Salient Features of Indus Valley Civilization

The main features of Indus Valley civilization (IVC) are the economic life, art and crafts, religious practices, burial methods, town planning, social life, municipal administration, etc. We could see great progress in all areas of economic activity like agriculture, animal rearing, industry, trade and crafts. Both internal and external trade was flourishing. Regarding art and crafts, Terracotta figurines of animals, birds, men and women and carvings on the seals exhibit the level of proficiency that is attained by the sculptors of Indus Valley civilization.

Town planning of Indus Valley Civilization

• Town planning of Indus Valley Civilization is one of the best features of this civilization. The most important characteristic of Harappan civilisation was its urban life.
  
  
• Uniformity in the urban planning is maintained in every city. Every city is divided into two parts, an upper city and a lower city.
  
  
• Upper city is fortified by a very big wall inside which citadel is present. Upper city is meant for aristocrats and the lower city is meant for commoners. Lower city is not fortified.
  
  In couple of cities, we can find some exceptions. Chanhudaro is the only city where there is no citadel. Dholavira, which is a World Heritage Site in India, is split into three parts, namely upper, lower and middle cities.
  
  
• All the cities were built on a grid pattern and every city was provided with underground drainage with manholes. Every city is divided into equal parts like a chess board.
  
  Though Banawali in Haryana was not built strictly on chessboard pattern but it has some invariably straight roads, showing many marks of careful city planning.
  
  
• By observing the sanitation works and urban planning of Indus valley civilization, it can be assumed that there was a strong municipal administration at work.

Society of Indus Valley Civilization

• Indus Valley society was class divided and not caste divided. The upper and lower cities indicate the class division.
  
  
• According to a hypothesis by John Marshall, Indus Valley society is matriarchal as there are more female deity figurines found when compared to male deity figurines.
  
  
• Indus Valley people worshiped the Bull indicating that agriculture remained the main activity.
  
  
• Regarding political system of Indus valley civilization, there have been different opinions from different archaeologists and historians. D.D. Kosambi believes that priests were the rulers of Indus Valley civilization. However, R.S. Sharma argues that merchants were the rulers.

Religion of Indus Valley Civilization

• If we look at the religion of Indus valley civilization, various religious pantheons were worshiped by Indus valley people. In addition to religious pantheons, Indus valley civilization gods included Pashupati Mahadeva and Mother Goddess, which was found everywhere.
  
  
• The male deity, Pashupati Mahadeva, was found on a seal at Mohenjodaro. He had three heads surrounded by three animals. He is considered as proto-Shiva, that is Shiva in transition.
  
  
• At Mohenjo-daro, phallic (Linga) worship can be found. Both stone Lingas and stone Yonies were used to be worshiped in Indus valley religion.
  
  
• Tree, Bull, Snake, etc. were used to be worshiped in the religion of Harappan civilization.
  
  
• There used to be animal sacrifices in the religious life of Indus valley civilization.
  
  
• Amulets were worn to prevent ghost and evil spirits in the religious beliefs of Harappan civilization.

Economy of Indus Valley Civilization

• Economy of Indus valley civilization was purely agrarian in nature. The people of Indus valley were growing two crops a year, Kharif crops (Autumn crops) like cotton, mustard, sesame, etc. and Rabi crops (Winter crops) like wheat, barley, etc.
  
  Rice was known to Indus Valley people but it was not extensively cultivated. Two sites where rice was grown, were found, one at Lothal (Gujarat), where a grain of rice was found and the other at Rangpur (Gujarat), where rice husk was found.
  
  
• Domestication of animals was a secondary activity in Harappan economy. Cattle, Camel, Pigs, Sheep, etc. were reared. Horse was known to Indus Valley people but was not domesticated extensively. At Lothal (Gujarat), where a terracotta figurine of horse was found and at Surkotada (Gujarat), skeletal remains of horse was found.
  
  Plough was known to Indus Valley people but it was rarely used. But hoe was extensively used in the economic life of Harappan civilization. Two sites were found showing evidence of usage of plough, one at Banawali (Haryana), where a terracotta toy plough was found and the other at Kalibangan (Rajasthan), where ploughing fields (furrows) were excavated.
  
  
• Regarding industries, profession based handicraft industries were found like Shell and beads industry (beads of gemstones, gold, etc.), brick industry, Copper and Bronze industry, shipbuilding industry (at Lothal), textile industry, etc.
  
  
• Both internal and foreign trade was at vogue during Indus Valley Civilization. Trade was carried out through the barter system in the economic life of Indus valley civilization.
  
  For internal trade, bullock carts were extensively used for transportation. Through the port of Lothal, external trade was carried out by ships to the Sumerian civilization.
  
  
• In the economy of Harappan civilization, people were using 16 as a unit like 16 Chataks were equal to 1 Ser, 16 Machhakas were equal to 1 Pana, etc.

1. Which one of the following cities of Indus Valley Civilization was divided into 3 parts?
   
   
   1. Harappa
   
   
   2. Chanhudaro
   
   
   3. Dholavira
   
   
   4. Banawali
   
   Answer
   
   Ans: C
   
   
   
2. In which major city of Indus Valley Civilization, there was no citadel?
   
   
   1. Chanhudaro
   
   
   2. Banawali
   
   
   3. Mohenjodaro
   
   
   4. Dholavira
   
   Answer
   
   Ans: A