Class 12 History - Harappan Civilization

Also known as the Indus Valley Civilization. Mature Phase: 2600 BCE - 1900 BCE.

1. Town Planning (Mohenjodaro)

• Citadel: Smaller but higher. Walled. Contained special public buildings (Warehouse, Great Bath).
• Lower Town: Larger but lower. Residential area.
• Grid Pattern: Roads cut each other at right angles.
• Drainage: Every house was connected to the street drain. Drains were covered with bricks.

2. Subsistence Strategies

• Diet: Wheat, barley, lentil, chickpea, sesame. Bones of fish and fowl found.
• Plough: Terracotta models of plough found at Cholistan and Banawali.
• Water Reservoirs: Found at Dholavira (Gujarat) for water harvesting.

3. Social Differences (Burials)

• Dead were laid in pits.
• Some graves had pottery and ornaments.
• Mirrors: Copper mirrors found, but generally, Harappans did NOT believe in burying precious things with the dead (unlike Egyptians).

4. Craft Production (Chanhudaro)

• Chanhudaro was exclusively devoted to craft production.
• Bead-making: Materials used were carnelian (red), jasper, crystal, quartz.
• Shell-cutting: Nageshwar and Balakot were centers (near coast).

5. The End of Civilization (1800 BCE)

• Reasons debated: Climate change, Deforestation, Excessive floods, Shifting / drying up of rivers (Saraswati).
• Aryan Invasion theory (now largely contested).

History is in the details! 🧱🏺