ASSIGNMENT 4 CLASS IX HISTORY & CIVICS

THE HARAPPAN CIVILIZATION ( 3300BC - 1700BC )

Note: ● The Study Material consists of 3 parts – o Part I - The important highlights of the chapter. o Part II - The activity based on the chapter. o Part III – The questions based on the study material you need to answer in your respective notebook and submit when you are back to the school. ● Complete this whole assignment within a week.

PART – I Highlights of the lesson

WHY SHOULD WE STUDY HISTORY?

History is “HIS STORY” the STORY OF MAN. It deals with events that happened in the ​ ​ ​ past. The whole of the past may be put under two headings : Prehistoric and Historic. ​

● Prehistoric is that period about which we don’t get any information in writing. ● Historic refers to the period about which written documents are available. History tells us how men and women lived from age to age. How have languages grown? What social, political and religious institutions and beliefs prevailed from time to time?

Civilization

1. Civilization is defined as an advanced stage of human cultural development. 2. All over the world the Civilization process began near the great valleys. 3. Four great Civilizations which developed between 5000 to 7000 years ago were - a. The Indus Valley Civilization b. The Egyptian Civilization c. The Mesopotamian Civilization d. The Chinese Civilization

Indus Valley Civilization (Harappan Civilization)

1. Indus Valley Civilization existed near the river Indus and its tributaries, so it was named as the Indus Valley Civilization.

2. was the first site that was excavated so it has come to be known as the Harappan Civilization.

3. It had essentially an Indian origin.

4. According to some historians the urban Harappan culture was only an outgrowth of the extensive local village cultures.

SOURCES OF HARAPPAN CIVILIZATION

Archaeological remains are the main sources of our information of Harappan Civilization since no adequate written records are available.

1. Great Bath : Its design portrays the excellence of engineering skill and sense of sanitation. ​ ​

2. Citadel : It is the raised area in each city. It shows that Harappan Civilization was an urban ​ Civilization with some sort of social classification as the citadel had the houses of the ruling class and some important buildings.

3. Some Important Seals : ​

● More than 2,000 seals of different types have been discovered from the various sites. ● These are usually square or oblong and made of steatite or ivory. ● Knob at the back ● The unicorn seal shows a mythical animal. ● The seal depicts the three faced deity seated in a yogic posture with a horned headdress and surrounded by four animals, a rhinoceros, a buffalo, an elephant and a . ● A bull seal shows a humped bull of great strength and vigour. ● Some seals are engraved with the figures of animals like the buffalo, bull, tiger, elephant and antelope

4. Importance of the Seals : ​

The seals show the culture and Civilization of the Indus Valley people. In particular, they indicate -

(a) Dresses, ornaments, hair-styles of people. (b) Skills of artists and sculptors (c) Religious beliefs (d) Script (e) Trade contacts and commercial relation

5. Bearded man : ​

The stone of a man with a beard discovered which is of high artistic value. ● It resembles the statue of a . ● It points to the existence of skilled artisans in the Harappan Civilization.

6. : ​

Bronze figure of a dancing girl shows a high degree of art of sculpture in metal. ● It also reveals that the Indus Valley people were fond of dancing and singing. 7. Cemeteries ​

● Cemeteries throw light on the burial practices of the people. ● These have been discovered at several Harappan sites like , and Ropar.

8. Dockyard ​

● The dockyard suggests that they practised navigation on the coast of the .

9. Script ​

● Pictographic, since its signs represent birds, fish and varieties of the human form. ● The script is found inscribed on a number of seals, copper and terracotta, jewellery etc.

ORIGIN AND EXTENT OF HARAPPAN Civilization

1. It extended from Sutkagendor in the west to in the east and from Manda in the north to in the Narmada estuary in the South.

2. After the partition of , the main centres of Civilization such as Harappa, Mohenjodaro, and Sutkagendor are now in .

URBAN PLANNING

1. Town Planning: ​

● Cities were built according to a well designed plan. They were divided into two main sections, the citadel and the lower town as a protection against flood. ● Harappan cities were among the largest settlements of the Chalcolithic period anywhere in the world. ● Indus people were primarily urban and their cities were designed skillfully ● The streets divided the entire city into square or rectangular blocks, each of which was further divided by a number of lanes. ● The main streets were wide and straight and intersected each other at right angles. ● Fire-burnt were used for paving the streets. ● The corners of the streets were rounded off to make it easy for the movement of heavy carts. ● Houses were not allowed to encroach upon the streets.

2. The Drainage system: ​

● Drainage system was elaborate. ● A -lined drainage channel flowed alongside every street. ● The house drains were connected to the underground main drains, which opened into large brick-culverts on the outskirts of the city. ● There were manholes at regular intervals. ● Use of covered drains to carry waste water was a unique feature of Harappan town planning. ● A systematic drainage system in every city shows that the people paid great attention to sanitation and health.

3. The Dwelling Houses : ​

● The dwelling houses were situated on either side of the streets. ● They were made of burnt bricks of higher quality. ● Rooms were built around an open courtyard. ● The houses had wells and bathrooms and were provided with covered drains connected to street drains. ● The bathroom was placed on the street side with the corner sloping floor for draining off water.

4. The Great Bath: ​

● It consisted of an open quadrangle with verandahs on its four sides, and at the back of the three of the verandahs, various galleries and rooms. ● There was a large swimming enclosure in the centre of the quadrangle. ● At either end there was a raised platform with a flight of steps leading down to the pool. ● The walls of the pool were made waterproof using specially made bricks and gypsum mortar. ● The pool was cleaned periodically.

5. Great Granary : ​

● It was meant to store food grains. ● It was built on raised platforms for pounding grains and to protect it from flood. ● It consisted of two blocks with an aisle between them. ● Each block had six halls with corridors and ventilation to prevent grains from becoming mildewed

● There were barrack-like quarters for workmen.

6. The Assembly Hall: ​

● Assembly hall was probably the ruler's court or used as municipal office also. ● It was a pillared hall with long corridors and low benches. ● Kiln-baked bricks were used to construct these pillars.

7. Trade : ​ ● The people of the Indus Valley had commercial contact with southern and eastern India, Kashmir and with other countries of Asia. ● They imported various metals, precious stones and other articles. They carried on trade with Egypt and Crete. ● Harappan seals were found in and Mesopotamian cities. This concluded their extensive overseas trade. ● Lapis Lazuli (a bright blue stone used in ornaments) was imported from Central Asia , gold from and possibly copper and tin from Mesopotamia. ● The representation of a mastless ship on a seal suggests the popularity of the sea-routes. ● The people of the Indus Valley used weights and measures in their business transactions. ● Bullock carts with or without the roof were the chief means of conveyance.

ARTS AND CRAFT

1. The Art of Sculpture : ​ ● The discovery of statues and figurines in terracotta, stone and even metal shows a high degree of development in the art of sculpture.

a. Sculpture in Metal : ● Bronze figure of a dancing girl with her right hand on her hip in a dancing posture. ● The dancing girl is shown wearing necklaces, and bangles made of ivory or bone. ● It indicates that people were fond of jewellery. ● Her hair is neatly fashioned in the form of a bun. ● They used a special process in which the figures were covered with a coating of clay ● Besides the figurine, the bronze figures of buffalo and a humped bull are very artistically designed

b. Sculpture in Terracotta :

● Terracotta figures of the Mother Goddess, the symbol of abundance, fertility and prosperity discovered from Mohenjodaro are exquisite pieces of art. ● The Terracotta figure of a bull with a cord around its neck and its head turned towards the right is significant as it shows the great concern of the sculptor for anatomical details.

c. Sculpture in stone :

● Statue of a nobleman or a priest wearing a shawl over the left shoulder and under the right arm. ● His eyes are half-closed and his beard is neatly trimmed. ● Male torso in red stone with socket holes in the neck and shoulders for the attachment of head and arms.

2. Art of carving: ​

● The figures of animals carved on the s a high degree of excellence ● Figures of various animals such as the bull, the buffalo, the bison, the elephant and the mythological unicorn, were engraved.

3. Art of painting : ​

● They painted geometrical patterns in a variety of colours on pottery. ● Different designs and figures of men and animals, birds and trees were also painted on earthenware.

4. Art of pottery: ​

● Excellent works of Indus Valley potters have been discovered. ● They made pottery of various shapes and sizes on a potter's wheel. ● The discovery of pottery kiln reveals that pottery was balled with great care and skill.

5. Art of metal craft: ​

● They possessed technical skill in producing beautiful jewellery, in boring beads, in casting metals and in creating alloys. ● Exquisite designs of gold ornaments like necklaces, armbands, bangles, girdles, silver bracelets and ear-rings revealed their excellence in . ● The use of copper and bronze, points to the great degree of technical ability in working with metals. ● The artisans showed their skills in smelting bronze and producing vessels of fine quality. Copper vessels were made from sheep metal.

6. Art of spinning : ​

● Discovery of a large number of spindles indicates that spinning of cotton and wool is common. ● Spindle and spindle whorls were made of terracotta or porcelain.

7. Art of writing and script : ​

● Pictorial writing. ● Seals throw light on this art as inscriptions have been engraved with figures of men and animals. ● Pictorial script had not yet been deciphered. ● According to some scholars it was from right to left but in some cases it was written from left to right.

RELIGION

Knowledge of religious beliefs of the Indus people has been derived mainly from the seals, figurines and the Great Bath. ● No big structures like temples have so far been discovered in any of the cities. ● Polytheism ● Image worship. ● Remarkable figure of a male-deity is identified as Lord . ● The three-faced figure with horns on either side of his headdress, seated in a yogic posture on a throne surrounded by animals, is described as Trimukhi, Mahayogi and Pashupati. ● Worship of a female deity has been identified as the Mother Goddess. ● The main reason for the worship of the Mother Goddess was that they believed in female energy as the source of all creation. ● They had faith in the doctrine of animism which means that they worshipped trees and animals. ● The Pipal tree was regarded as sacred. ● The bull, the rhinoceros, the tiger and the crocodile were worshipped. ● Pigeon was the only bird worshipped. ● Some of the figures are smoke-stained which may mean that the people burnt incense before the deity at the time of worship. ● Discovery of fire altars at Kalibangam and some other Harappan sites, suggests that fire sacrifice may also have been performed in some regions of the Harappan Civilization.

SOCIAL LIFE OF THE PEOPLE 1. Food : The principal diet of the people consisted of wheat and barley cultivated. Rice, ​ ​ which were not dates, milk, mutton, poultry, etc. were also included in their diet. 2. Dress : The people wore simple dresses. Men used two pieces of cloth; the garment was a ​ ​ shawl which was drawn over the left shoulder and under the right arm; the lower garment assembled a modern dhoti. Female dress did not differ much from that of the male. Women used a loin cloth bound by a girdle. Cotton fabrics were commonly used and perhaps wool was also used. 3. Ornaments : ​

Ornaments were worn by both men and women, rich and poor. Gold, silver, copper and other well known metals and precious stones were used for making various ornaments of different designs, such as necklaces, finger rings and armlets.

4. Sports and Games : Dancing was a popular game judging by the large number of dice ​ ​ which were unearthed. The Indus Valley people were fond of music and dancing. People were fond of hunting and fishing also

ECONOMIC LIFE

MAIN OCCUPATION

1. Agriculture : The main occupation of the people was agriculture. ​ ​ ● Specimens of wheat and barley prove that these crops were regularly cultivated. The existence of granaries shows that the Harappans produced surplus food grains, which had to be stored safely. ● Most interesting is the finding of cotton, the earliest known so far. ● John Marshall says, "the use of cotton was exclusively restricted at this period of ​ time”. ​

2. Domestication of Animals: ​ ● Animals like the ox, the buffalo, the sheep, the goat and even the elephants were domesticated. ● The humped bull was represented by the Seals used commonly by the people. The cow was known as a useful animal. Camels and donkeys transport goods from place to place.

3. Trade and Commerce: ​ ● The Harappans had commercial relations with southern and eastern India, Kashmir and countries of Central Asia. ● They imported various metals, precious stones and other articles. It is believed that they were importing gold from Karnataka, copper from and precious stones from and . ● Many evidences have been found which reveal that trade was carried on with Egypt and Crete. Objects of Sumerian origin found at the Indus cities further indicate that there were trade relations between these countries.

● Trade needs uniform weights and measures. There is evidence that the Harappan people used sets of cubical stone weights even in the areas far flung ● Trade was carried on both by land and sea routes. The representation of a mastless ship on a Seal suggests the popularity of the sea-routes.

DECLINE OF HARAPPAN CIVILIZATION

A. Declined abruptly B. Many causes were responsible like : a. Regular floods b. Foreign invasions c. Earthquakes and epidemics

Now, some of the scholars believe that in place of an abrupt end, this Civilization declined gradually because of : a. Floods b. Overgrazing of grasslands c. Destruction of forests.

HARAPPAN AND MESOPOTAMIAN CIVILIZATIONS

There were many features common to the Harappan and Mesopotamian Civilizations.Both Civilizations were urban in character. But these Civilizations had their distinctive characteristics also. For example, the use of cotton was exclusively restricted at this period in India. Similarly, the Harappan people enjoyed a higher degree of civic amenities than those of .The was not that monumental as that of the Assyrians.

PART – II Activity

Watch this documentary - https://youtu.be/QUng-iHhSzU for better understanding. ​ ​

PART – III Questions

Answer briefly : 1. What is Civilization? 2. Mention any two sources to reconstruct the Harappan Civilization. 3. Mention any two important centres of the Indus Valley Civilization. 4. What are the two pieces of evidence which reveal the skill of the Indus people in town planning? 5. Mention the main evidence to suggest that the Indus Valley people paid great importance to sanitation and health. 6. What are the two different types of buildings that were unearthed at the various Indus sites? 7. Mention three main occupations of the Indus Valley people. 8. Mention the evidence which suggest that the Harappan people had trade relations with other countries. 9. Give one evidence to show that the Harappan people excelled in the art of sculpture : (a) in metal, (b) in stone, and (c) in terracotta. 10. Mention any two features of the Harappan script.

Structured Questions :

1. Harappan Civilization was a highly developed urban Civilization. Discuss the significant features of this Civilization with reference to : (a) The Town Planning (b) The Drainage System (c) The Dwelling Houses

2. The Harappan Civilization reveals the architectural skill of the people. Substantiate this statement by a brief mention of the following : (a) The Great Bath (b) The Assembly Hall (c) The Citadel

3. Describe the social life of the Harappan people with reference to : (a) Their Diet (b) Their Dress (c) Their Ornaments (d) Sports and Games

4. The Seals may be considered as the most valuable finds of the Harappan Civilization. Concentrate on the picture given below and answer the following questions:

(a) What does this Seal depict? (b) How important are the Seals as sources of information about the Harappan Culture?

5. Write a note on the religious beliefs and practices of the Harappan people with reference to : (a) The worship of the Mother Goddess (b) The worship of Shiva Pashupati