Indus Valley Civilisation: Extent and Sites
NCERT Class 6 - Our Pasts I • NCERT Class 12 - Themes in Indian History Part I, Chapter 1
Indus Valley Civilisation: Extent and Sites
The Harappan or Indus Valley Civilisation was the subcontinent's first urban civilisation, at its mature stage roughly between 2600 BCE and 1900 BCE. It is named after Harappa, the first site excavated, and is also called the Indus-Saraswati Civilisation because many sites lie along the Ghaggar-Hakra.
Discovery and dating
- Harappa was excavated in 1921 under Daya Ram Sahni; Mohenjodaro in 1922 under R. D. Banerji.
- Sir John Marshall, then Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India, announced the discovery to the world in 1924.
- Three phases are recognised: Early Harappan (before 2600 BCE), Mature Harappan (2600-1900 BCE, the urban phase) and Late Harappan (after 1900 BCE, when cities decline).
- The civilisation is called Bronze Age because bronze was the highest metal technology; iron was unknown to it.
Geographical extent
- It was the largest in area among the four early civilisations - larger than Egypt and Mesopotamia put together in spread.
- Roughly triangular, it stretched from Sutkagendor in the west (Balochistan coast) to Alamgirpur in the east (Uttar Pradesh), and from Manda in the north (Jammu) to Daimabad in the south (Maharashtra).
- Modern states with Harappan sites include Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
- Rakhigarhi (Hisar, Haryana) is the largest Harappan site found in India.
Major sites and their signature finds
| Site | River / location | Remembered for |
|---|---|---|
| Harappa | Ravi, Punjab (Pakistan) | First site excavated, granaries, cemetery R-37 |
| Mohenjodaro | Indus, Sindh (Pakistan) | Great Bath, Great Granary, Priest-King, Dancing Girl |
| Kalibangan | Ghaggar, Rajasthan | Ploughed field, fire altars, wooden drain |
| Lothal | Bhogava, Gujarat | Dockyard, bead factory, rice husk |
| Dholavira | Khadir Bet, Kutch, Gujarat | Water reservoirs, three-part city, signboard |
| Rakhigarhi | Ghaggar plain, Haryana | Largest Harappan site in India |
| Chanhudaro | Sindh (Pakistan) | Bead making, no citadel |
| Banawali | Haryana | Both Early and Mature Harappan layers |
What makes Dholavira special
- It is divided into three parts - citadel, middle town and lower town - instead of the usual two.
- It has a chain of large rock-cut water reservoirs, showing advanced water harvesting in a dry region.
- A signboard with large Harappan letters, probably set above a gateway, was found here.
- Dholavira was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021.
हिंदी संकेत: हड़प्पा सभ्यता कांस्य युगीन थी - तांबा और कांसा प्रयोग होता था, लोहा नहीं। लोहे का प्रयोग बाद के वैदिक काल में शुरू होता है।
Exam me kaise aata hai
This is a match-the-following goldmine - site with river, site with state, site with famous find. Factual questions ask who excavated Harappa and in which year. Statement-based questions test the extent points, especially the four corner sites, and whether iron was known.
UPSC / State PSC ke liye
Note that only about six sites are called cities; the vast majority are small settlements. Also remember the debate over the name - "Indus Valley" is geographically narrow because a majority of the known sites lie in the Ghaggar-Hakra belt, which is why "Harappan Civilisation" is the preferred academic term.
Yahan confuse hote hain
✗ Mohenjodaro was excavated first | ✓ Harappa was excavated first, in 1921
✗ Lothal is famous for the Great Bath | ✓ The Great Bath is at Mohenjodaro; Lothal has the dockyard
✗ Rakhigarhi is the largest Harappan site overall | ✓ Rakhigarhi is the largest Harappan site in India
Ek nazar me
- Mature Harappan phase: 2600-1900 BCE; a Bronze Age, city-based civilisation.
- Harappa 1921 by Daya Ram Sahni; Mohenjodaro 1922 by R. D. Banerji; announced by John Marshall in 1924.
- Extent: Sutkagendor (west), Alamgirpur (east), Manda (north), Daimabad (south).
- Mohenjodaro - Great Bath; Lothal - dockyard; Kalibangan - ploughed field; Dholavira - reservoirs.
- Rakhigarhi is the largest site in India; Chanhudaro is the only major site without a citadel.
- Dholavira became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021.