has been identified with Harappa.
• The majority of the Historians believe that the Dravidian were the makers of this civilization .
• Contemporary civilizations of Indus Civilization were Mesopotamia, Egypt and China.
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