Indus River Valley civilizations

Places of Indus Civilization-

• Harappa (Montgomery District, Punjab, Pakistan) – This site was excavated in 1921 AD. It was done by Dayaram Sahni.
• Mohanjodaro (Sindh’s Larkana district, Pakistan) – the work of excavation conducted by Rakhal Das Banerjee in 1922 BC.
• Sutkagendor (Baluchistan, Pakistan) – R. L. Staine conducted the excavation work in 1927 BC.
• Chanhudaro (Sindh, Pak) – M.G. Majumdar conducted the excavation work in1931 BC.
• Rangpur (Ahmedabad, Kathiawad, India) – Madhoswaroop Watts conducted the excavation work in 1953.
• Kotdiji (Sindh-Pak.) – Dhurye conducted the excavation work in 1953 BC.
• Ropad (Punjab-India) – Y. D. Sharma directed the excavation work in 1953 BC.
• Kalibanga (Ganganagar, Rajasthan, India) – In 1955 BC. the work of excavation was done in the direction of A. Ghosh.
• Lothal (Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India) -1955 BC the work of excavation was done in the direction of S.R. Rao.
• Alamgirpur (Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India) – In 1958 BC the work of excavation was done in the direction of Yagya Dutt Sharma.
• Surkotda (Kutch, Gujarat, India) – Jagpati Joshi conducted the excavation work in 1972 BC.
• Banvali (Hisar, Haryana, India) – The excavation work was done in the direction of R.S.Visht in 1973 BC.
• Dhoulavira (Kutch, Gujarat, India) – R.S.Visht directed the work of excavation in 1990 BC.

The Creators of Indus Civilization-

• According to Dr. Laxman Swaroop, Arya was the creator of the Indus civilization.
• According to Garden Child, the makers of Indus Civilization were Sumerian.
• According to Rakhaladas Banerjee, Dravid was the maker of Indus Civilization.
• According to Hiller, the creators of the Indus Civilization were Dasyu Das.

Location of Places of Indus Civilization –

• Harappa was situated on the banks of river Ravi.
• Mohanjodro Nagar was situated on the banks of the Indus river.
• Ropad was situated on the banks of river Sutlej.
• Manda site was situated on the banks of the Chenab river.
• Kalibanga was situated on the bank of the Ghagghar river (Saraswati).
• Lothal was situated on the bank of the river Bhogava.
• Sutkagendor was located on the bank of Dashk river.
• Alamgirpur was situated on the bank of the Hindon river.
• Rangpur was located on the banks of river Madar.
• Kotdiji was situated on the banks of the Indus river.
• Banwali was situated on the banks of the river Ghagghar.
• Chanhudaro was situated on the banks of the Indus river.

Imported goods in Indus civilization-

• Metal named as Tin was imported from Iran, Central Asia, Afghanistan.
• Gold was imported from Afghanistan, Southern India (Karnataka).
• Feroza was imported from Iran.
• Neel Gemstone was imported from Afghanistan.
• Silver was imported from Iran, Afghanistan.
• Lazvard was imported from Mesopotamia.
• The lead was imported from Iran, southern India, Afghanistan.
• Conch and shells were imported from southern India.

Determination of the period of Indus civilization-

• According to Sir John Marshall, the period of Indus Civilization was from 3250 BC to 2750 BC.
• Ernest Mackay considered the period of Indus Civilization from 2800 BC to 2500 BC.
• Madho Swaroop Watts presumes the period of this civilization from 3500 BC to 2700 BC.
• According to C.J. Gaed, the period of Indus Civilization from 2350 BC to 1700 BC.
• Martymer Hiller presumes the period of this civilization from 2500 BC to 1500 BC.
• According to the Fair Service, the period of Indus Civilization is from 2000 BC. to 1500 BC.
• According to the Radio Carbon (C14) method (valid date), the period of Indus Civilization is from 2500 BC to 1750 BC.
• According to N.C.E.R.T, the period of Indus Civilization is from 2600 BC to 1800 BC.

Reason for the fall of the Indus civilization –

• According to the archaeologist Garden Child, Hiller, the collapse of the Indus Civilization was due to the invasions of the Aryans and the terrible flood.
• According to Sir John Marshall, Mackay, S.R.Rao, the destruction of the Indus Civilization occurred due to natural calamity.
• According to Staine, A.N. Ghosh, this civilization collapsed due to climate change.
• According to M R Sahni, the fall of the Harappa Civilization was due to geo-matrical change.
• According to Sir John Marshall, administrative laxity had destroyed the Indus Civilization.

Only six developed places of the Indus civilization have got the name of the city, these are-

1. Harappa
2. Mohanjo daro
3. Chanhudaro
4. Lothal
5. Kalibanga
6. Banvali

Mohanjodaro-

• Sir John Marshall first discovered a large bathhouse(Snanagar). This bathhouse has been found in Mohanjodaro.
• Annagar Sandhav was the largest building of Indus civilization found from Mohanjodaro.
• The idol of a dancer made of bronze has been found from Mohanjodaro.
• 5 cylindrical currencies have found from Mohanjodaro.
• Articles are not found on any vessel received from Mohanjodaro.
• There are seven layers have been found in the excavation of Mohanjodaro, from which it is known that this city will be settled seven times.
• Some bones of horses have been received from Mohanjodaro.
• The piece of woven cotton cloth is found in the excavation of the Mohanjodaro.
• The horse’s tooth from the Mohanjodaro, the small terracotta of the horse from Lothal and the remains of the horse’s bones from Surkotda are found.
• The area of the Mohanjodaro is one square mile which is divided into two sections western and eastern. The western section is smaller than the eastern section.
• The statue of Pashupatinath (Shiva) the god of three faces was found on one Sheel which has 4 animals – Buffalo, Genda, Cheetah, and Elephants.
• Proof of the burning of dead bodies is found in Mohanjodaro while there is evidence of burial of dead bodies from Harappa.
• Exceptionally, the roads of Mohanjodaro made up of fixed bricks.
• A Shaul of three leaves was on the stone statue of the Mohanjodaro.
• Most of the Mohars have been found in Mohanjodaro.

Lothal-

• A body has been found from Lothal, which is laid in a tomb, and the head of the dead body is in the east and feet is in the west.
• A tomb has been obtained from Lothal, in which two bodies are wrapped in one another.
• Fire-pit (Agnikund) have been received from Lothal and Kalibanga.
• The remains of the dock have been found from Lothal.
• A scale has been obtained from Lothal.
• A depiction of a vessel on the seal(Moher) was received from Lothal.
• Persia Mohars was got from Lothal
• The first evidence of rice found from Lothal.

Kalibanga-

• The first evidence of the cultivated field was found in Kalibanga the archaeological site of Indus civilization.
• In the excavation of Kalibanga, from the lower surface and also from the upper surface the remains of the Indus civilization was found. And the ornate bricks in the floor have only been used in Kalibanga.
• The impression of cotton cloth on a piece of clay pot has got from Kalibanga.

Chanhudaro-

• A burned skull in a vessel was got from the Chanhudaro.
• The bead making factory has been obtained from the Chanhudaro.

• At present, the biggest and the new city of Harappa civilization is Dholavira (Gujarat), initially, it was Mohanjodaro.
• Is the most suitable name of India’s first urban civilization?
• (A) Indus Valley Civilization (B) Saraswati Indus Civilization (C) Harappa civilization (D) Vedic civilization
• Answer – (C) Harappa civilization
• Lothal and Surkotda (Gujarat) were the ports of the Indus Civilization.

Status of Harappa civilization –

• Area 1299600 sq. Km
• According to Ranganathan– 1400 kilometers north to south and 1600 kilometers east to west
• In the north – Manda (Kashmir) on the banks of the Chenab River
• In the south – Daimabad (Maharashtra) situated on the bank of river Godavari
• In the East – Alamgirpur (Uttar Pradesh) on the banks of Hindan
• In the West – Sutkegendor (Baluchistan) on the banks of Dashk River.

Reference : https://www.indiaolddays.com/