Story of Harappa


 
 
Concept Explanation
 

Story of Harappa

The Story of Harappa: The Harappan civilisation is dated between 2600 and 1900 BC. There were earlier and later cultures, known as Early Harappan and Later Harappan. The Harappan period characterised by seals, beads, weights, stone blades and baked bricks is called as the Mature Harappan culture.

A hundred and fifty years ago, when railway lines were being laid down for the first time in the Punjab, engineers stumbled upon the site of Harappa in present-day Pakistan. To them, it seemed like a mound that was a rich source of readymade, high quality bricks. So they carried off thousand of bricks from the walls of the old buildings of the city to build railway lines. Many buildings were completely destroyed. Then, about eighty years ago, archaeologists found the site, and realized that this was one of the oldest cities in the subcontinent. As this was the first city to be discovered, all other sites from found were similar buildings (and other things) were found were described as Harappa. These cities developed about 4700 years ago.

Origin and Evolution:  The Harappan civilisation is dated between 2600 and 1900 BC. There were earlier and later cultures, known as Early Harappan and Later Harappan. The Harappan period characterised by seals, beads, weights, stone blades and baked bricks is called as the Mature Harappan culture. The Carbon-14 datings indicate the mature Harappan period to be from C. 2800/2900–1800 BC.

Geography: The Harappan civilisation was spread over Afghanistan, Sind, Beluchistan, Jammu, Punjab, northern Rajasthan, Kathiawar and Gujarat. The Kalibangan -Mohenjo-Daro represent the centre of the Harappan civilisation. Most of the Harappan settlements were located in this region.

Agriculture: The Harappan cultivated wheat and barley, peas and dates, sesame and mustard. In Lothal cultivated rice as early as 1800 BC. The evidence of a furrowed field in Kalibangan indicates that the Harappans used some sort of wooden plough. The irrigation depended on the irregular flooding of the rivers of Punjab and Sind.

Crafts: Various sculptures, seals, pottery, gold jewelry and figurines in terracotta, bronze and steatite, etc, have been excavated from the sites of the Harappan civilisation. Other crafts that have been unearthed include shell works, ceramics, agate, glazed steatite bead making, special kind of combs, etc. The dancing girl and the bearded head from Mohenjo-Daro are the two well known pieces of art..

Religion: The various clay figures indicated that the Harappans worshipped the mother Goddess as the symbol of fertility. Certain trees seem to have been considered as sacred. Some people buried their dead in graves. The Harappans probably believed life after death, as their graves often contained household pottery, ornaments and mirrors belonging to the dead persons.

Decline: There are some possible factors which bought bought about the end of the Harappan Civilization:

  • Some scholars suggest that the rivers dried up.
  • Others suggest that there was deforestation.This could have happened because fuel was required for baking bricks and for melting copper ores.
  • Besides,grazing by large herds of cattle,sheep and goat may have destroyed the green cover.
  • In some areas, there were floods .But none of these reasons can firmly explain the end of all the cities.
  • Sample Questions
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    Question : 1

    When did cities of Harappa and Mohenjodaro develop ?

    Right Option : B
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    Question : 2

    Which of the following is true the Harappan civilization ?

    • (I) The cities of the civilization were developed about 4700 years ago.
    • (II) The bricks from the city walls were used to make railway lines thousands of years later.
    • (III) The people from this civilization belived in sacrifices.
    • (IV) The cities were haphazard and no drainge facility was provides for the city dwellers.
    Right Option : A
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    Question : 3

    The Harappan civilisation was discovered at random in the year _________________--

    Right Option : C
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