{"id":2983,"date":"2026-04-08T10:07:15","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T04:37:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/?p=2983"},"modified":"2026-04-10T13:23:55","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T07:53:55","slug":"indus-valley-civilization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/indus-valley-civilization\/","title":{"rendered":"Indus Valley Civilization, Map, Script, Seals"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Indus Valley civilization is the earliest known <strong>urban culture<\/strong> of the <strong>northwestern regions<\/strong> of the Indian subcontinent. It is one of the world\u2019s three earliest civilizations along with <strong>Mesopotamia <\/strong>and <strong>ancient Egypt<\/strong>. This civilization flourished from approximately 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE<strong>. <\/strong>Geographical factors including soil fertility, climate, and physical features contributed to the development of the Indus Valley civilisation.<\/p>\r\n<p>Most of the sites discovered earlier, <strong>Harappa <\/strong>and <strong>Mohenjo-Daro,<\/strong> are present in the Indus valley which gives the name to it. Later sites such as <strong>Kalibangan, Lothal, Rakhigarhi, etc <\/strong>revealed similar features. Harappa was the first excavated site therefore, it is also called Harappan culture.<\/p>\r\n<h2>Origin and Discovery of Indus Valley Civilization<\/h2>\r\n<p>The Indus civilization arose in the <strong>Indus River basin<\/strong> evolving from villages that followed the <strong>Mesopotamian model of irrigated agriculture.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Origin: <\/strong>The Indus Valley in the Indian subcontinent was one of the first places where humans settled down and advanced to a highly civilised lifestyle.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Its contemporary name comes from its location in the <strong>Indus River valley<\/strong>, but it is also known as the <strong>Indus-Sarasvati Civilization<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Many sites were excavated later on the banks of the Ghaggar-Hakra river bed.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Discovery of IVC:<\/strong> It was in 1924 that<strong> John Marshall <\/strong>announced to the world the existence of an ancient civilization in the Indus Valley.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The first person to discover Harappa was <strong>Charles Masson<\/strong>, who identified it as an ancient city called <strong>Sangala <\/strong>from the time of <strong>Alexander<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Excavating the ruins in the early twentieth century revealed their full significance. <strong>Daya Ram Sahni <\/strong>excavated Harappa in 1920, and <strong>Rakhaldas Banerjee <\/strong>excavated Mohenjo-daro in 1921.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Geographical Factors: <\/strong>The geographical conditions in the <strong>Indus Valley <\/strong>must have been ideal for human settlement and development. Today, this terrain is extremely dry and unsuitable for <strong>human habitation.<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The<strong> Indus seals<\/strong> are found to have figures of a variety of plants and animals that can exist only in moderately wet conditions. Therefore, it is assumed that the climatic conditions were quite moderate.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The vast plains along the Indus were very <strong>fertile<\/strong>. The floods deposited rich <strong>alluvial soil <\/strong>on these plains every year and irrigated the lands.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Chronology: The civilization can be dated between 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE with the help of Radiocarbon dating. The entire timeline can be divided into three phases - Early Harappan, Mature Harappan and Late Harappan.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<figure class=\"table\">\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\"><strong>Phases<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\"><strong>Dates<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\"><strong>Important Sites<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\"><strong>Features<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Early Harappan or Regionalization\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>3300- 2600 BCE<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>- Harappa<\/p>\r\n<p>- Kot Diji<\/p>\r\n<p>- Amri<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>- Fortification and grid planning<\/p>\r\n<p>- Development of an incipient trade network<\/p>\r\n<p>- Craft specialisation.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><strong>Transitional Phase<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>&nbsp;<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>- Kunal<\/p>\r\n<p>- Dholavira<\/p>\r\n<p>- Harappa<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>- Increasing level of craft specialization<\/p>\r\n<p>- Organised irrigation system<\/p>\r\n<p>- Partly standardised repertoire of pottery designs and forms.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Mature Harappan or Integration<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>2600- 1800 BCE<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>- Mohenjo-Daro<\/p>\r\n<p>- Harappa<\/p>\r\n<p>- Kalibangan<\/p>\r\n<p>- Dholavira<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>- Full-scale urbanisation<\/p>\r\n<p>- Emergence of writing<\/p>\r\n<p>- Uniformity in artefacts<\/p>\r\n<p>- Full-fledged trade.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Late Harappan or Localization<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>Post 1800- 1500\/1300 BCE<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>- Cemetery H at Harappa<\/p>\r\n<p>- Siswal<\/p>\r\n<p>- Rojdi<\/p>\r\n<p>- Rangpur<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>- Decline, and abandonment of some sites<\/p>\r\n<p>- Rise of pastoral mode.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<h2>Map of Indus Valley Civilization<\/h2>\r\n<p>Indus sites are distributed across a large area in <strong>India <\/strong>and <strong>Pakistan<\/strong>. Geographically, the civilization extended outside the<strong> Indus zone<\/strong>. It was made up of <strong>riverine lowlands <\/strong>that spread east and southeast into <strong>Uttar Pradesh<\/strong> and <strong>Rajasthan<\/strong>, highlands and coastal parts in <strong>Balochistan<\/strong>, and a coastal strip in <strong>Gujarat<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Area: <\/strong>It encompassed an area of approximately 1,299,600 square km.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>It covered a considerably broader region than the ancient <strong>Egyptian or Mesopotamian <\/strong>cultures did.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3>Sites of Indus Valley Civilization<\/h3>\r\n<p>The Indus Valley Civilization, situated in the river basins of the Indus and Ghaggar-Hakra, featured several key cities such as <strong>Mohenjo-Daro<\/strong>, <strong>Harappa<\/strong>, <strong>Kalibangan<\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/lothal-ancient-port-of-indus-valley-civilisation\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Lothal<\/strong><\/a>, <strong>Rakhigarhi, Chanhudaro<\/strong>, <strong>Banawali<\/strong>, <strong>Dholavira<\/strong>, etc.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>It extended from <strong>Sutkagendor <\/strong>(in Balochistan, Pakistan) in the West to <strong>Alamgirpur <\/strong>(UP) in the East; and from <strong>Mandu <\/strong>(Jammu) in the North to <strong>Daimabad <\/strong>(Maharashtra) in the South.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<figure class=\"table\">\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" colspan=\"3\"><strong>Major Indus Valley Sites<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Major sites<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td><strong>Location (Present)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td><strong>Major Findings<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><strong>Harappa<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><strong>(2600-1900 BCE)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>Punjab province of Pakistan (Ravi River)<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>- The site was discovered by <strong>Daya Ram Sahni <\/strong>in 1920<\/p>\r\n<p>- The city was divided into <strong>two parts<\/strong>, i.e., the <strong>citadel <\/strong>and the <strong>lower town.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>- <strong>Great Granary<\/strong> located in the citadel<\/p>\r\n<p>- Elaborate drainage facilities made of baked bricks.<\/p>\r\n<p>- Evidence of wheel-made and baked <strong>pottery<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n<p>- Evidence of <strong>coffin burial.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><strong>Mohenjo-Daro<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><strong>(2500-1700 BCE)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>Sindh Province, Pakistan (Indus River)<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>- Included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.<\/p>\r\n<p>- Mohenjo-Daro was divided into two parts: the Citadel and the Lower Town.<\/p>\r\n<p>- <strong>Great Bath<\/strong> ( ritual bathing site) and Great Granary.<\/p>\r\n<p>- <strong>Stone Art:<\/strong> Sculpture of Bearded Man<\/p>\r\n<p>- Bronze \u201cDancing Girl\u201d Statue<\/p>\r\n<p>- <strong>Terracotta: <\/strong>Representations of bulls and buffalo and female figurines.<\/p>\r\n<p>- <strong>Complete burial<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>- <strong>Seals:<\/strong> Depict animals, human figures, and even deities. Example: <strong>Pashupati seal.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Rakhigarhi<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>Hisar district, Haryana (Sarasvati River)<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>- <strong>DNA<\/strong><strong> analysis<\/strong> of Skeletal revealed that the Harappan civilization inhabitants had a distinct origin.<\/p>\r\n<p>- Land townships were enclosed with mud and burnt brick homes.<\/p>\r\n<p>- Efficient drainage system and proper sanitation.<\/p>\r\n<p>- The granary consisted of mud bricks and the floor was made of rammed earth plastered with mud.<\/p>\r\n<p>- A seal with an <strong>alligator <\/strong>symbol was discovered.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><strong>Dholavira<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><strong>(3500-1800 BCE)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>Great Rann of Kutch, Gujarat<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>- Included in the list of<strong> World Heritage Sites<\/strong> list of UNESCO in 2021.<\/p>\r\n<p>- \u00a0Cities consisted of a citadel, a middle town, and a lower town.<\/p>\r\n<p>- Cascading series of water reservoirs,<\/p>\r\n<p>- Extensive use of stone in construction.<\/p>\r\n<p>- Special burial structures.<\/p>\r\n<p>- Black on red ware pottery, Redware, and Buff ware pottery.<\/p>\r\n<p>- It is renowned for its sophisticated <strong>water harvesting system<\/strong> and, therefore, known as alake city or a <i><strong>jala durga<\/strong><\/i><strong> (water fort).<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><strong>Lothal (Mound of the dead)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><strong>(2400-1600 BCE)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>Gulf of Khambhat region, Gujarat<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>- A metropolis with an upper and a lower town.<\/p>\r\n<p>- A <strong>bead factor<\/strong>y and <strong>tidal dockyard <\/strong>were discovered.<\/p>\r\n<p>- It is the only port town of the Indus Valley Civilization.<\/p>\r\n<p>- People worshipped the fire god.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>-<\/strong> Use ofcoffins inburial pits.<\/p>\r\n<p>- Redware and Blackware pottery.<\/p>\r\n<p>- Lothal has revealed the earliest evidence of rice cultivation in South Asia.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><strong>Kalibangan\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><strong>(3500 BC-2500 BC)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>Rajasthan, (Ghaggar River)<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>- It is made up of three mounds.<\/p>\r\n<p>- Known for its remarkable \u00a0fire altars and the world's earliest attested ploughed field.<\/p>\r\n<p>- The earliest form of <strong>artificial irrigation<\/strong> was practised.<\/p>\r\n<p>- Different types of burials show social inequalities.<\/p>\r\n<p>- <strong>Mesopotamian pottery<\/strong> was discovered at the site, showing the trade relations.<\/p>\r\n<p>- Burnt bricks were used only for drains at <strong>Kalibangan<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<h2>Features of IVC<\/h2>\r\n<p>The <strong>mature Harappan Phase<\/strong> includes a diverse range of urban and non-urban rural sites that vary in size and function but are inherently identifiable as <strong>Harappan settlements<\/strong> due to features such as town planning, pottery, script, seals, evidence of external trade, and so on. Some of these features have been discussed here.<\/p>\r\n<h3>Town Planning<\/h3>\r\n<p>One of the most outstanding features of the Indus cities was their well-planned <strong>town planning<\/strong>. The excavations at <strong>Harappa <\/strong>and <strong>Mohenjo-Daro <\/strong>have revealed a great deal of evidence of this.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Two parts:<\/strong> Generally, the cities of Harappan culture had two parts - the <strong>citadel <\/strong>and the <strong>outer city.<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The citadel was erected on an elevated site. The outlying city was on a lower level.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Grid patterns:<\/strong> The IVC cities were constructed in a grid arrangement, with streets flowing north-south and east-west, resulting in a well-organised structure.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The roadways were large and straight, cutting each other at <strong>right angles.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Drainage System:<\/strong> They had an excellent drainage system. The drains were built of <strong>mortar<\/strong>,<strong> lime, and gypsum<\/strong>. Each residence featured a sturdy washbasin from which water poured into the <strong>subsurface drains.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Houses:<\/strong> Houses were of different types, small and large.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Burnt bricks<\/strong> were extensively used to make houses and other structures.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Houses were also provided with wells and bathrooms.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Other important structures:<\/strong> The Great Bath and Pillared Hall at <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/mohenjo-daro\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Mohenjo-Daro<\/strong><\/a>, the dockyard at Lothal, and the granary at Harappa.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3>Social Life<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Political authority: <\/strong>There may be some sort of <strong>political authority<\/strong>\/State did exist in the Harappan civilization.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The <strong>communications systems<\/strong>, standardisation of artifacts, site specialisation, use of a common system of writing, and the establishment of trading outposts like <strong>Shortughai<\/strong> are evidence of some kind of <strong>political authority.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Social classes:<\/strong> The different types of houses indicate different social classes.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Merchants <\/strong>appear to have formed the upper class as trading was the primary activity.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The <strong>artisans <\/strong>and <strong>farmers <\/strong>might be the common people.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Dress: <\/strong>The discovery of many <strong>spindles <\/strong>suggests the use of cotton and woollen fabrics.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Ornaments<\/strong>: A large number of ornaments like necklaces, armlets, finger-rings, bangles, etc., have been found from these sites.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>These were made of <strong>gold<\/strong>, <strong>silver<\/strong>, <strong>ivory<\/strong>, and precious stones.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Recreation and amusements: <\/strong>The people of Harappa appear to have enjoyed dance and music.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>They were also familiar with indoor activities such as <strong>dice<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>A great quantity of <strong>terracotta toys <\/strong>were discovered in Mohenjo-Daro.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3>Economic Conditions<\/h3>\r\n<p>The Harappan civilization occupied a varied landscape encompassing alluvial<strong> plains<\/strong>, mountains, <strong>plateaus<\/strong>, and<strong> sea coasts.<\/strong> The area was rich enough to generate a surplus which was crucial for urbanisation.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Agriculture:<\/strong> Agriculture was the primary employment of the Indus Valley people. They cultivated wheat, barley, peas, and, in some places, rice.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>They produced enough for both themselves and trade.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>They did not <strong>irrigate <\/strong>their land with canals.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The annual flood provided sufficient moisture to cultivate crops.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Fields were ploughed using a wooden <strong>ploughshare<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Domestication of animals:<\/strong> Based on the Indus seals, it can be said that many animals including goats, buffaloes, oxen, elephants, dogs, and camels were domesticated.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>However, the Harappans do not appear to have been familiar with the <strong>horse<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Metallurgy: <\/strong>Harappans were aware of <strong>copper<\/strong>, <strong>gold<\/strong>, and <strong>silver metallurgy.<\/strong> Copper was widely used, and it occurs in the form of weapons, agricultural tools, ornaments, etc.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Metalcasting<\/strong> appears to be a continuous tradition. The late Harappan and Chalcolithic sites like <strong>Daimabad <\/strong>in Maharashtra yielded excellent examples of metal-cast sculptures.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Trade: <\/strong>The urban culture and highly specialised manufacturing activity indicate that Harappan cities enjoyed a <strong>thriving trade.<\/strong> There was flourishing <strong>internal trade <\/strong>between the cities.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The river Indus served as the <strong>high waterway<\/strong> through which most of this trade was carried out.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>They also traded with <strong>Mesopotamian <\/strong>cities. Many Harappan seals have been found in Mesopotamian cities.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>They exported grain, jewellery, and pottery and imported thin copper and precious stones.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3>Religious Practices<\/h3>\r\n<p>One of the first understandings of the Harappan religion was forwarded by <strong>John Marshall. <\/strong>He found several parallels between the Harappan religion and modern Hinduism. One of the seals was identified by him as a <strong>\u2018Proto-Shiva' seal.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>This seal has a male figure seated on a dais. His heels are joined, and his toes point downward. This position is very similar to <strong>mulabandhasana <\/strong>in yoga.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Figurines resembling a female deity have been found. They suggest worship of the <strong>Mother Goddess<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>No temples<\/strong> have been discovered at any of the Harappan sites.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Harappans might have also venerated pipal trees. One seal depicts seven figures paying obeisance to the tree.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3>Art<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Art:<\/strong> Most human figurines were handmade and made from bronze, terracotta, steatite, and <strong>faience material.<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The female figures were embellished with ornate jewellery and headdresses. <strong>Example:<\/strong> Dancing girl Statue and priest-king (male figurine).<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Faience:<\/strong> It is an artificial material made from quartz. Several faience items, including beads, bangles, earrings, and figurines, have been discovered in Harappan archaeological sites.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Crafts:<\/strong> The Harappan people were good craftsmen. They used more copper than bronze.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Brick-making and masonry were other important occupations.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Spinning <\/strong>and <strong>weaving <\/strong>too were a common craft.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Pottery made on a <strong>potter's wheel <\/strong>was decorated with different designs and painted <strong>red and black.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Script: <\/strong>The <strong>Indus seals<\/strong> are a unique source available to us to learn about the Harappan culture.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>They are <strong>small rectangular terracotta tablets<\/strong> with drawings of vegetation and animals. There is also visual text on them.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Since this pictorial script has yet to be deciphered, our understanding of the Harappans is largely limited to those images.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The Indus Script is boustrophedon (as an ox turns in ploughing). It is a term used for scripts that are written in both directions - left to right and right to left continuously.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2>Causes of Decline of Indus Valley Civilization<\/h2>\r\n<p>The Harappan Culture lasted for about a thousand years and <strong>collapsed by about 1300 BC. <\/strong>This coincides with the advent of the <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/what-is-aryan-invasion-theory\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Aryans <\/strong><\/a>in India. The exact reason for the <strong>decline of this civilization<\/strong> is not known.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Changes in Climatic conditions:<\/strong> The generally accepted view among historians is that a gradual change in climatic conditions rendered the region <strong>inhospitable <\/strong>and caused its decline.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Natural Calamities:<\/strong> Some believe that natural calamities like <strong>floods <\/strong>or <strong>earthquakes <\/strong>might have caused its destruction.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Decline in Trade:<\/strong> Extensive<strong> hydrological studies<\/strong> have established that the river <strong>Indus <\/strong>and <strong>Sarasvati <\/strong>changed their courses several times, maybe around 1900 BC.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>This calamity must have brought out large-scale changes or disruptions in the <strong>internal trade routes<\/strong> connecting the hinterland with the <strong>coast<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2>Indus Valley Civilization UPSC PYQs<\/h2>\r\n<p><strong>Question 1: <\/strong>The ancient civilisation in the Indian sub-continent differed from those of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Greece in that its culture and traditions have been preserved without a breakdown to the present day. Comment. <strong>(UPSC Mains 2015)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Question 2: <\/strong>To what extent has the urban planning and culture of the Indus Valley Civilization provided inputs to present-day urbanisation? Discuss. <strong>(UPSC Mains 2014)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Question 3: <\/strong>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? (<strong>UPSC Prelims 2021<\/strong>)<\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li>Dholavira<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Kalibangan<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Rakhigarhi<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Ropar<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p><strong>Answer (a)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Question 4:<\/strong> Which one of the following is not a Harappan site?<strong> (UPSC Prelims 2019)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li>Chanhudaro<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Kot Diji<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Sohgaura<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Desalpur<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p><strong>Answer: (c)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Question 5:<\/strong> Which of the following characterise\/characterises the people of the Indus Civilization? <strong>(UPSC Prelims 2013)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li>They possessed great palaces and temples.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>They worshipped both male and female deities.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>They employed horse-drawn chariots in warfare.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p>Select the correct statements using the codes given below:<\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li>1 and 2 only<\/li>\r\n\t<li>2 only<\/li>\r\n\t<li>1, 2 and 3<\/li>\r\n\t<li>None of the above<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p><strong>Answer: (b)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse;width: 100%;height: 125px\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center;height: 25px\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Other Related Posts<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/prehistoric-period\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Prehistoric Period<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/indus-valley-civilization-sites-location-and-significance\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Indus Valley Civilization Sites<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/chalcolithic-age\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Chalcolithic Age<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/rakhigarhi\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Rakhigarhi<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/megalithic-culture\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Megalithic Culture<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/lothal-ancient-port-of-indus-valley-civilisation\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Lothal<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/town-planning-of-harappan-civilization\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Town Planning of Harappan Civilization<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/kalibangan\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Kalibangan<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Indus Valley Civilization dates 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE and flourished in the river basins of the Indus and Ghaggar-Hakra.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":2984,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[42,40],"class_list":{"0":"post-2983","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-notes","8":"tag-indus-valley-civilization","9":"tag-quest"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2983","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2983"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2983\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18514,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2983\/revisions\/18514"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2983"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2983"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2983"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}