Topic- A COMPARITIVE STUDY ON HARPPAN AND MESOPOTAMIAN

CIVILISATION

SESSIONS - 2021-2022

NAME : Rishi Raj Raghuvanshi

CLASS – 9 B

PERSONAL NUMBER – 18104

INDEX

Souces

Origin & Extent

Art and Craft

Society

Religion

Trade

Decline
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my History Teacher “Mr.Amit Joshua
Nath Saxena” for encouraging me to the highest peak. I offer my sincere appreciation for the
learning opportunities provided by him.

I feel to acknowledge my indebtedness and deep sense of gratitude to my guide

“Mr.CarleyMcfarland” whose valuable guidance and kind supervision given to me throughout
the project which shaped the present work at its show.

They both have a huge amount of their precious time and effort for me. I feel very lucky to work
under their direction.
Introduction

A civilization is a complex society that is characterized by urban development, social

stratifications, a form of government, and symbolic systems of communications.

Harappan Civilization

Harappan Civilization , too known as the Indus Civilisation,[1] was a Bronze Age civilisation in
the northwestern districts of South Asia, enduring from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, and in
its develop frame from 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE.[2][a] In conjunction with antiquated Egypt and
Mesopotamia, it was one of three early civilisations of the Close East and South Asia, and of the
three, the foremost far reaching, its locales traversing an area stretching from today’s northeast
Afghanistan, through much of Pakistan, and into western and northwestern India.[3][b]
It thrived within the bowls of the Indus Waterway, which streams through the length of Pakistan,
and along a framework of perpetual, for the most part monsoon-fed, waterways that once
coursed within the region of the regular Ghaggar-Hakra stream in northwest India and eastern
Pakistan.
Mesopotamian Civilization

Mesopotamia may be a verifiable locale of Western Asia situated inside the Tigris–

Euphrates waterway framework, within the northern portion of the Prolific Bow.
It involves the range of present-day Iraq, and parts of Iran, Turkey, Syria and Kuwait.[2] The
Sumerians and Akkadians (counting Assyrians and Babylonians) ruled Mesopotamia from
the starting of composed history (c. 3100 BC) to the drop of Babylon in 539 BC, when it
was prevailed by the Achaemenid Domain. It fell to Alexander the Extraordinary in 332 BC, and
after his passing, it got to be portion of the Greek Seleucid Realm. Afterward the
Arameans overwhelmed major parts of Mesopotamia (c. 900 BC – 270 AD)[3][4] Around 150
BC, Mesopotamia was beneath the control of the Parthian Realm. Mesopotamia got to be a
battleground between the Romans and Parthians, with western parts of Mesopotamia
coming beneath vaporous Roman.
 Content :-

Sources

Harappan civilization

Great Bath-

The discovery of the Great Bath at Mohenjo-Daro demonstrated that the people had achieved a
high level of excellence in the art of construction. The Great Bath is thought to have been
utilized for bathing during religious events. It's also possible that in a culture where the ruling
class collected taxes to build public structures, a hierarchical structure existed.

Citadel

A few of the most seasoned known structures which have served as citadels were built by the
Indus Valley Civilisation, where citadels spoken to a centralised specialist. Citadels in Indus
Valley were nearly 12 meters tall.[2] The reason of these structures, in any case, remains talked
about. In spite of the fact that the structures found within the ruins of Mohenjo-daro were walled,
it is distant from clear that these structures were cautious against adversary assaults. Or maybe,
they may have been built to occupy surge waters. Several settlements in Anatolia, counting the
Assyrian city of Kaneš in modern-day Kültepe, included citadels. Kaneš' citadel contained the
city's royal residence, sanctuaries, and official buildings.[3] The citadel of the Greek city of
Mycenae was built on a highly-defensible rectangular slope and was afterward encompassed by
walls in arrange to extend its protective capabilities.
Mesopotamian Civilization

Mesopotamian civilizations were established on the banks of the rivers Tigris and Euphrates,
which are today called as Iraq and Kuwait. The most important Mesopotamian civilizations
include the Sumerian, the Assyrian, the Babylonian, and the Akkadian civilizations. Research
and evidence show that technology, literature, the legal codes, philosophy, religion, and
architecture were extensively used in these societies. Also, they believed in writing down many
things. So, these writings, scriptures, architecture, legal codes, literature, and other followings
could be used as evidence or source to reconstruct the Mesopotamian civilization.

Origin & extent

Harappan Civilization

To detertmine the origins of Harappan Civilizations, archaeologists had to rely on a variety of

miscellaneous materials and evidences . The origin and extent of Harappa civilization can be
determined by comparing ruins found in different parts of the Indus Valley and Mesopotamia.
Some archaeologists believe the Indus Valley Civilization began around `3250B.C. and ended
around 2750B.C. However, fresh discoveries have forced archaeologists and historians to revise
the Indus Valley civilization timeframe . According to them , India and Mesopotamia did not
come into contact with each other until the time between 2400 B.C. and 1800B.C. Furthermore,
texts discovered in Akkad(in ancient Mespotamia’s north-east)indicate that they had training
contacts with the Indus people . Between the third and seconds millennia B.C., the Indus towns
reached their pinnacle of civilization. India had a successful commercial relationship with other
countries at the time.

Mesopotamian Civilization

The Mesopotamia civilization developed between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates. That is where
it got its name since Mesopotamia means “between rivers”. It was located in an arid zone , but
thanks to the irrigation canals which they built there was an important economic development in
the area. Mesopotamia(from the Greek, meaning ‘between two rivers’) was an ancient region
located in the eastern Mediterranean bounded in the northeast by the Zagros Mountains and in
the southeast by the Arabian Plateau,corresponding to today’s Iraq , mostly , but also parts of
modern-day Iran , Syria and Turkey . In Sumerian religion, the most powerful and important
deities in the pantheon were the “seven gods who decree”:An , Enlil, Enki, Ninhursag, Nanna,
Utu and Inanna.

Extent: Scientists believe that Mashkan-shapir’s collapse was caused in part by destruction of the
fields by mineral salts . When mineral salts concentrate in the upper levels of thesoil, it becomes
poisonous for plants . In Mesopotamia , irrigation was essential for crop production . The rise of
the first cities in southern Mesopotamia dates to Uruk period, from c.4000BC onward;its
regional independence ended with the Achaemenid conquest in 539 BC, although a few native
neo-Assyrian kingdoms existed at different times.

ART AND CRAFT

Harappan Civilization

A piece of woven cotton has been recovered from Mohenjo-Daro, and textile impressions have
been found on several objects .Spindle whorls and needles have also been discovered. Weavers
wove cloth of wool and cotton . Boat-making was practiced , seal-making and terracotta manu-
fracture were also important crafts. The goldsmiths made jewelry of silver , gold , copper, bronze
and precious stones . The Harappans were expert not on the whole extravagant in their art. The
inner walls of their houses were coated with mud plaster without paintings . The Harappans
made brilliantly naturalistic models of animals, specially charming being the tiny monkeys heads
, model monkeys which would slide down a string, little toy –carts, and whistles shaped like
birds , all of terracotta . They also made rough terracotta statues of women, usually naked or
partially naked, but with elaborate headdresses; these are probably icons of the Mother Goddess.

Mesopotamian Civilization

The art of Mesopotamia has survived in the aerchaeological record from early hunter-gatherer
societies (8th millenn
SOCIETY

Harappan Civilizations

The Indus Valley Civilization was one of the three “Ancient East” social orders that are
considered to be the supports of civilization of the ancient world of man, and are among the
foremost far reaching; the other two “Ancient East” social orders are Mesopotamia and Pharonic
Egypt. The life expectancy of the Indus Valley Civilization is frequently isolated into three
stages: Early Harappan Stage (3300-2600 BCE), Develop Harappan Stage (2600-1900 BCE) and
Late Harappan Stage (1900-1300 BCE). At its top, the Indus Valley Civilization may had a
populace of over five million individuals. It is considered a Bronze Age society, and tenants of
the old Indus Stream Valley created modern procedures in metallurgy—the science of working
with copper, bronze, lead, and tin. They moreover performed complicated craftsmanship,
particularly utilizing items made of the semi-precious gemstone Carnelian, as well as seal
carving— the cutting of designs into the foot confront of a seal utilized for stamping.

Mesopotamian Civilization

Society in Mesopotamia was entirely progressively organized. Manufactured water system was
the as it were way to create sufficient nourishment but it required way better organization than in
Egypt where the yearly Nile flooding was controlled by little and financially free communities.
Warm in Mesopotamia was severer than in Egypt, whereas the Tigris had much more profound
stream than the Nile making development of the channels much more troublesome and
complicated. Exceptionally troublesome was moreover to anticipate the surges since they
depended from snow softening in Anatolia and may happen at the time of aging crops in Walk or
April which implies that the floodwater had to be held up. Other than unfavorable flooding time
the floodwater returned to the stream stream fair some time recently the summer warm in June.
For that reason the areas had to be falsely inundated all the time. In any case, since of
interminable water system the ranchers in Mesopotamia gathered twice a year, whereas the
Egyptians gathered as it were once.

RELIGION

Harappan Civilization

Most noticeable strict figures are Unicron, supposed Pashupati/Proto-shiva, seven moms(sapta
matrika) and compound animals . The later three are presently instilled in Hindu Religion. The
mother goddess was prevailing shows that the general public was transcendently matriarchal.
There was a division of work and society was enhanced and defined. Individuals were
researchers, craftsmans , brokers , fighters and financial specialists . The protoshiva or pashupati
is by all accounts the only one male divinity as portrayed on seals. He is encircled by four wild
creatures viz, an elephant, a tiger, a wild ox and a rhinoceros. Aside from this there 2 deer’s
underneath the seat of the divinity. The hood of the divinity has two horns. It wears various
bangles. There is an engraving of seven latters on top.

Mesopotamian Civilization

Mesopotamian religion refers to the religious beliefs and practices of the civilizations of

ancient Mesopotamia, particularly Sumer, Akkad, Assyria and Babylonia between circa 3500 BC
and 400 AD, after which they largely gave way to Syriac Christianity. The religious development
of Mesopotamia and Mesopotamian culture in general, especially in the south, was not
particularly influenced by the movements of the various peoples into and throughout the area.
Rather, Mesopotamian religion was a consistent and coherent tradition which adapted to the
internal needs of its adherents over millennia of development.[1]

The earliest undercurrents of Mesopotamian religious thought date to the mid 4th millennium
BC, and involved the worship of forces of nature as providers of sustenance. In the 3rd
millennium BC objects of worship were personified and became an expansive cast of divinities
with particular functions. The last stages of Mesopotamian polytheism, which developed in the
2nd and 1st millenniums BCE, introduced greater emphasis on personal religion and structured
the gods into a monarchical hierarchy with the national god being the head of the pantheon.
[1]
 Mesopotamian religion finally declined with the spread of Iranian religions during
the Achaemenid Empire and with the Christianization of Mesopotamia

TRADE

Harappan Civilization

The Indus people essentially were greatly reliant on trade in major way. They traded with
actually many different civilizations like Persia, Mesopotamia and China, fairly contrary to
popular belief. They were also known to trade in the Arabian Gulf region, Particularly central
parts of Asia, portions of Afghanistan and northern and western India. Some goods that were
traded were terracotta pots, beads, gold, silver, colored gems like turquoise and lapis lazuli,
flints, seashells and pearls.

Mesopotamian Civilizations

The populace of antiquated Mespotamian cities changed enormously. In c.2300 BCE Uruk
had a populace of 50,000 whereas Mari, to the north, had 10,000 and Akkad 36,000. The
populaces of these cities were separated into social classes which, like social orders in each
civilization all through history, were various leveled. These classes were: The Ruler and
Respectability, The Clerics and Priestesses, The Upper Lesson, the Lower Course, and The
Slaves. The priests and priestesses presided over the sacred aspects of daily life and officiated at
religious services. They were literate and considered adept at interpreting signs and omens. They
also served as healers. The first doctors and dentists of Mesopotamia were priestesses

who attended to people in the outer court of the temple. Among the most famous priestess was
Enheduanna (2285-2250 BCE), daughter of Sargon Of Akkad, who served as High Priestess at
Ur and is also the world’s first author known by name. The priests and priestesses presided over
the sacred aspects of daily life and omens. They also served as healers. The first doctors and
dentist of Mesopotamia were priestesses who attended to people in the outer court of the temple.
Among the most famous priestess was Enhedunna (2285-2250 BCE), daughter of Sargon of
Akkad, who served as High Priestess at Ur and is also the world’s first author known by name.
The priests and priestesses presided over the sacred aspects of daily life and omens. They also
served as healers. The first doctors and dentists of Mesopotamia were priestesses was
Enheduanna (2285-2250 BCE), daughter of Sargon of Akkad, who served as High Priestess at Ur
and is also the world’s first author known by name.

DECLINE

HARAPPAN CIVILISATION

The prehistorian George F.Dales, who uncovered at Mohenjo-Daro in 1964, and hydrologist
Robert L.Raikes propose a hypothesis around the decay of the Indus civilization which includes
expansive flooding and a back-up of the Indus for maybe a century in old times. Whereas not
much prove for this hypothesis has since risen, it does raise questions and a point to the colossal
significance of water, stream conduct and water capacity amid Indus times, a marvels that we see
of extraordinary purports in most old Indus sites. Flood harm at Mohenjo-Daro is prove by
drooping brick stone work (center), which apparently reflects disintegration of the city’s unfired
brick establishments amid their delayed drenching in lake water. The Harappans essentially
leveled brick work and built on best of it.

MESOPOTAMIAN CIVILISATION

Mesopotamia was known as the land between the two rivers, the tigris to the north and
Euphrates to the south, which for all intents and purposes is quite significant. Mesopotamia
existed 3000 years before it ended. Historians literally attribute actually many reason for the fail
of Mesopotamians , or so they particularly thought. The two definitely main causes of the decline
of this civilization are War and Faculty irrigation system. The different city states were fighting
for the control of each other land and would for all intents and purposes wage all out conflicts
among each fairly other to gain territory in a subtle way. They mostly generally fought for farm
lands and would for all intents and purposes wage all out conflicts among each generally other to
gain territory. Another important observation basically is that irrigation techniques specially are
also one of the chief reason for decline of empire, which is fairly significant. The river mostly
were definitely higher than the surrounding plains because of built up silt in the river beds, so
the water for irrigation specificially flowed into the fields by gravity in a subtle way. Once water
literally was into the fields it could not drain away easily because the fields mostly were pretty
much lower levels of soil in a particularly major way. By 2300 B.C. agricultural economy of the
Mesopotamians began to shatter as the soil could no longer support plantation. The same
technique which made the farming kind of possible at some point of time, particularly prevent it
during later period of time, which for the most part is fairly significant.
CONCLUSION

The civilization of Mesopotamia and Harappans was diverse from each other within the frame
of government, economy and social framework. Sumerians (individuals of Mesopotamai) created
Monarchial framework of government whereas the Harappans created popular government.
Harappan civilization apparently had higher living guidelines since their towns were well
arranged, clean conjointly built of prepared bricks in resistance to Mesopotamia where the
houses were generally built of mud brick.

BIBLIOGRAPH

Following are the sites which helped me in making of this wonderful project: