The Harappan Civilization :

• Archaeological excavation first began in 1921 CE at Harappa in the Punjab on the banks of the river Ravi. Therefore this civilization came to be known as Harappan Civilization.

• It is also known as Indus civilization as the remains of structures and artefacts similar to that at Harappa were discovered in the Indus valley at Mohen-jo-daro, Dholavira, Lothal, Kalibangan and Daimabad.
• Generally, the same characteristics are seen in all the places of Harappan Civilization. These include town planning, roads, construction of houses, drainage system, seals, pots and toys and burial customs.

Housing and town planning :

• The houses and other structures in Harappan Civilization were mainly built with baked bricks. In some places, unbaked bricks and stones were also used for construction.

• Each house was spacious and rooms were built around the central courtyard.
• Each house had a well, bathroom and toilet. There was an excellent drainage system in which baked earthen conduits were used. The streets had covered drains built with bricks.
• The streets were broad and laid out in a grid pattern. The houses were built in rectangular blocks.
• The towns were divided into two or more sections and each section had separate fortification.

The Great Bath :

• A spacious bath has been discovered in excavation at Mohen-jo-daro.
• The dimensions of the tank were 12 m long, 7 m wide and 2.5 m deep.
• The inner side of the tank was lined with baked bricks to prevent the seepage of water.
• Provision was also made for draining, clearing and refilling the tank from time to time.

Life in the Harappan civilization :

• Agriculture was the main occupation. The Harappans cultivated wheat, barley, ragi, peas, sesame, legumes and cotton.
• The Harappans knew the art of weaving cotton into cotton textiles. Their dress consisted of a knee-length garment and an upper garment.
• The ornaments were made of gold, silver, copper, precious stones, shells cowries and seeds.
• Women as well as men wore multi-stranded necklaces, rings, armlets and waistbands. Women wore bangles right up to their upper arm.

Trade :

• The Harappan people carried on trade within India as well as with countries outside.
• The Indus Valley was known for its high quality cotton.
• Cotton was exported to Central (west) Asia, Egypt and Southern Europe.

• They provide muslin cloth to Egypt.
• They imported silver, zinc, gemstones, rubies, deodar and timber.
• The remains of a dock at Lothal indicated that they used sea-routes in the Arabian Sea for trade.
• They also used land-terrestrial routes for trade.

Reasons for decline :

• Frequent floods, invasion of foreign tribes destroyed the Harappan settlements.
• Some regions became arid due to weakening of monsoon and drying up of river basins.
• Earthquakes, changes in sea level etc. were the reasons for the decline of the Harappan Civilization.
• People migrated to other places leading to the decline of cities.