Indus Valley Civilisation

The Indus Valley Civilisation was a massive Bronze Age society. It existed in the northwestern regions of the ancient Indian Subcontinent. This civilisation lasted from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE. Its most active period, known as the Mature Harappan phase, lasted from 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE. It was one of three great early civilisations. The others were ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. The Indus civilisation was actually the most widespread of the three. It covered parts of modern Pakistan, northern and western India, and northeastern Afghanistan.

The civilisation flourished because of its river systems. Most people lived on the alluvial plains of the Indus River. They also lived near the Ghaggar-Hakra river system. This system was fed by perennial monsoon rains. The availability of water allowed for settled agriculture. Around 6500 BCE, farming began in Balochistan. Over many millennia, people moved into the Indus plains. This led to the growth of rural and urban settlements. As life became more organized, the birth rate increased.

Urban planning was a key feature of Indus cities. They built houses using durable baked bricks. Their cities included elaborate drainage and water supply systems. They also had large, non-residential buildings and advanced metallurgy. Mohenjo-daro and Harappa were massive urban centres. Each city likely held between 30,000 and 60,000 individuals. During its peak, the total population may have reached between one and five million people. However, living closely with domesticated animals also increased the spread of contagious diseases.

Archaeologists have identified five major urban centres. These are Mohenjo-daro, Harappa, Ganeriwala, Dholavira, and Rakhigarhi. Mohenjo-daro is located in the lower Indus Valley. Dholavira is found in western Gujarat. Many other sites exist, with over a thousand reported. Most are located near rivers or the ancient seacoast. Some sites, like Dholavira, are located on islands. The civilisation also reached as far north as Shortugai in Afghanistan. It reached as far south as Daimabad in Maharashtra.

Finding these ruins was a slow and difficult process. Charles Masson first provided modern accounts of Harappa in 1829. He noted the extraordinary size of the mounds. Later, the Archaeological Survey of India was founded in 1861. Alexander Cunningham was its first director-general. He studied the brick walls and found strange stamp seals. In the early 1900s, John Marshall led new efforts. He directed Daya Ram Sahni to excavate Harappa. Soon after, R. D. Banerji discovered the importance of Mohenjo-daro.

One of the biggest mysteries is the Indus script. This is the writing system used by the people. To this day, the script remains undeciphered. We do not know exactly what their language sounded like. Some scholars believe it might belong to the Dravidian language family. We find many artifacts like stone seals and carnelian beads. These items often show animals or symbols. These seals were likely used to identify merchandise.

The decline of the civilisation was a gradual process. During the 3rd millennium BCE, the region began to dry out. This drying reduced the available water supply. The Ghaggar-Hakra system became seasonal instead of perennial. This change likely caused the population to disperse to the east. The loss of water made it hard to maintain large cities. This environmental shift helped end the Mature Harappan phase.