30-09-2024
06:30 PM
Prelims: History of India
Mains: The salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
The Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), also known as the Harappan Civilization, was a Bronze Ageurban culture that flourished in the Indus River basin of modern-day Pakistan and northwest India from around 3300 BCE to 1700 BCE. It was one of the earliest and most advanced civilizations, with well-planned cities, a sophisticated drainage system, and a writing system that remains undeciphered.
The IVC began declining around 1900 BCE, the archaeological evidence indicates a gradual, rather than abrupt, collapse; historians present various factors that caused the decline of this civilization.
Various theories attempt to explain the sudden decline of the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) around 1900 BCE, however, scholars debate which factors resulted in the civilization’s demise. Some theories suggest environmental changes, invasions, and the drying up of rivers could have caused the decline.
Some theories suggest that natural disasters like floods and earthquakes could have led to the destruction and disintegration of urban centres.
The Indus River, a crucial water source for civilization, may have shifted its course away from the major urban centres, leading to water scarcity and the inability to sustain the cities.
Environmental changes like increased aridity and the drying up of the Ghaggar-Hakra river system (ancient Saraswati River) could have impacted agriculture and water availability, leading to the decline of civilization.
Some scholars suggest that the civilization was invaded and conquered by a nomadic Indo-European group known as the Aryans, leading to its downfall. Archaeological evidence of destruction layers at sites like Mohenjo-Daro and Harappais cited to support this theory.
The theory of Ecological Imbalance suggests the gradual decline of the Indus Valley Civilization was caused by deforestation, overexploitation of resources, climate change leading to aridity, drying up of the Saraswati River, and unsustainable practices that degraded the environment and disrupted the agricultural base over time.
Scholars now focus on continuity rather than decline causes, realizing Indus traditions persisted after cities declined. The traditions of the IVC survived and influenced the cultural developments that followed in South Asia.
While the cities declined, the IVC's cultural legacy was absorbed and carried forward by successive civilizations in the Indian subcontinent.
Question 1: To what extent has the urban planning and culture of the Indus Valley Civilization provided inputs to present-day urbanization? Discuss. (UPSC Mains 2014)
Question 2: Which one of the following ancient towns is well-known for its elaborate system of water harvesting and management by building a series of dams and channelling water into connected reservoirs? (UPSC Prelims 2021)
Answer (a)
Q1. What are the reasons for the decline of the Harappan civilization?
Ans. The decline of the Harappan civilization was influenced by factors such as floods, droughts, deforestation, Aryan migration, and climate change, leading to societal shifts and the eventual abandonment of cities.
Q2. What is the theory of the gradual decline of Harappan civilization?
Ans. The theory of gradual decline suggests the Harappan civilization declined over time due to factors like environmental degradation, climate change, resource depletion, and unsustainable practices.
Q3. What was the role of climate in the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization?
Ans. Climate change leading to increased aridity, droughts, and drying up of rivers like the Saraswati played a significant role in the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization.
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