The Harappan Civilization came to light during the third decade of the 20th century, when excavations were made by archaeologists in the North-Western region of India. These excavations led to the discovery of the ruins of the prehistoric cities of Harappa in West Punjab and Mohenjodaro in Sindh.As the sites of the early excavations were found on the banks of the River Indus and its tributaries, it first came to be known as the Indus Valley Civilization.

Let’s understand the origins and extent of civilization and the Indus Valley Civilization belong to which age in detail.

The Origin of the Indus Valley Civilization

• In 1921, the archaeologists under the wing of R.B. Daya Ram Sahni unearthed the ruins of the city of Harappa, situated on the bank of the river Ravi in West Punjab, now in Pakistan
• And as Harappa was the first site to be excavated, the civilization came to be known as the Harappan Civilization
• In 1922-23, the excavations under Rakhaldas Banerjee led to the discovery of the ruins of the city of Mohenjo-daro, located in the Larkana district of Sindh, now in Pakistan
• The ruins of Mohenjo-daro were designated a World Heritage site in 1980 by UNESCO

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The Extent of the Indus Valley Civilization

• Sutkagen Dor, in southwestern Balochistan province, Pakistan, near the Arabian Sea, about 300 miles west of Karachi; and Ropar (or Rupar), in eastern Punjab state, northwestern India, at the foot of the Shimla Hills, about 1,000 miles northeast of Sutkagen Dor
• Later exploration confirmed its existence as far south as the Gulf of Khambhat (Cambay), 500 miles southeast of Karachi, and as far east as the Yamuna (Jumna) River basin, 30 miles north of Delhi
• Despite the fact that Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations both began about the same time, it is the most comprehensive of the world’s three first civilizations

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Sources to reconstruct the Indus Valley Civilization

1. The ruins of Mohenjo-daro and Harappa display a wonderful knowledge of urban planning, drainage, the Great Bath, the Assembly Hall, and several other structures. The Great Bath, which had galleries and apartments as well as a quadrangle in the centre, is one of them.
2. Harappa and Mohenjo-daro each had its own citadel which was occupied by the members of the Ruling Class. The citadel is the evidence that the Indus valley civilization was an urban civilization.
3. There were more than 2000 seals that were discovered during the civilization from various sites. The importance of Seals addresses the religious beliefs and physical features of the people.
4. People of Harappa and Mohenjo-daro were great craftsmen as the origin of the civilization has seen figures such as the bronze figure of a dancing girl, terracotta figure of Mother Goddess and the stone statue of a Bearded Man.
5. The discovery of a dockyard, surrounded by a massive brick wall at Lothal in Gujarat suggests that the people practised navigation on the coast of Arabian Sea.
6. The Harappans invented writing like the people of ancient Mesopotamia but the Harappan script has not been deciphered so far.
7. Objects of Sumerian origin found at the Indus cities revealed that there were trade relations between India and Mesopotamia.

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Chronology of the Indus Valley Civilization

• Well, there is no written record about the Indus Valley Civilization, many scholars suggested that it belonged to the period of between 3250 and 2750 BC
• It was nearly the period which witnessed the growth of ancient civilizations in Egypt and Babylonia
• Now, the Radiocarbon dates indicate the origin of civilization between 2500-1700 BC and the World History Encyclopaedia marks its origin from 7000 BC to 600 BC.
• Lets see the chronology based on this – 
  • Pre-Harappan – c. 7000 – c. 5500 BCE: The Neolithic period is best characterised by sites like Mehrgarh, which reveal evidence of agricultural development, domestication of plants and animals, and creation of tools and ceramics
  • Early Harappan – c. 5500-2800 BCE: Egypt, Mesopotamia, and possibly China have established trade relations. Communities living in small villages developed ports, docks, and warehouses near waterways
  • Mature Harappan – c. 2800 – c. 1900 BCE: Large-scale urbanisation and construction of major cities. Around 2600 BCE, Harappa and Mohenjo-daro are both flourishing. Other cities, such as Ganeriwala, Lothal, and Dholavira, are created using the same ideas, and the land development continues with the creation of hundreds more cities in every direction
  • Late Harappan – c. 1900 – c. 1500 BCE: A wave of Aryan migration from the north, most likely the Iranian Plateau, coincided with the decline of civilization. Climate change has been linked to flooding, drought, and famine, according to physical evidence. The loss of economic ties with Egypt and Mesopotamia has also been considered as a factor
  • Post Harappan – c. 1500 – c. 600 BCE: The cities have been abandoned, and the population has relocated to the south. By the time Cyrus II invaded India in 530 BCE, the civilisation had already fallen

Conclusion

Well, there is no written record about the Indus Valley Civilization, many scholars suggested that it belonged to the period of between 3250 and 2750 BC, and  the Radiocarbon dates indicate the origin of civilization between 2500-1700 BC There were many features common to the Harappan and Mesopotamian civilizations as both of them were urban in character but there were differences such as the people of Harappa enjoyed a higher degree of civic amenities than that of the Mesopotamian. Also there is no clear evidence for the reason for its decline, it is speculated that the reasons were earthquake, floods, change in the course of River Indus but M Wheeler believed that the destruction to civilization was brought by the Aryan Invasion.

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