The emergence of the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), also known as the Harappan Civilization, marks the beginning of Indian history. It thrived circa 2,500 BC in western South Asia, around modern Pakistan and Western India. The Early Harappan Phase, the Mature Harappan Phase, and the Late Harappan Phase are the three stages of IVC. The Indus Valley was home to the largest of Egypt's, Mesopotamia's, India's, and China's ancient urban civilizations. This article will explain to you the Phases of IVC which will be helpful in Ancient History preparation for the UPSC Civil service exam.

Indus Valley Civilization (IVC)

• The Indus Valley Civilisation was named after the Indus river system, on which the early sites of the civilisation were discovered and unearthed on alluvial plains.
• Around 3300 BC, the Indus Valley Civilization started.
• It was active between 2600 and 1900 BC (Mature Indus Valley Civilization). It began to dwindle around 1900 BC and eventually perished around 1400 BC.
• This is sometimes referred to as the Harappan Civilization, after the first city discovered, Harappa (Punjab, Pakistan).
• Cotton manufacturing dates back to the Pre-Harappan culture, according to evidence uncovered in Mehrgarh, Pakistan.
• The Indus Valley was home to the biggest ancient urban civilizations in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and China.
• In the 1920s, the Archaeological Department of India excavated in the Indus Valley, uncovering the ruins of two ancient settlements, Mohenjodaro and Harappa.

Phases of Indus Valley Civilization

• Indus Valley Civilization has three Phases
  • the Early Harappan Phase from 3300 to 2600 BCE.
  • the Mature Harappan Phase from 2600 to 1900 BCE
  • the Late Harappan Phase from 1900 to 1300 BCE.

Pre-Harappan Phase - Mehrgarh

• Mehrgarh is a Neolithic mountain site in Pakistan's Balochistan province that has revealed fresh information about the Indus Valley Civilisation's beginnings.
• Mehrgarh is one of the oldest sites in South Asia with evidence of cultivation and herding.
• The Near Eastern Neolithic affected Mehrgarh, as evidenced by parallels in "domesticated wheat types, early phases of farming, pottery, other archaeological artefacts, certain domesticated plants, and herd animals."

Early Harappan Phase from 3300 to 2600 BCE

• The Early Harappan Phase lasted from 3300 BCE to 2800 BCE and was called for the adjacent Ravi River.
• It began when farmers from the highlands progressively moved between their mountain residences and the lowland river valleys, and precedes the Kot Diji Phase (2800–2600 BCE), named after a location in northern Sindh, Pakistan, near Mohenjo-daro.
• The Indus script's earliest specimens originate from the third millennium BCE.
• Another village of this period was discovered on the Hakra River in India at Kalibangan.
• Trade networks linked this civilization to similar regional cultures and distant sources of raw materials, such as lapis lazuli and other bead-making materials.
• Villagers had domesticated a variety of crops, including peas, sesame seeds, dates, and cotton, as well as animals like the water buffalo, by this period.
• By 2600 BCE, early Harappan villages had evolved into major urban centres, from which the mature Harappan phase began.
• According to a new study, the Indus Valley inhabitants shifted from villages to cities.

Mature Harappan Phase from 2600 to 1900 BCE

• Early Harappan civilizations had grown into huge urban centres by 2600 BCE.
• Harappa, Ganeriwala, and Mohenjo-daro in modern-day Pakistan, and Dholavira, Kalibangan, Rakhigarhi, Rupar, and Lothal in modern-day India, are examples of such urban centres.
• The urban design and architecture, art and crafts, and the social, religious, and economic conditions of the time are among the most stunning features of the finds.
• The Harappan civilization's urban layout and architecture have been studied extensively.
• The city had well-planned, broad and straight roadways, as well as residences with effective drainage and ventilation.

Mature Harappan Phase - Features

• Harappa and Mohenjodaro each had its own citadel or acropolis, which was presumably occupied by members of the governing elite.
• Each city features a lower town with brick houses where the common people lived beneath the citadel.
• The city's houses were organised using the grid pattern, which is unique.
• Granaries were a common sight in Harappan cities.
• The employment of burnt bricks in Harappan settlements is notable, given that dry bricks were commonly employed in Egyptian construction at the period.
• The drainage system of Mohenjodaro was quite impressive.
• The Great Bath is Mohenjodaro's most important public facility, measuring 39 feet long, 23 feet wide, and 8 feet deep.
• The decimal system was utilised by the Mohenjo-Daro culture on the Indus River roughly 5000 years ago.
• Indus civilisation inscriptions have been found on stone and clay pots, although they are unreadable.
• This civilization's language was obliterated. Harappans appear to have never taught their language to anybody else.
• Wheat, barley, and milk products were the staples of the diet. In addition, fruits, vegetables, fish, and meat were ingested.
• The major sources of amusement appear to be music and dancing.

Mature Harappan Phase - Cities

• The Indus Valley Civilisation had a complex and technologically advanced urban civilization, making it the region's first urban centre.
• The quality of town planning denotes an understanding of urban planning and efficient municipal administrations that prioritised sanitation or, conversely, access to religious ritual methods.
• The ancient Indus sewage and drainage systems created and used in towns across the Indus region were significantly more advanced than those found in modern Middle Eastern cities, and even more efficient than those present in many parts of Pakistan and India today.
• Dockyards, granaries, warehouses, brick platforms, and defensive walls all demonstrate the Harappans' superior building.
• The huge walls of Indus towns certainly protected the Harappans from floods and maybe deterred armed strife.
• The majority of city residents appear to have been dealers or artisans who lived in well-defined neighbourhoods alongside others who shared their trade.
• Seals, beads, and other things were made in the cities using materials from other places.

Mature Harappan Phase - Arts and Crafts

• The excavations yielded a diverse collection of stone, bronze, and terracotta artefacts.
• The 'dancing girl' (in bronze), naked except for a necklace and a series of bangles almost covering one arm, her hair styled in a complicated coiffure, standing in a provocative posture with one arm on her hip and one lanky leg half bent, is perhaps one of the most well-known figurines.
• This face has a vivid pertness that is unlike anything else in ancient civilizations' art.
• Two male figures in stone have received a lot of attention: one is a red sandstone torso, and the other is a bearded man's bust.
• The limbs in the former were produced separately and then put into sockets.
• The Harappans also created crude terracotta statuettes of women, generally naked but with intricate headdresses.
• These are unquestionably mother goddess symbols, and they appear to have been maintained in practically every home.
• They are so crudely crafted, historians believe the Goddess was not favoured by the aristocratic classes, who could afford the best artisans, but that her effigies were mass made by poor potters to suit public demand.

Mature Harappan Phase - Seals

• Thousands of seals with exquisite animal representations, such as a unicorn bull, rhinoceros, tiger, elephant, bison, goat, buffalo, and others, have been unearthed by archaeologists.
• Pashupati Seal is the most notable seal.
• According to the seals, the Indus valley civilization maintained trading relations with Mesapatomia, and merchants from India may have even visited and resided there.
• The standard Harappan seal was a 2-by-2-inch square plaque composed of the soft river stone steatite.
• Every seal has a pictographic writing carved on it (yet to be deciphered).
• The seals appear to have also been utilised as amulets, maybe as modern-day identity cards, carried on the persons of their owners. Gold, ivory, blue, and white seals have also been discovered.

Mature Harappan Phase - Tools

• Stone, copper, and bronze tools have been discovered, all of which were technologically sound in many ways.
• The axe heads had to be tethered to their shafts since the blades were flat and readily bent.
• The Harappans, on the other hand, had created a saw with undulating teeth, which allowed dust to flow easily from the cut and greatly simplified the carpenter's skill.

Late Harappan Phase from 1900 to 1300 BCE

• Around 1900 BCE, symptoms of a steady collapse appeared, and by 1700 BCE, the majority of the cities had been abandoned.
• Human bones from the Harappa site have recently revealed that near the end of the Indus Civilisation, interpersonal violence and infectious illnesses increased.
• Kudwala in Cholistan, Dwarka in Gujarat, and Daimabad in Maharashtra are the greatest Late Harappan sites, all of which may be termed urban, but they are smaller and fewer in number than Mature Harappan towns.
• Dwarka was strengthened and maintained ties with the Persian Gulf region, although long-distance trade declined overall.
• "Showing some continuity with mature Harappan ceramic traditions," but also notable changes, is how the pottery of the Late Harappan period is defined.
• Many locations were populated for centuries, even as their urban characteristics deteriorated and vanished.
• Previously common items like stone weights and female figurines have become scarce.
• Some circular stamp seals with geometric motifs exist, but they lack the Indus script that characterised the civilisation's mature period.
• Script is uncommon and only found on potsherds.
• However, in sites in Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh, primarily small rural communities, there is more continuity and overlap between Late Harappan and later cultural periods.

Conclusion

The Indus Valley Civilisation was called after the Indus river system, which was where the civilisation's early sites were discovered and uncovered on alluvial plains. Not just historians and archaeologists, but also ordinary people, value the Harappan Civilization. The urban design and architecture, art and crafts, and the social, religious, and economic conditions of the time are among the most stunning features of the finds. The Harappan civilization's urban layout and architecture have been studied extensively.

FAQs

MCQs

1. Which of the following sites is associated with the Early Harappan Phase?

A. Mohenjodaro
B. Mehrgarh
C. Kalibangan
D. Lothal

2. Which phase of the Indus Valley Civilization saw the peak of urbanization?

A. Pre-Harappan
B. Early Harappan
C. Mature Harappan
D. Late Harappan

3. Which Harappan site is known for its dockyard?

A. Harappa
B. Dholavira
C. Mohenjodaro
D. Lothal

4. Which of the following is not a feature of the Mature Harappan Phase?

A. Planned cities
B. Use of iron tools
C. Advanced drainage systems
D. Standardized weights and measures

5. What is the approximate time period for the Late Harappan Phase?

A. 3300–2600 BCE
B. 2600–1900 BCE
C. 1900–1300 BCE
D. 1500–1000 BCE

GS Mains Questions and Model Answers

Q1: Discuss the significance of town planning in the Mature Harappan Phase of the Indus Valley Civilization.

Answer: The Mature Harappan Phase exhibited unparalleled town planning for its time. Cities were laid out in grid patterns, with well-organized streets, drainage systems, and granaries. The uniformity of brick sizes, as well as the placement of public and private buildings, highlights the advanced civic management. The Great Bath of Mohenjodaro is a prime example of their architectural and engineering skills.

Q2: Analyze the causes of the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization.

Answer: The decline of the IVC around 1900 BCE is attributed to multiple factors, including climate change, shifting river courses (such as the drying up of the Saraswati River), and a decline in long-distance trade. Additionally, invasions or internal social conflicts may have contributed to the downfall of urban centers, leading to ruralization.

Q3: Evaluate the cultural and economic impact of the Indus Valley Civilization on subsequent civilizations in South Asia.

Answer: The IVC had a lasting cultural and economic impact on subsequent civilizations in South Asia. The use of standardized weights, urban planning, and trade networks influenced later societies. Their craft techniques, including bead-making and metallurgy, were carried forward by subsequent cultures. The continuity of agricultural practices and settlement patterns in post-Harappan cultures is also noteworthy.

Previous Year Questions on Indus Valley Civilization

1. UPSC CSE Prelims 2017

Question: Which Harappan site is located on the banks of the Ghaggar-Hakra river?
A. Kalibangan
B. Dholavira
C. Mohenjodaro
D. Harappa

Answer: A

Explanation: Kalibangan is located on the banks of the Ghaggar-Hakra river and is known for its Pre-Harappan and Harappan settlement evidence.

2. UPSC CSE Mains 2015 (GS Paper 1)

Question: Discuss the contributions of the Indus Valley Civilization to urban planning and its relevance to modern-day cities.

Answer: The IVC's contributions to urban planning are evident in its grid-based city layouts, advanced drainage systems, and public works such as granaries and baths. The focus on hygiene, efficient use of space, and civic management is still relevant today, particularly in the planning of modern urban infrastructure. The use of standardized bricks and attention to public health through drainage systems are practices that continue to influence contemporary city planning.