History · X-Factor Notes
Indus Valley Civilization revision notes for UPPCS Prelims.
High-Yield Revision| Concept | What to remember | Asked in UPPCS |
|---|---|---|
| Other name for Indus Valley Civilization | Harappa Civilization. | |
| Discovery announcement | John Marshall, Director-General of the ASI, announced the discovery in 1921. | |
| Carbon-14 (C14) dating of Harappan period | 2300 BC to 1700 BC (highly accepted timeline); peak growth from 2300 BC to 1900 BC. | |
| Harappa location | Left bank of Ravi River in Montgomery district (now Sahiwal), Punjab province, Pakistan. | U.P. U.D.A./L.D.A. (Mains) 2010 |
| Mohenjodaro location | Right bank of the Indus River in Larkana District, Sindh Province, Pakistan. | |
| "Twin capitals of an Extensive Kingdom" | Harappa and Mohenjodaro (termed by Stuart Piggott). | |
| Sites located in Sindh | Mohenjodaro and Chanhudaro. | U.P.P.S.C. (GIC) 2010 |
| Largest site of Indus Valley civilization in India | Rakhigarhi (Hisar district, Haryana). Dholavira is the second largest. | UPPCS (Spl) (Mains) 2004 |
| Harappan port | Lothal. Lothal had trade with West Asia. | |
| Geographical spread of IVC | From Jhelum river to Hindon river (Yamuna tributary at Alamgirpur). Included rivers Sindhu, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej, Jhelum, but not Ganga. | UPPCS (Pre) 2009 |
| Concept | What to remember | Asked in UPPCS |
|---|---|---|
| Mohenjodaro artifacts | Mother goddess idol, dancing girl statue, seated male soapstone (Priest-King), Pashupati (Shiva) seal, teeth of horse, evidence of cotton cloth. | |
| Chanhudaro | Discovered by N.G. Majumdar (1931). May have been an industrial hub (shell, bangle, bead making). Found remnants of Jhukkar and Jhangar culture. | |
| Lothal findings | Identified dockyard (brick basin) on the eastern side. Evidence of Rice husk, fire altars, terracotta figurine of a horse, a terracotta model of a ship, a Persian seal. Situated on the |
| Concept | What to remember | Asked in UPPCS |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of Civilization | Bronze age Civilization. People were not familiar with iron. | |
| Drainage System | Advanced and covered with slabs. | |
| Religion | Considered a secular civilization with no trace of theocratic or organized religion. No temple or place of worship found. Worship focused on Mother Goddess, Shiva/Pashupati, animals (snakes, elephants), plants/trees, and Linga/Yoni symbols. |
| Concept | What to remember | Asked in UPPCS |
|---|---|---|
| Alternative Name | The Indus Valley Civilization is also known as the Harappa Civilization. | |
| Historical Period | It is categorized as a Proto-historic civilization, meaning the art of writing was known, but the script is still undeciphered. | UPPCS (Pre) 1996 |
| Chronological Span |
| Concept | What to remember | Asked in UPPCS |
|---|---|---|
| Harappa | Located on the left bank of the Ravi river in Sahiwal district, Punjab, Pakistan. Dayaram Sahni surveyed the site in January 1921. | U.P. U.D.A./L.D.A. (Mains) 2010 |
| Mohenjodaro | Located on the right bank of the Indus River in Larkana district, Sindh, Pakistan. It literally means “Mound of the dead”. The Great Bath and a seated male soapstone statue (Priest-King) were key findings. | |
| Concept | What to remember | Asked in UPPCS |
|---|---|---|
| Town Planning | Known for its excellent town planning. The roads were straight and intersected each other at right angles. Main roads had a width generally of 10 meters. | |
| Architecture/Bricks | Burnt bricks were used in construction. Generally, the dimensional ratio of burned bricks was 4:2:1. Most houses were single-storey, but evidence of stairs suggests some two-storey buildings. | |
| Drainage System |
| Concept | What to remember | Asked in UPPCS |
|---|---|---|
| Disappearance Theory | According to a study group report, the fall of the civilization was caused by continuous low or negligible rainfall for 900 years (continuous drought). | |
| Archaeologists (Associated) | John Marshall announced the discovery. Rakhal Das Banerjee discovered Mohenjodaro. Dayaram Sahni surveyed Harappa. |
| U.P. U.D.A./L.D.A. (Mains) 2010 |
| Kalibangan findings | Located in Hanumangarh district, Rajasthan. Ploughed field surface found. Located on the Ghaggar River. | U.P. U.D.A./L.D.A. (Mains) 2010 |
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| Dholavira | Located in Rann of Kachchh (Gujarat). Notable for rock-cut reservoir (7m deep, 79m long). Town divided into three parts: Citadel, Middle town, and Lower town. Famous for advanced water management system. | UPPCS (Pre) 2006, UPPCS (Mains) 2010, U.P.R.O./A.R.O. (Mains) 2013 |
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| Banawali finding | Terracotta replica of a plough. | U.P. U.D.A./L.D.A. (Mains) 2010 |
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| Surkotada findings | Evidence of horse bones and pot burials. Located in Kachchh district of Gujarat. |
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| Daimabad findings | Famous for recovery of many bronze goods, influenced by Harappan culture. Located on Pravara River in Maharashtra. |
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| Ropar location | Left bank of the Satluj River (current name Rupnagar). | U.P. U.D.A./L.D.A. (Mains) 2010 |
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| Worshipped Pashupati | Identified by Marshall from a seal found during excavation, depicting a three-faced male God sitting in a yogic posture, surrounded by a Rhino, Buffalo, Elephant, and Tiger. |
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| Cotton Cultivation | Cotton was first cultivated in India (3000 BC) for clothing; reached Greece where it was called “Sindon”. |
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| Chronological appearance of elements in India | Urban culture (IVC) appeared earliest, followed by Iron plough (Later Vedic/Mahajanapada), Punch-marked silver coins, and then Gold coins. | UPPCS (Pre) 2004 |
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| Contemporaries | The Indus civilization was contemporary with the Mesopotamia and Egyptian civilizations. |
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| Nature of Civilization | It was the earliest known urban civilization of the Indian subcontinent. It is identified as a Bronze Age Civilization, and the people were unfamiliar with iron. | U.P.P.S.C. (GIC) 2010 |
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| Source of Knowledge | The main source of knowledge is seals (over 3000 found), alongside general archaeological excavations. | UPPCS (Pre) 1993 |
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| Comparison to Vedic | The Indus culture differed from the Vedic Civilization as it featured amenities of developed city life, had a pictographic script, and lacked knowledge of iron. | UPPCS (Spl) (Mains) 2004 |
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| First Cultivated Crop | Cotton was first cultivated for clothing in India (starting around 3000 BC), from where it reached Greece, where it was called “Sindon”. |
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| Chanhudaro |
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| Situated in Sindh. It was an industrial hub for shell making, bangle making, and bead making. It is notable for curved bricks. |
| Lothal (Port City) | Situated on the Bhogava River in Gujarat. Excavator S.R. Rao identified the brick-basin on the eastern side as a dockyard. It was important for trade with West Asia. | UPPCS (Pre) 1999, UPPCS (Mains) 2009, U.P.R.O./A.R.O. (Mains) 2016 |
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| Kalibangan | Located in Hanumangarh district, Rajasthan. Evidence of a ploughed field surface has been found here. Located on the Ghaggar river. | UPPCS (Mains) 2005, U.P. U.D.A./L.D.A. (Mains) 2010 |
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| Dholavira | Located in the Rann of Kachchh, Gujarat. It is notable because the town was divided into three parts: Citadel, middle town, and lower town. | U.P.R.O./A.R.O. (Mains) 2013, UPPCS (Mains) 2010 |
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| Dholavira Inscription | An inscription comprising ten large-sized signs of the Harappan script was found here. |
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| Rakhigarhi | Situated in Hisar district, Haryana. It is the largest site of Indus Valley civilization in India. | UPPCS (Spl) (Mains) 2004 |
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| Ropar (Rupnagar) | Located on the left bank of the Sutlej River in Punjab. | U.P. U.D.A./L.D.A. (Mains) 2010 |
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| IVC Sites in Uttar Pradesh | Alamgirpur (Meerut) and Hulas (Saharanpur). | UPPCS (Pre) 2018 |
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| The drainage system was advanced and covered with slabs. |
| Religious Structure | It is considered a secular civilization with no trace of theocratic or organized religion. No temple or place of worship has been found. |
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| Deities Worshipped | People believed in the Mother Goddess (female deities) and a three-faced male God identified by Marshall as an early form of Shiva or Pashupati (surrounded by animals like rhino, buffalo, elephant, and tiger). Worship of plants, trees, and Lingam/Yoni symbols was famous. |
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| Animal Depiction | Figures of elephant, rhinoceros, tiger, deer, and sheep are depicted on seals, but the cow was not depicted on seals or terracotta art. |
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| Economic Activities | Known for town planning, agricultural work, and industrialization. Trade and commerce (internal and external) were in an advanced stage. |
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