ANCIENT INDIA 1. Harappan/Indus Civilization (2500 BC-1750 BC) ‘The most appropriate name—Harappan Civilization (Harappa-the first discovered site). The most prevalent name—Inuds Civilization (the largest concentration of settlement-along the Indus river valley). The most valid period—2500 BC-1750 BC (according to Carbon-14 dating). John Marshall was the first scholar to use the term ‘Indus Civilization’. The Indus Civilization belongs to Proto-Historic Period (Chalcolithic Age/Bronze Age). The Indus Civilization was spread over Sindh, Baluchistan, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Western U.P. & Northern Maharashtra. Scholars generally believe that Harappa-Ghaggar-Mohenjodaro axis represents the heartland of the Indus Civilization. Northern-most site of Indus Civilization—Ropar (Sutlej)/Punjab (Earlier); Manda (Chenab) / Jammu-Kashmir (Now). Southern-most site of Indus Civilization—Bhagatrav (Kim) /Gujarat (Earlier); Daimabad (Pravara) /Maharashtra (Now). Eastern-most site of Indus Civilization—Alamgirpur (Hindon)/Uttar Pradesh. Weéstern-most site of Indus Civilization—Sutkagendor (Dashk) /Makran Ccast, Pakistan-Iran Border. Capital Cities—Harappa, Mohenjodaro Port Cities—Lothal, Sutkagendor, Allahdino, Balakot, Kuntasi Site River Distt. Province/ Country Excavators State Harappa Ravi. Montgomery Punjab Pakistan Daya Ram Sahni (1921), Madho Swaroop Vatsa (1926), Wheeler (1946) Mohenjodaro Indus Larkana Sindh Pakistan Rakhal Das Banerji (Nakhlistan (1922), Mackay (1927) ie. Oasis of Wheeler (1930) Sindh) Chanhudaro Indus Nawabshah Sindh Pakistan. Mackay (1925), N.G. Mazumdar (1931) Lothal Ghaggar Kathiyawar Gujarat India S.R. Rao (1954)Site River Distt. Province) Country Excavators State e Kalibangan Ghaggar Ganganagar Rajasthan India Amalanand Ghosh (ie. the bangles (1951), B.B. Lal & B.K. of black colour) Thapar (1961) 6. Banawali 7. Dholavira Ghaggar Hissar Haryana India R.S. Bist (1973) Luni Kutchh Gujarat India_—_‘J.P. Joshi ((1967-68) Site Archaeological Finds Harappa Mohenjodaro Chanhudaro Lothal Kalibangan Banawali Dholavira Surkotada Daimabad > 6Granaries in row, Working floors, Workmen’s quarters, Virgin- Goddess (seal), Cemetery (R-37, H), Stone symbols of Lingam (male sex organ) & Yoni (female sex organ), Painted pottery, Clay figures of Mother Goddess, Wheat & Barley in wooden mortar, Copper scale, Crucible for bronze, Copper-made mirror, Vanity box, Dice. : Great Bath, Great Granery (the largest building of civilization), Assembly hall, Shell strips, Pashupati Mahadeva/Proto-Shiva (seal), Bronze Image of a nude woman dancer, Steatite image of bearded man, Human skeltons huddled together, Painted seal (Demi-God), Clay figures of Mother Goddess, A fragment of woven cotton, Brick Kilns, 2 Mesopotamian seals, 1398 seals (57% of total seals of civilization), Dice. : City without a citadel, Inkpot, Lipstick; Metal-workers’, shell- ornament makers’ & bead-makers’ shops; Imprint of dog’s paw ona brick, Terracotta model of a bullock cart, Bronze toy cart. Dockyard, Rice husk; Metal-workers’, shell-ornament makers’ & bead-makers’ shopes; Fire altars, Terracotta figurine ofa horse, Double burial (burying a male & a female in a single grave), Terracotta model of a ship, Dying vat, Persian/Iranian seal, * Baharainean seal, Painted jar (bird & fox) : Ploughed field surface (Pre-Harappan), 7 Fire altars, Decorated bricks, Wheels of a toy cart, Mesopotamian cylindrical seal. + Lack of chess-board or gridiron pattern town planning, Lack of systematic drainage system, Toy plough, Clay figures of Mother Goddess. A unique water harnessing system & its storm water drainage system, a large well & a bath (giant water reservoirs), Only site to be divided into 3 parts, Largest Harappan inscription used for civic purposes, A stadium. Bones of horse, Oval grave, Pot burials. : Bronze images (Charioteer with chariot, ox, elephant & rhinoceros) > Mohenjodaro — the largest site of Indus Civilization, Dholavira—The largest Indian site of Indus Civilization.Common Features of Major Cities : 1. Systematic town-planning on the lines of ‘grid system’ 2. Use of burnt bricks in constructions 3. Underground drainage system (giant water reservoirs in Dholavira) 4. Fortified citadel (exception-Chanhudaro). Surkotada (Kutchh district, Gujarat) : the only Indus site where the remains of a horse have actually been found. Main Crops : Wheat & Barely; Evidence for cultivation of rice in Lothal & Rangpur (Gujarat) only. Other Crops : Dates, mustard, sesamum, cotton etc. Indus people were the first to produce cotton in the world. Animals : Sheep, goat, humped & humpless bull, buffalo, boar, dog, cat, pig, fowl, deer, tortoise, elephant, camel, rhinoceros, tiger etc. Cow é lion are not known to Indus people. From Amari, a single instance of the Indian rhinoceros has been reported. There was extensive inland & foreign trade. Foreign trade with Mesopotamia or Sumeria (Modern Iraq), Bahrain ete. Imports From Gold Kolar (Karnataka), Afghanistan, Persia (Iran) Silver Afghanistan, Persia (Iran), South India Copper Khetri (Rajasthan), Baluchistan, Arabia Tin Afghanistan, Bihar Lapis Lazuli Badak-shan (Afghanistan) & Sapphire Jade Central Asia Steatite Shaher-i-Sokhta, Kirthar Hills Amethyst : Maharasthtra Agate, Chalcedonies — Saurashtra & West India & Carnelians Exports : Agricultural products, cotton goods, terracotta figurines, pottery, certain beads (from Chanhudaro), conch-shell (from Lothal), ivory products, copper etc, A very intersting feature of this civilization is that Iron was ngt known to the people. The Sumerian texts refer to trade relations with ‘Meluha’ which was the name given to the Indus region. Shatughai & Mundigag were the Indus sites found in Afghanistan. The Sumerian texts also refer to two intermediate stations—Dilmun (Bahrain) & Makan (Makran coast). Susa & Ur are Mesopotamian places where Harappan seals have been found. The Harappans were the earliest people to produce cotton (It is called ‘sindon’ by Greeks).