In the Earliest Cities

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The Story of Harappa

Harappa is in modern day Pakistan.
This site was accidentally discovered when the East India Company was doing the construction of railway lines in 1856.
Initially, the construction workers thought the ruins to be of some ordinary old city. The bricks from the site were used for the construction.
It was about 80 years ago that archaeologists could realize that it was an ancient city.

What was special about these cities?

Mohenjo–Daro, Kalibangan, Lothal and Dholavira are some other important sites of the Indus Valley Civilization. About 150 sites of this civilization have been discovered till date.
Most of the sites of this civilization are in modern day Pakistan. Some of the sites are in India, e.g. Kalibangan (Northern Rajasthan), Banavali (Haryana), Dholavira (Gujarat) and Lothal (Gujarat).
After excavations from different sites, it has become clear that this civilization was spread over major parts of western India and Pakistan and some parts of Afghanistan.

Town Planning

These cities show immaculate town planning.
The city of Harappa was divided into two parts, i.e. western and eastern parts.
A huge tank has been found within the citadel. This has been named as the Great Bath by archaeologists. This was made from baked bricks.

→ Rich people lived in the upper part of the city.

→ Workers lived in the lower part of the city.

Use of Baked Bricks

Houses and other structures were made of baked bricks.
Bricks were of uniform size which means that the people of Harappa had developed good workmanship.

Roads and Drainage

Roads were paved with bricks.
The drainage system was properly planned. Drain from each house was connected to the drains in the streets.

Planned Houses

The walls of the houses were strong and thick.
Some of the houses were two storey high which shows the well-developed architecture in those days.

Granaries

In the cities of the Indus Valley Civilization, a large granary has been found. Charred grains have been found in these granaries which shows that food grain production was surplus during this period.

→ Historians also guess that taxes were collected in the form of grains.

→ Grains collected as tax were stored in such large granaries.

Life of the People

Craft

Clay, copper and bronze were used for making pots. Tools, weapons and seals were made from copper and bronze.
Seals were also made from clay. Some large pots have also been found and were probably used for storing grains.
Jewelleries were made of gold, beads, wood and clay. Precious stones like carnelian, jasper, crystal, etc. were used to make beads.
Clay and wood were used for making toys. Ornate carvings can be seen on toys, pots and jewellery.

Trade

Trade was the main occupation of people of Harappa.
Copper came from Rajasthan and from Oman.
Some seals from Harappa have been found in Mesopotamia, which shows that trade link existed between Harappa and Mesopotamia.
A dockyard has been discovered in Lothal in Gujarat, which shows that trade through sea route existed at that time.

Farming

Remains of charred grains have been found which shows that wheat, barley, pulses, pea, rice, sesame, linseed and mustard were grown in the villages of the Harappa Civilization.
A toy model of plough has been found from the ruins which shows that plough was used for tilling the land.
Bones of many domesticated animals have been found from the excavation site which shows that people of Harappa domesticated cattle, sheep, goat, buffalo and pig.

Other Aspects of Life

Historians guess that the city had some form of administration. A committee may have looked after the city's needs.
People used some form of entertainment. This is evident from toys and statues found from the site.
Seals show scripts, indicating people knew how to write.
Many statues have been found. One figure is similar to the Hindu god Shiva, suggesting worship of gods and goddesses.

Mystery over Decline of Harappa Civilization

The Harappa Civilization suddenly declined around 3900 years ago. Broken roads and clogged drains indicate a collapse in city infrastructure.

→ The rivers may have dried up, forcing migration.

→ Too many brick kilns and furnaces could have led to deforestation and environmental damage.

→ Overgrazing may have resulted in desertification.

→ An epidemic or natural calamity may have wiped out the population.

MCQs – Indus Valley Civilization (Harappan Civilization)

1. A place where surplus grain were stored

(a) Storage

(b) Warehouse

(d) Granaries

► (d) Granaries

2. Mohan-jo-daro is situated in

(a) Bangladesh

(b) Nepal

(d) India

► (c) Pakistan

3. What was used to dig the earth for turning the soil and planting seeds

(a) Digger

(b) Axe

(d) Plaster

► (c) Plough

4. When was the cities of Mohan-jo-daro discovered

(a) 1924

(b) 1922

(d) 1918

► (b) 1922

5. Great Bath have been found on which site

(a) Ganweriwala

(b) Harappa

(d) Mohenjodaro

► (d) Mohenjodaro

6. In the Grid system the intersection of road at which angle

(a) Straight

(b) Obtuse

(d) Right

► (d) Right

7. The part of the west was smaller but higher are describe as

(a) Uppardel

(b) Citadel

(d) Lower town

► (b) Citadel

8. Which were the earliest city discovered in India

(a) Mohenjo-Daro

(b) Lothal

(d) Kalibangan

► (a) Mohenjo-Daro

9. Harappa culture came to an end about

(a) 1500 B.C

(b) 1000 B.C

(d) 1800 B.C

► (d) 1800 B.C

10. The Harappans also made seals out of stone. These are generally

(a) Square

(b) Triangular

(d) Rectangular

► (d) Rectangular

11. Cities, such as Kalibangan and Lothal had found

(a) Special tools

(b) Fire altars

(d) Great bath

► (b) Fire altars

12. Sites in Sindh and west Punjab are in present-day

(a) India

(b) China

(d) Nepal

► (c) Pakistan

13. The Harappans probably got copper from present-day_____ , and even from ______ in West Asia

(a) Rajasthan and Oman

(b) Gujarat and Oman

(d) Gujarat and Egypt

► (a) Rajasthan and Oman

14. A _______ is a person who is trained to do only one kind of work

(a) Specialist

(b) Practitioners

(d) Trainer

► (a) Specialist

15. Harappans also made pots with beautiful

(a) Green designs

(b) Black designs

(d) Yellow designs

► (b) Black designs

16. Who discovered the cities of Mohenjo daro

(a) K.B.Daya Ram

(b) S.B.Daya Ram

(d) R. D. Banerji

► (d) R. D. Banerji

17. Which of the following is not the earliest cities in the sub-continents

(a) Sotkakoh

(b) Dholavira

(d) Lothal

► (c) Mehrgarh

18. ____ is a dry desert, except for the lands along the river Nile

(a) Arab

(b) Egypt

(d) Iran

► (b) Egypt