Department Of Architecture And

Planning,
NED University Of Engineering
And Technology

AR-211 History & Theory I

Lecture 6

Harappan Civilization
INSTRUCTOR
Sarah Ather Khan
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81Y09r+vSvL.jpg
 E A R LY C O M M U N I T I E S

• Early Village Sites

• NORTHERN INDUS PLAINS
• Soan Valley Culture
• Sarai Khola
• Mehrgarh

• Pre-Harappan-urban Settlements
• SOUTHERN INDUS PLAINS
• Kot Diji
• Amri

• Indus Valley Civilization

• Harappa
• Mohenjo Daro
Mehrgarh, seen as a precursor to the Indus Valley Civilization was a lone
beacon of agriculture in a "wilderness of hunter-gatherers" since no
other such settlement has been found yet.
Located near the Bolan Pass, to the west of the Indus River valley and
between the present-day Pakistani cities of Quetta, Kalat and Sibi,
Mehrgarh was discovered in 1974 by an archaeological team directed by
French archaeologist Jean-François Jarrige, and was excavated
continuously between 1974 and 1986.
The Chalcolithic people of Mehrgarh also had contacts with
contemporaneous cultures in northern Afghanistan, northeastern Iran,
and southern central Asia.

MEHRGARH
Source: Global History of Architecture pg. 28
Source: Global History of Architecture pg. 29
Source: Global History of Architecture pg. 28
DISCOVERY
 In 1857, the British engineers accidentally used bricks from the Harappa ruins for building the
East Indian Railway line between Karachi and Lahore.
 This incident led to an excavation campaign under Sir John Hubert Marshall in 1921-1922.
The result of the excavation was the discovery of Harappa
 Further excavation at different places in India and Pakistan, led to the discovery of another
large city Mohenjo-Daro, and the recovery of at least eighty villages and towns related to this
newly discovered civilization.
Indus Valley Civilization Period Division
The Indus Civilization can be divided into three phases.
1. Early Phase 3500 BC – 2600 BC
2. Peak phase 200 BC – 1900
3. Final phase 1900BC – 1750 BC

(i)Preliminary Stage:-
⬤ Major towns:- Padri (Gujarat), Kalibhangan, Dholavira, Harappa, Balakot, Bhirrana (Haryana), Kot Dji and Gumla.
⬤ Noted historian “Rafiq Meghal” stated that Harappan culture emerged from the culture of Balochistan itself.

(ii) Mature Harappan Phase:-

⬤ This was the urban phase of the Harappan civilization.
⬤ Other Harappan culture towns have similar red and black pottery, terracotta ware, and specified brick size
1:2:4. So this phase can be termed as mature or complete Harappan Civilization.

iii) Post Harappan Civilization:-

⬤ In this phase, there was no drastic reduction in the number of towns but the size of the towns decreased
⬤ Changes took place in seals, inscriptions on pottery, and weighing stones.
⬤An example of post-Harappan civilizations
Jhukar culture, Aharar culture, Ranapur culture, Malwa culture
SOCIAL LIFE

Fairly stratified society. In the Indus Valley civilization, the society was divided into three distinct
social groups.
Traders & Entrepreneurs: included the merchants who were associated with trade & other
business activities in the city
Natural leaders: a group that ruled & administered the city
Specialized artisans & professionals: the laborers who worked in the city.
No ruler-slave relationship.
The Indus society was based on close family relationships with high status of women & children
The Indus Valley civilization was established without battles. Instead of war, they focused on
creating a peaceful and prosperous culture. Interestingly, offensive weapons like axes, spears, and
daggers were found, but no defensive equipment such as shields or armor. This absence of armor
suggests limited contact with the warlike Sumerian culture.
Unlike Mesopotamia or Egypt, there were no such buildings discovered so we can
conclude it might have been a temple or involved any kind of public worship.
Although religion did not However, a dominant role, rituals, and worship of
various deities were very much part of the Indus society.
However, a close relationship between the beliefs of the Indus Valley Civilization
and those of modern Hinduism.

GODDESSES
Among the religious objects left at the sites, were clay figurines, and a seal
bearing a representation of a woman with a plant emerging from her womb,
suggesting the worship of a Mother Goddess.
These goddesses are commonly worshipped even today in Hindu practices in
the rural areas of India.
THE INDUS SCRIPT

• On average, the inscriptions are very short, consisting

of about seven symbols. Scholars have not yet been
able to decipher these short inscriptions and will not
be able to do so until some longer texts or bi-lingual
inscriptions have been discovered.
• No evidence of the script being used for royal or
official proclamations or the preservation of historical
or religious records.
SEALS
• The Indus Valley Civilization is famous for the enigmatic
seals that were discovered in various cities.
• These seals usually had some animal or human engraved
on them along with a script at the bottom which has not
been deciphered as yet.
• Typically, square with each side measuring from two to five
centimeters, the obverse of most seals was engraved with
mythical scenes or animals and an average of five Indus
script signs
• The seals were used by merchants in trade, as a means of
identifying their goods.
 • THE PASHUPATI SEAL

• This seal depicts what is probably the modern

Hindu God, Shiv. Lord Shiv is surrounded by various
animals like the rhino, the buffalo, the elephant and
the tiger.
• He wears a crown of horns on his head.
• He is believed to have been considered by the Indus
Valley Civilization people as the lord of the animals.

Some of the important seals, which had been found

frequently, are:
• THE UNICORN SEAL
• THE BULL SEAL
• THE PASHUPATI SEAL
Depictions of a man with three faces, sitting in
a yogi's position and surrounded by four beasts
have been interpreted as being a predecessor
of the Lord Shiva.
GODS
 THE UNICORN SEAL THE BULL SEAL
This is based on a fictional animal from the time of the The bull seal depicts a humped bull, showing strength
Indus Valley Civilization, representing early fictional art. and energy. The zebu bull may symbolize the leader of
The animal on the seal has been considered a mythical the herd, whose strength and virility protect the herd
"Unicorn" with connections to Greek writings. This motif and ensure the procreation of the species, or it may
may have symbolized a clan, ethnic group, or trading stand for a sacrificial animal. When carved in stone, the
class. zebu bull probably represents the most powerful clan or
top officials of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa.
 • The buildings were constructed of sun-dried and burnt bricks.
• The larger bricks have a standard ratio of 1:2:4.
• The average size of the bricks was 7 x 12 x 34 cm (for houses) and
10 x 20 x 40 cm for the city walls.
• Sun-dried bricks were used for infill, and burnt bricks were used
for the drain and sewer linings.
Source: Global History of Architecture pg. 28
INDUS BRICK
 SALIENT FEATURE OF
INDUS CITIES, TOWNS & VILLAGES
• The cities were constructed based on a detailed layout plan.
• They were normally located in artificial mounds and some cases on natural hills.
• The elevation besides protection against floods offers a better view of surrounding areas and makes the
implementation of security and tax collection measures easier.
• The mounds were protected against floods and erosion by mud brick walls and embankments, which surrounded
the mud-filled core of the artificial mound.
INDUS CITIES
• Approximately 1052 cities and settlements belonging to the Indus Valley Civilization have been excavated to date.
• The cities developed out of earlier villages that had previously existed in the same region.
• Beginning with a relatively small population, they grew in size and density, surrounded by numerous towns and
villages.
• New villages were established at the crossroads of trade routes, eventually becoming large towns and cities of the
Indus Valley civilization.
• Trade, economic activities, religious beliefs, and social relations linked all these settlements.
• The major centers of the Indus civilizations were Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro, Lothal, Dholavira, Ganweriwala,
Kalibangan etc
 A typical city would be divided into two sections, each fortified separately.
 The citadel or acropolis was located on the highest mound, normally on the western edge
of the city. The city was well fortified with massive brick walls rising almost five meters
above the platform and provided with gateways and bastions on all sides. The citadel was
normally parallelogram-shaped. The most important administrative and public buildings
were constructed on this mound.
 The "Lower Town" was divided into several blocks by a grid of straight streets running
north-south and east-west, and each block was further divided by small lanes. The lower
city was where the housing for the inhabitants was located.
MOHENJODARO
City and Citadel

The ruins of the huge city of Moenjodaro – built

entirely of unbaked brick in the 3rd millennium BC are
set on high embankments, the ramparts, and the lower
town, which is laid out according to strict rules, provide
evidence of an early system of town planning.
TOWN PLAN

Mohenjo-daro, is an ancient
planned city laid out on a grid
of streets. An orthogonal street
layout was oriented toward the
north-south & east-east
directions: the widest streets
run north-south, straight
through town; secondary
streets run east-west,
sometimes in a staggered
direction. Secondary streets
are about half the width of the
main streets; smaller alleys are
a third to a quarter of the https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Relative-building-chronology-evident-in-Area-DK-G-of-Mohenjo-
daro-Earlier-phases-are_fig6_344425181

width of the main streets. Relative building chronology is evident in Area DK-G of Mohenjo-daro. Earlier phases
https://www.tslr.net/2007/09/mohenjo-daro-ancient-city-of-
indus.html
are darker; later phases are lighter. Note the significant expansion of small-scale houses
conforming to the city’s street plan.
HOUSE LAYOUT
• The houses seem to have been built around a central courtyard, and on two
or three sides were grouped rooms of varying sizes - including bathrooms
with the outside walls of the houses being as featureless as possible.
• Some of the bigger houses even had multiple stories (levels) and paved
floors.
• Entrance to the houses was gained through a long passageway from the
street, which in combination with a few windows reflects a security concern.
• Every house had its wells, drains, and bathrooms.
• Each house was connected directly to an excellent underground sewer
system that ran throughout the city.
• Many houses had stairs leading to the upper courtyards of the building or a
second floor.
There were no openings toward the main street – only rather small openings to the side streets. .
Brick stairways provided access to the upper floors or rooftop gardens. The houses are believed
to have flat, timber roofs. Houses built with a perimeter wall and adjacent houses were
separated by a narrow space of land. There were just a few fairly standardized layouts, perhaps
an indication of a fairly egalitarian society. But not all houses had two stories and only the larger
houses had their wells. There are also rows of single-roomed barracks, perhaps for singles,
soldiers or slaves.
 MOHENJODARO
Citadel
• The purpose of the citadel remains debated.
• In sharp contrast to this civilization's contemporaries,
Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt, no large monumental
structures were built. There is no conclusive evidence of
palaces or temples—or kings, armies, or priests.
• Although the citadels were walled, it is far from clear that
these structures were defensive. They may have been built
to divert flood waters. These citadels served as sanctuaries
for the cities' populations in times of attack and as
community centers in times of peace.
• The citadel at Mohenjo-Daro included a very large building
that may have been a palace. Both citadels contained what
are believed to have been audience and assembly halls or
places of worship, and bathing tanks for public use.
If one considers the "tank" ancillary to every Hindu temple of the Middle
Ages, the Great Bath can easily be seen as a sacred site.
GREAT BATH
• The most impressive structure excavated at
Mohenjo-Daro so far, is the Great Bath.
• Constructed with kiln-burnt bricks, this
Monumental Bath is a pool 12 metres long, 7
metres wide and 2.5 metres deep.
• Gypsum has been used along with mortar to
make the floor and sides of the pool water-
tight.
• The pool is in the centre of a large open
quadrangle with rooms and galleries on all
sides.
• A flight of steps at either end connects it the
rooms.
• Probably meant for religious rites, it may have
been used by the people for changing their
clothes.
MOHENJODARO
Citadel – Great Bath
Source: Global History of Architecture pg. 30
The pool was fed by a well nearby and the dirty water
was drained into the city's sewage system through a
large corbelled drain 1.83 metres high.
 Mohenjo-daro has been called the "city of
wells." Mark Kenoyer writes: "On the basis of
the number of wells found in the excavated
areas, Michael Jansen has calculated that the
city may have had over 700 wells.

WATER SUPPLY
 DRAINAGE SYSTEM
• The ancient Indus systems of sewerage and drainage that were
developed and used in cities throughout the Indus region were
far more advanced than any found in contemporary urban sites
in the Middle East and even more efficient than those in many
areas of Pakistan and India today.
• In addition to the presence of bathrooms, beneath the city was
an elaborate drainage system to which access was gained
through brick man-hole covers.
• Waste water was drained out of the houses through drain
chutes built into the side walls that fed into a system of drains
built alongside the lanes and streets.
• Waste water was directed to covered drains, which lined the
major streets. First floor bathrooms also built. There is also
evidence of vertical drains which were probably their toilet.
• This entire system shows concern for sanitation unparalleled in
the Bronze Age, or even in modern Asia.
Sewer Drains At Mohenjo-daro
 Corbelling
&
Corbeled Arch
 The granary was an "orderly rows of circular working floors carefully built of baked brick, ...., and originally
containing at the center a massive wooden mortar sunk in the ground, in which grain could be pounded to flour
with long heavy pestles ... [are] still employed in Bengal and Kashmir,"
 As a structure it is particularly impressive, running 150 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 15 feet high. This gave the
granary an astounding 168,750 cubic feet of space.
 The granary was divided into 27 compartments in three rows.
 It was well-ventilated and it was possible to fill grain in from the outside. The large size of the granary probably
indicates a highly developed agricultural civilization.

GRANARIES
 It probably represents a person of very high
rank judging from the elaborate clothing and
ornamentation.

King Priest statuette of Mohenjo-

Daro
Dancing girl statuette of Mohenjo-Daro
(4” tall)
REASON FOR DECLINE
• By about 1700 BC, the Harappan culture was on the verge of decline. The causes of its decline
are not certain. The physical existence of the civilization ended due to various factors.
• Ecological changes led to the decline of land and agriculture, thereby enforcing the need to
evacuate to another area might have been the reason for the disintegration of the Indus
Valley. Shifts in the monsoon pattern and temperature changes led to the area being more
arid.
• Increase in population, excessive deforestation, decline in agriculture, etc. might have created
economic problems leading to the gradual decay of the culture. The marked decline in the
quality of building and town planning indicates that the authorities were losing control.
• The changes in the river flow patterns and corresponding widespread flooding would have
disrupted the agricultural base.
• The invasion of the Aryans is the other view that is said to be another reason which might
have also led to the decline of the Indus Valley.
• Thus, the most brilliant civilization of the ancient world disintegrated.