IVC: Social Features, Practices and Decline

The Greater Indus region was home to the largest of Egypt’s, Mesopotamia’s, South Asia’s, and China’s ancient urban civilisations. It wasn’t discovered until the 1920s. The majority of its ruins, including its major cities, are still being excavated. The ancient script of the Indus Civilisation has yet to be deciphered.

The Harappan civilisation is a significant milestone in the Indian subcontinent’s prehistory. In many aspects, civilisation serves as a wonderful model for the modern world. Their knowledge of urban design, water management and harvesting systems, and drainage systems is unrivalled. There are many social features of Indus Valley Civilisation, their practices and reasons for their decline that we will study in this article. 

Social Features:

The Harappan society consisted of a synthesis of diverse ethnographic races. Proto-Australoids, Alpinoids, Mongoloids, Meditts existed. Mediterranean tribes constituted a large percentage among them.

The Harappan society was composed of individuals with a variety of occupations. Clergy, soldiers, peasants, brokers, and craftsmen were among them (masons, weavers, goldsmith, potters, etc.)

The structural remains at Harappa and Lothal demonstrate that various kinds of structures were utilised as residences by various classes. Additionally, it is believed that the Citadel region was populated by influential people, while the lower villages were populated by commoners.

The fewer firearms and weapons hoarded by Individuals indicates that the civilians were mostly peaceful in nature.

The Harappans were fond of self-adornment. Hairdressing by men and women is evidenced by figurines discovered at various locations. A bangle factory and a bead-making facility were found in Kalibangan & Chanhudaro, respectively.

People wore cotton and woollen garments. At Mohenjo-Daro, a fragment of woven textile was discovered. Numerous sites have been uncovered with spindles and needles attesting to the practice of spinning and weaving. Their hobbies included dicing, dancing (a bronze figure of a dancing female), and chess.

The rich socioeconomic classes may have included rulers, landowners, and tradesmen. Class and rank distinctions based on employment, income, and position were required. On the other hand, the presence of a caste structure in Harappan culture is not supported by the existing data.

Religious Beliefs and practices:

The Harappan religion is often referred to as animism. Animism refers to the adoration of plants, rocks, and other natural objects. The religious beliefs and practices of the citizens were strong. Numerous clay sculptures unearthed at Harappan sites have been related to the goddess of fertility. Harappans’ religious beliefs and practices were inclined towards devoting themselves to a variety of natural items. An aspect of Harappan religion was animism and creature worship.

Pashupati, as seen on the renowned seal, is regarded as their masculine God. At Mohenjo-Daro, a steatite Pashupati seal was unearthed. They had religious beliefs and practices as seen on the seal, a masculine figure reclining in a yoga pose and flanked by four animals (elephant, tiger, rhino, and buffalo, each facing a different direction). Two deer materialise at his feet.

Numerous female sculptures have been discovered in diverse locations. Thus, one of the fundamental characteristics of the Harappan religion has been the adoration of feminine deities connected with creation or production.

There has been no discovery of a free-standing religious edifice such as a temple. However, the Great Bath at Mohenjo-Daro seems to have religious importance due to its association with holy dips or spiritual bathing. They almost certainly believed in ghosts and malevolent forces and used amulets to ward them off.

At several locations, such as Kalibangan and Lothal, evidence of fire worship has also been discovered. At Kalibangan, archaeologists discovered a succession of elevated brick slabs with pits holding ash and mammal remains.

Burial Practices

The Harappans believed in the burial of the deceased and hence used an assortment of clay jars. They also buried valuables like bracelets, jewels, and copper reflectors in certain burials. This might imply that the Harappans thought of an afterlife.

Three joint or the double graves with men and women’s remains were uncovered at Lothal. Kalibangan has shown evidence of symbolic burial, that is, one that includes pots but no bones or skeletons. 

At Mohenjodaro, both complete burial and post-cremation burial were prevalent. The burial pit at Lothal was lined with charred bricks, indicating that coffins were used. At Harappa, wooden coffins were also discovered. Pot burials have been discovered at Lothal, occasionally with pairs of skeletons.

The Harappan period’s burials were all in rectangular or oval holes lined with brick or stone. The body was traditionally interred in a wooden casket or fully shrouded in a north-south direction in a straight line. It was critical that the body not make touch with the ground.

Political System

There is no consensus about the Harappan folk’s government order. However, well-organised cities and the cleansing of sewage systems indicate the presence of some kind of centralised authority.

The consistency of cultural artefacts and measuring units also points to the existence of a centralised government throughout the Harappan period, but another option that cannot be neglected is the existence of multiple kingdoms with differing political organisational patterns.

The decline of the Indus valley civilisation:

Harappa prospered until 1900 BC. After this period, the post-urban era or (Late Harappan phase). The pace of decline of civilisation varied according to location. Mohenjo-Daro and Dholavira exhibit a gradual decline, whereas Kalibangan and Banawali exhibit a sudden end to city life.

Numerous hypotheses have been advanced to explain its downturn:

• The decline of the Indus valley civilisation was a result of invasions.

•  Flood-related demolition of locations: Mohenjo-Daro was devastated 7 times by floodwaters.

• Indications from Kalibangan of continental crust and disasters.

• Streams such as the Saraswati altered their path, resulting in water scarcity across the area is also a cause of the decline of the Indus valley civilisation.

• Malaria (Evidence from Mohenjo-Daro) is also considered one of the causes of the decline of the Indus valley civilisation.

• Environmental changes as a result of degradation, desertification, and other factors (most accepted) also caused a decline of the Indus valley civilisation.

• The drying up of the Saraswati river, which started approximately during 1900 BCE, was the chief reason behind the decline of the Indus valley civilisation.

• Numerous relics of the Indus Civilisation have been discovered in subsequent civilisations, indicating the Decline of the Indus valley civilisation abruptly owing to an attack.

• Additionally, the cultural attitude of the people in core capital zones against change had become a motivation to avoid moving to better areas despite natural disasters that resulted in the collapse of capitals and eventual loss of centralised power.

Historical data does not offer a clear picture of the Harappan civilisation’s demise on social and political levels. Nevertheless, it demonstrates that Harappan society gradually de-urbanised. The maturity of the Harappan period was succeeded by a post-urban era known as the final Harappan era.

Conclusion

The Harappan culture, also known as the Indus River Valley Civilisation, developed the first precise system of weights and measures, some of which were accurate to 1.6 mm. The Harappans employed materials including terracotta, metal, and stone to create art, seals, pottery, and jewellery. The people of the Indus Valley were responsible for the world’s first communities, town planning, stone and clay construction, as well as exhibiting a concern for health and sanitation. They built a systematic drainage system in their cities.

There is much evidence that this civilisation affected some of Hinduism’s early ideas. Overall, contemporary civilisation is the result of the fusion of numerous cultures, with the Indus Valley’s contribution being crucial.

Trading, farming, and brick-making skills were carried down long beyond the Indus civilisation. The Indus people influenced India’s and Pakistan’s later cultures.