The Information about a civilisation in Indian Subcontinent was avaliable by 1870 . But there was no attempt of exploration . In 1920 ASI ( Archaelogical Survey of India ) under the chairmanship of John Marshall decided to go for excavation . The task of excavation was given to two India Archaelogists = Dayaram Sahni and RD Banerjee. As such in 1921 Dayaram Sahni excavated Harappa and Rd Banerjee excavated Mohenjodaro.
IMPORTANT SITES OF INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION :-
- Harappa = Textile Industry
- Mohenjodaro= Advanced Town Planning + Great Bath +Textile Industry
- Chanhudaru = Bead Industry
- Rakhigarhi = Largest Site of IVC
- Kalibangan = Bangle Industry + Wooden agriculture plough was found in this
- Sutkagendor= Shipping Industry
- Lothal = Dockyard of IVC and also situated on the bank of river Bhagowa
- Dholavira = It is considered as most advanced site of IVC . As it is the only town which had layered of planning. As per historians the middle layer of the town is believed to be a garrasion town , the interesting features of Dholavira is presence of Radial Channels for irrigation . Recently Dholavira is given UNESCO Heritage Status.
- Rangpur = In Rangpur and Lothal Rice was Cultivated but not in the other part IVC.
- Surkatoda = One Animal Jaw was found which was earlier beleived to be the horse but in the light scientific evidence its proved the jaw don’t belongs to Horse and thus IVC people were unawrre of horse
POLITY DURING INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION :-
From the town Planning of IVC , it seems that there was a centralised system of administration in Indus Valley Civilisation . The administrative Builidings called as Citadel. Majority of historians concluded that Indus Valley Civilisation was ruled by Rich Merchants and Traders and they rejected the system of Monarchy.
Society During IVC :-
From the town planning of IVC it can be infered thatSociety was unequal in nature but It can also be said that It was not discrimination. in nature . Further It can be maintained that there was concept of Co existence in Indus Valley and also mobilisation in society . Many of the historians quoted that Indus Valley Society was Patriarchial in nature and they cited examples of the head Priest who was a Male . Majority of the historians maintained that society was materialistic , they cited the example of the Abundant Image found from Indus Town that is Mother Goddess
ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES DURING INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION :-
Agriculture was the most Important economic activity at this time . Following Agriculture Commodities were Cultivated = Wheat , Barley, Millets , Pea, Sesame, Rye, Melons , Cotton.
In the later age cotton was called as sindom as it was the native plantof Sindhu Ghati . Cotton was at the base of textile Industry which flourished at Harrappa , Alamgirpur and Mohenjodaro.
Indus valley people established trade with Afghanisthan , Mesopotamia , Sumer , Dilmur , Oman , Mogan and Egypt .
The Agriculture commodities and textile were exported from Indus Valley and they Imported precious Metals like Gold , Tin , Silver , Copper and semi precious stones like Amethyst , carnelian and lapis lazuli
RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES AND AFTER DEATH PRACTISES DURING IVC :-
Indus Valley people worshipped both male and female dieties for example :- Pashupati Shiva and Mother Goddess . They also worshipped Nature and there was no Institutional Structure like Temple at this point of time.
There were many methods of after death practises of IVC which includes full burials , fractional burials and also pot or Urn burials . Moreover the bodies were buried along with daily life objects like Ornaments , pottery , food items etc . On the basis of which it can be said that Indus Valley people believe in other worlderly life and also they must though that the dead person must be using the buried commodities in his pther life .
DECLINE OF INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION :-
Initially some of the Historians quoted Aryan Invasion as the main reason of the decline . They quoted battle of Haryupiya mentioned in Rigveda as battle of Harappa n\but later it was rejected due to lack of evidence . Majority of the Historian now important reason of its decline . Moreover there is a greater consensus on flooding and inundation as the most important reason.
