Indus Valley Civilisation
Last updated: 3 October 2026
The Indus Valley Civilisation, also called the Harappan Civilisation, was a Bronze Age civilisation in the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent. Its mature phase lasted from about 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE. It is named Harappan after Harappa, the first site to be excavated.
Discovery
- Harappa was excavated in 1921 by Daya Ram Sahni.
- Mohenjo-daro was excavated in 1922 by R. D. Banerji.
- Sir John Marshall was the Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India at that time.
Important sites
| Site | Location today | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Harappa | On the Ravi, Punjab (Pakistan) | Granaries, cemetery R-37 |
| Mohenjo-daro | On the Indus, Sindh (Pakistan) | Great Bath, Great Granary, bronze "Dancing Girl", "Priest-King" statue |
| Lothal | Gujarat | Dockyard, bead-making |
| Kalibangan | On the Ghaggar, Rajasthan | Ploughed field, fire altars |
| Dholavira | Kutch, Gujarat | Water management, large signboard; UNESCO World Heritage Site (2021) |
| Rakhigarhi | Haryana | The largest Harappan site in India |
| Chanhudaro | Sindh (Pakistan) | Bead-making centre; a city without a citadel |
| Banawali | Haryana | Toy plough, barley |
| Ropar | Punjab (India) | First Harappan site excavated after Independence |
Main features
- Town planning: streets in a grid pattern, houses of burnt bricks and a covered drainage system.
- Cities were often divided into a raised citadel and a lower town.
- Script: pictographic and still not deciphered. It was mostly written from right to left.
- Seals: mostly made of steatite; the unicorn is the most common animal on seals. The “Pashupati” seal shows a figure surrounded by animals.
- Economy: farming (wheat, barley), cattle rearing and trade. The Harappans were among the earliest people to grow cotton.
- Trade: with Mesopotamia, which called the Indus region Meluhha.
- Religion: worship of a Mother Goddess and of trees and animals.
- Iron was not known to the Harappans.
Decline
The civilisation declined after about 1900 BCE. Possible reasons given by historians include changes in river courses, floods, decline in trade and climate change. There is no single agreed reason.
Quick revision
- Mature phase: about 2600-1900 BCE; Bronze Age.
- First site excavated: Harappa (1921), by Daya Ram Sahni.
- Great Bath: Mohenjo-daro. Dockyard: Lothal. Ploughed field: Kalibangan.
- Largest Harappan site in India: Rakhigarhi (Haryana).
- Dholavira became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021.
- The Harappan script has not been deciphered.