6TH HISTORY INDUS CIVILISATION

Ancient World Civilisation Time line

• Mesopotomian Civilisation = 3500 to 2000 BC (BCE)
• Indus Valley Civilisation = 3300 to 1900 BC (BCE)
• Egyptian Civilisation = 3100 to 1100 BC (BCE)
• Chinese Civilisation = 1700 to 1122 BC (BCE)

World’s Oldest Civilisation

• World’s oldest civilization is = Mesopotomian civilization.
• Its period is 3500 to 2000 BC (BCE)

JOIN OUR TELEGRAM CHANNEL – T.ME/TNPSC_WINNERS

What is civilisation

• The word ‘civilisation’ comes from the ancient Latin word civis, which means ‘city’.

6th History Indus Civilisation

• The ruins of Harappa was first described by = Charles Masson.
• Who said about the Harappa as, “ruined brick castle with very high walls and towers built on a hill” = Charles Masson.
• Indus Civilisation is “Bronze Age” CIvilisation.

Sir John Marshall

• In 1924 the Director General of ASI, (Archaeological Society of India) Sir John Marshall found many common features between Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.
• Who found many common features between Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro = Sir John Marshall.

Harappa was older than Mohenjo-Daro

• Some slight differences are found in the earthenwares of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.
• This made the researchers conclude that Harappa was older than Mohenjo-Daro.

Archaeological Society of India

• Archaeological Society of India was started in = 1861.
• Archaeological Society of India was started by = Sir Alexander Cunningham.
• Its headquarters = New Delhi.

Harappan sites within Indian borders

• Archaeologists found major Harappan sites within Indian borders. They are,
  • Lothal
  • Dholovira
  • Amri
  • Kot Diji
  • Mohenjo-Daro
  • Ganveriwala
  • Kalibangan
  • Harappa
  • Mitathai
  • Rakhigarhi
  • Manda

Time Span of Indus Civilisation

• Geographical range = South Asia
  • Makran coast of Baluchistan in the west
  • Ghaggar-Hakra river valley in the east
  • Afghanistan in the north east
  • Maharashtra in the south
• Period = Bronze Age
• Time = 3300 to1900 BC(BCE) (determined using the radiocarbon dating method)
• Area = 13 lakh sq.km
• Cities = 6 big cities
• Villages = More than 200

Urban Civilisation

• Harappan Civilisation is called as “Urban Civilisation, because of,
  • Well-conceived town planning
  • Astonishing masonry and architecture
  • Priority for hygiene and public health
  • Standardised weights and measures
  • Solid agricultural and artisanal base

Harappan Town Planning

• The unique feature of Harappan Civilisation is =Town Planning.
• The town of Harappa has two parts = Upper town and Lower town
• Upper Town
  • The part of the city to the west was higher and it was called citadel.
  • Administrators used this area.
  • Greath Bath and Graneries located in upper town.
• Lower town
  • It is in east and lower.
  • Huge area.
  • Common people lived here.

The Precursor to Indus Civilisation

• The Precursor to Indus Civilisation is = Mehergarh.
• Mehergarh is a Neolithic site.
• It is located near the Bolan Basin of Balochistan in Pakistan.
• It is one of the earliest sites known.
• It shows evidence of farming and herding done by man in very early times.
• Archaeological evidence suggests that Neolithic culture existed in Mehergarh as early as 7000 BC (BCE).

Harappan streets and houses

• Follows grid pattern.
• Follows straight from north to south and east to west.
• Intersected each other at right angles.
• Wide roads with rounded corners.
• The houses were either one or two storeys.
• Each house has toilet and bathrooms.
• Houses were built using baked bricks and mortar.
• Sun-dried bricks also used.
• There is no evidence of palaces.
• There is no evidence of place of worship.

Harappan Drainage System

• Cities have covered drains.
• Holes were provided at regular interval to clear the drains.
• Every houses will connec with drains.

The Great Bath in Mohenjo-Daro

• The Great Bath was found at Mohenjo-Daro.
• It was large, rectangular tank in a courtyard.
• Water proof method was used.
• Archaeological site at Mohenjo-Daro has been declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The Great Granary of Harappa

• The Graneries were found at Harappa.
• The granary was a massive building with a solid brick foundation.
• The remains of wheat, barley, millets, seasame and pulses have been found there.

Rakhigarhi

• Other than Harappa, the graneries was found at = Rakhigarhi.
• Rakhigarhi, a village in Haryana.
• Rakhigarhi belongs to mature Harappan phase.

The Assembly Hall

• The Assembly hall was found at = Mohenjo-Daro.
• Huge, multi-pillared hall with 20 pillars in 4 rows to support the roof.

Harappan trade and transport

• Harappans were great traders.
• Harappans uses standard weights and measurements.
• They used carts to transport.
• There is evidence for extensive maritime trade with Mesopotamia. Indus Seals have been found as far as Mesopotamia (Sumer) which are modern-day Iraq, Kuwait and parts of Syria.
• King Naram-Sin of Akkadian Empire (Sumerian) bought jewellery from the land of Melukha (a region of the Indus Valley) was mentioned in an epic regarding Naram-Sin.
• Cylindrical seals similar to those found in Persian Gulf and Mesopotamia have also been found in the Indus area. This shows the trade links between these two areas.

Dockyard at Lothal

• A naval dockyard has been discovered in Lothal in Gujarat.
• Lothal is situated on the banks of tributary of Sabarmati river.

Ivory Scale

• Ivory scale found in Lothal in Gujarat is 1704 mm (the smallest division ever recorded on a scale of other contemporary civilisations).

Dancing Girl Statue in Mohenjo-Daro

• Dancing girl statute was found at Mohenjo-Daro.
• Who said about the dancing girl statue as “When I first saw them I found it difficult to believe that they were pre-historic modeling. Such as this was unknown in the ancient worlds up to the age of Greece. I thought that these figures had found their way into levels some 3000 years old to which they properly belonged” = Sir John Marshall.

KVT Complex

• KVT Complex = Korkai-Vanji-Thondi Complex.
• KVT Complex (Korkai-Vanji-Thondi) spread over Afghanistan and Pakistan has many places, names of those were mentioned in sangam literature.
• Korkai, Vanji, Tondi, Matrai, Urai and Kudalgarh are the names of places in Pakistan.
• Gurkay and Pumpuhar in Afghanistan are related to the cities and ports mentioned in the Sangam Age.
• The names of the rivers Kawri and Poruns in Afghanistan and the rivers Kaweri Wala and Phornai in Pakistan also occur in the Sangam literature.

Apparels used by Harappans

• Cotton fabrics used.
• Yarn was spun.
• Wool also used.

Harappan Life

• There is no evidence of an army.
• Peaceful life.

Ornaments

• Ornaments used by both mens and womens.
• Ornaments made of gold, silver, ivory, shell, copper, terracotta and precios stones.
• Indus people used the “red quartz stone” called “Carnelian” to design jewellery.

Iron, horse

• Indus people does not know about Iron.
• Indus people does not know about horses.

First metal discovered by humans

• First metal discovered by humans = Copper.
• First metal used by humans = Copper.

Occupation

• Main occupation of Indus people is not known.
• Agriculture, handicrafts, pottery making, jewellery making, weaving, carpentry and trading were practiced.
• Rearing of cattle also practicised.

Religious belief

• No evidence for specific deities or religious practices.
• There might have been worship of Mother Goddess (Symbol of Fertility).

Toy Culture

• Toys like carts, cows with movable heads and limbs, clay balls, tiny doll, a small clay monkey, terracotta squirrels eating a nut, clay dogs and male dancer have been found.
• They made various types of toys using terracotta, which show that they enjoyed playing.

The earliest form of writing

• The earliest form of writing was developed by Sumerians.

Decline of Harappans

• By 1900 BCE, the Harappan culture had started declining. It is assumed that the civilisation met with
• repeated floods
• ecological changes
• invasions
• natural calamity
• climatic changes deforestation
• an epidemic

Radio Carbon Dating method

• Radio Carbon Dating method is also called as = C₁₄
• Also known as C₁₄ method, the radiocarbon method uses the radioactive isotope of carbon called carbon₁₄ to determine the age of an object.

Important facts about Indus Civilisation

• It is among the oldest in the world.
• It is also the largest among four ancient civilisations.
• The world’s first planned cities are found in this civilisation.
• The Indus also had advanced sanitation and drainage system.
• There was a high sense of awareness on public health.

Giza, Ur Ziggurat and Abu Simbel

• The Great Pyramid of Giza built by king Khufu in 2500 BCE, built with lime stone
• Mesopotamia (Sumerian period) Ur Ziggurat built by king Ur Nammu in Honour of the Moon God Sin.
• Abu Simbel Site of two temples built by Egyptian king Ramises II.

Book Back Questions

1. What metals were known to the people of Indus Valley Civilisation = copper, bronze, silver, gold but not iron.
2. Indus Civilisation belongs to = Metal Age.
3. River valleys are said to be the cradle of civilization because = many civilisations flourished on river valleys.
4. _________ is the oldest civilization = Mesopotomian Civilisation.
5. Archaeological Survey of India was founded by ___________? = Sir Alexander Cunningham.
6. _____________ were used to store grains? = Granaries.
7. Group of people form _________ ? = Communities.
8. Which crop did Indus people use to make clothes? = Ans: cotton
9. Which was the first Indus city discovered? = Ans: Harappa.
10. Where was Indus Civilisation? = Ans: Indus river bank
11. Which animal was used to pull carts? = Ans: Bullock
12. Which metal was unknown to Indus people? = Ans: Iron
13. What was used to make pots? = Ans: Clay
14. Which is considered the largest civilisation among four ancient civilisation of the world? = Ans: Indus civilization.
15. Three things unknown to Indus peoples = Iron, Horse, Ceramics.
16. Who were the first people to grow cotton? = Indus People.

 

 

 

 

• IMPORTANT COMMITTEES AND COMMISSION IN INDIA
• LIST OF IMPORTANT COMMITTEES IN INDIA
• ASHOKAS 14 MAJOR ROCK EDICTS
• NAVARATNAS OF AKBAR
• 6TH HISTORY INDUS CIVILISATION
• 6TH HISTORY INDUS CIVILISATION
• 6TH HISTORY INDUS CIVILISATION
• 6TH HISTORY INDUS CIVILISATION
• 6TH HISTORY INDUS CIVILISATION
• 6TH HISTORY INDUS CIVILISATION