2.3: India's First Major Civilization - The Indus Valley Civilization ( 2600-1700 BCE)

n 1920, archaeological work revealed a massive lost civilization that surpassed other major early riverine civilizations of Afro-Eurasia, such as ancient Egypt and the Mesopotamian states. The area spanned roughly a half million square miles (see Map \(\PageIndex{1}\)). Five major cities consisted roughly of 250 acres each. One of those cities supported the Harappan Civilization. The region also contained fifteen thousand smaller agricultural and craft villages of about 2.5 acres each. Because the majority of these settlements were situated near the Indus River in the northwestern of the subcontinent, this region is collectively called the Indus Valley Civilization.

Map \(\PageIndex{1}\): Indus Valley (Harappan) Civilization | Map of important Indus Valley (Harappan) Civilization cities and towns during its most developed period. Author: User “Avantiputra7” Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC BY-SA 3.0

Approximately c. 7000 BCE, farming and the domestication of animals began, about two thousand years after they did in the Fertile Crescent. To the west of the Indus River, along the foothills of Baluchistan, the remains of numerous small villages have been found that date back to this time (see Map \(\PageIndex{2}\)). One of these is Mehrgarh. Here, villagers lived in simple mud-brick structures, grew barley and wheat, and raised cattle, sheep, and goats.

Over the course of the next three thousand years, similar Neolithic communities sprang up in northwest India and many other locations on the subcontinent. It was to the west of the Indus River and then throughout neighboring fertile plains and valleys of the Punjab and Sindh that a more complex, urban-based civilization emerged. Excavations show a pattern of development whereby settlements start looking more like towns than villages. Ground plans become larger, include the foundations of houses and streets, and are conveniently located by the most fertile land or places for trade. Similar artifacts show links between trade networks. This transitional period is dated to 5000 to 2600 BCE. The mature phase, with its full-blown cities, begins from 2600 BCE, roughly four centuries after the Sumerian city-states blossomed and Egypt was unified under one kingdom.

Map \(\PageIndex{2}\): Archaeological sites dating to northwest India’s Neolithic period and the Indus Valley Civilization | Agricultural village societies first emerged to the west of the Indus and then spread to the Indus River and its many tributaries, as well as the Ghaggar-Hakra River (running parallel to and east of the Indus), which has since dried up. These provided the foundation for the emergence of towns and cities. Author: User “Avantiputra7” Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC BY-SA 3.0

The ruins of Mohenjo-Daro and other Indus cities dating suggest a vibrant society thriving in planned and managed urban areas. These urban settlements coordinated the distribution of local surplus resources, obtained desired goods from more distant places, and turned raw materials into commodities for trade.

Located along the lower reaches of the Indus (see Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\)), Mohenjo-Daro had an abundance of resources: fertile flood plains for agriculture, pasture for grazing domesticated animals, and waters for fishing and fowling. The city itself consisted of several mounds—elevated areas upon which structures and roads were built. A larger mound served as a core, fortified area where public functions likely took place. It contained a wall and large buildings, including a Great Bath and Great Hall. Other mounds were the location of the residential and commercial sectors of the city. Major avenues laid out on a grid created city blocks. Within a block, multistory dwellings opening up to interior courtyards were constructed out of mudbricks or bricks baked in kilns. Particular attention was paid to public sanitation. Residences not only had private wells and baths, but also toilets drained by earthenware pipes that ushered the sewage into covered drains located under the streets.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Great Bath at Mohenjo-Daro | View of the Great Bath at Mohenjo-Daro, an Indus Valley city located along the lower reaches of the Indus River. This section was part of the largest mound at the site. The higher structure in the rear is a Buddhist stupa dating to a later period in India’s history. Author: Saqib Qayyum Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC BY-SA 3.0

Artifacts tell of city life. Farmers and pastoralists brought their grain and stock to the city for trade or to place it in warehouses managed by the authorities. Laborers dug the wells and collected trash from rectangular bins sitting beneath rubbish chutes. Craftsmen worked copper and tin into bronze tools, fired ceramics, and manufactured jewelry and beads out of gold, copper, semi-precious stones, and ivory. Merchants traveling near and far carried raw materials and finished goods by bullock carts or boats to the dozens of towns and cities throughout the region.

Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\): Indus Priest/King Statue | 17.5 cm tall sculpture found at MohenjoDaro. The dignified appearance and headband and cloak of this man suggest that he was an important political or religious leader in the city. Author: Mamoon Mengal Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC BY-SA 1.0

Some goods also went to foreign lands. Harappan cities located along the coast of the Arabian Sea engaged in coastal shipping that brought goods as far as the Persian Gulf and the delta of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. In Mesopotamian city-states, Harappan seals and beads have been found, and Mesopotamian sources speak of a certain place called “Meluhha,” a land with ivory, gold, and lapis lazuli. Cities like Mohenjo-Daro were linked in networks of exchange extending in every direction.

But unlike ancient Egypt and Sumer, this civilization has not yet provided sources we can read, and this poses major problems of interpretation. True, over four thousand inscribed objects with at least four hundred different signs recurring in various frequencies have been found on clay, copper tablets, and small, square seals excavated primarily at the major cities (see Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\)). But the heroic efforts of philologists to decipher the language have failed to yield results. Thus, some historians call this civilization proto-historic, distinguishing it from both prehistoric cultures that have no writing and historic ones with written sources that we can read.

Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\): Unicorn Seal | Mold from a “unicorn seal” from Mohenjo-Daro depicting a mythical animal standing over an altar or trough, with writing above. Author: User “Ismoon” Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC0 1.0

This proto-historical state of the evidence leaves many questions concerning Harappan people’s political organization and beliefs unanswered. On the one hand, archaeological record suggests coordination in planning—cities and towns were similarly designed, fired bricks had the same dimensions, and weights were standardized. On the other hand, the ruins lack structures that can be clearly identified as palaces, temples, or large tombs. In other words, there is little evidence for either a central political authority ruling over an empire or for independent city-states.

One intriguing artifact found in Mohenjo-Daro is a small sculpture of a bearded man made of soapstone (see Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\)). The dignified appearance suggests he may have been a priest or king, or even both. Perhaps he and other priests purified themselves in the Great Bath for ritual purposes. Yet, this is purely speculation, as the sculpture is unique. He may also have been a powerful landowner or wealthy merchant who met with others of similar status in assemblies convened in the Great Hall of the citadel. Perhaps local assemblies of just such elites governed each city.

Religious beliefs are also difficult to determine. The principal evidence consists of small artifacts such as figurines and square seals. The seals were carved out of a soft stone called steatite and then fired so they would harden. They contain images of animals and humans, typically with writing above. Mostly, they were used to imprint the identity of a merchant or authorities on goods. However, some of the images may have had religious significance. For example, hundreds of “unicorn seals” display images of a mythical animal that resembles a species of cattle (see Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\)). These cattle are usually placed over an object variously interpreted as a trough or altar. Perhaps these were symbols of deities or animals used for sacrificial rituals. Equally as interesting are the numerous female clay figurines. These may have been used for fertility rituals or to pay homage to a goddess (see Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\)).

Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\): Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-daro Author: Joe Ravi Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC BY-SA 3.0

The Harappan civilization began to decline in 1900 BCE, and was complete two hundred years later. The towns, cities, and trade networks faded away, and the region reverted to rural conditions. Movement by tectonic plates may have led to earthquakes, flooding, and shifts in the course of the Indus. Less rainfall and deforestation may have degraded the environment’s suitability for farming. All of these factors would have impacted the food supply. Consequently, urban areas and the civilization they supported were slowly starved out of existence.