Chapter - 2

The Harappan Culture

The year 1922 A.D. revealed an illustrious chapter in the
history of our country. That yeara wonderful city was excaved by
the renowned archaeologist Dayaram Sahani. That city was the
fountain head of a glorious culture and with its discovery a
revolutionary change took place in the conception of the history of
our land. Till 1922 it was believed that the history of India started
from the coming of the Aryans in about 2000 B.C. But the discovery
of such a city proved that Indian culture flourished at a time when
the cultures of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia also flourished.Thus
our culture becam as old as 5000 years, and our history could be
traced back to rohiy 3000 B.C. That blessed city was Harappa
and the culture that florished there is known as the Harappan
Culture.

Site of the Harappan Culture:

The site of the Harappan Culture was the bank of the river
Ravi, a tributary of the river Indus, situated in the Montegomery
district of Western Punjab, now in Pakistan. This site was ideal for
the growth of a culture. The fertile soil of the river valley and the
availability of abundant water throughout the year allowed the
people to reap rich harvests. So they grew rich and prosperous. The
extensive forest in the valley provided wood to burn the bricks for
building the houses. Thus the fertility of the soil of the river valleys,
the constant supply of water and the availabilityof house-building
materials enabled the Harappans to build a culture of outstanding
glory.

History ofAncient India
14
several
the city was divided into
other at right angles. As such width of the streets varied from
square or rectangular blocks.
The
nine feet to thirty-four feet. Furthermore the lay out of the streets
kept clean by the winds. Lamp
and lanes was such that those were provided to keep the streets
posts at regular intervals were also
lighted.
BRAINAGESYSTEM :
people
Another remarkable of the city life of the Harappan
were provided on either sides
was the drainage system. The drains the individual houses
of the streets. And there were drains from
connecting to the main drains. Futher all the drains converged
all
into
those
a pit which was located at a far-off place from the city. And
were made of lime and mortar. This elaborate drainage system
admittedly proves that the people laid emphasis on sanitation and
cleanliness.
Further, the city was carefully protected by police patrol
and one important officer was held responsible for maintaining law
and order.
On the whole, the remains of the city prove that the art of
building reached its perfection and the Harappans led a high
standard of life. This type of life was unknow elsewhere in the world
then. Furthermore it is most delighting to note that while the
contemporary Egyptians and Mesopotaminas were building
imposing monuments for their kings and Gods, the Harappan
people built houses and streets, and drains to make the life of the
common man pleasant. They prized the comfort of the common
man_more than that of the kings and Gods. Standing on the ruins
of Harappa, an Englishman thus remarked, "I feel myself
surrounded by the ruins of some present-day working in
Lancashire".
THESOCIO-ECONOMIC LIFE OF THE PEOPLE :
Different materials and seals excavated fronm the ruins of
the city speak volumes of the socio-economic life of the Harappans.
15
The Harappan Culture
It was highly developed. Comforts and luxury constituted the hall
mark of their life. Wheat was the staple food of the Harappan
7people. They also made-use of barley and
Food J palmadate. Their favourite fruits were
pomegranates barley and bananas. Milk was also part of their dietry.
But by and large they were nonvegetarians. Pork, beef, mutton,
fowl, fish and egg were very much relished.
The people wore clothes generally made of cotton. The use
of woollen clothes was also known to them. They had also
knowledge in dyeing the fabrics to make their clothes attractive.
Both men and women wore one type of dress. Of
oress course the women used to cover the upper portion
of their heads by a fan-shaped dress. Men usually kept long hair
and beards. The women dressed their hairs with combs.
Both nen and women of all classes wore ornaments.
Ornaments like necklaces, finger-rings, armlets, bangles were used
by both men and women. Girdles, nose-studs, ear-rings and anklets
were used by women only. And all those were made of gold, silver
1 and copper. Those were also often embroidered
J with ivory, stone, bone and shells. Bestowing
Ormaments
L
lavish praise on the finesse of the ornaments, John Marshall wrote
that it
in 1932, "The golden ornaments were so fine and attractive
a home five thousand
appears as if all those are not recovered from
years before but brought from any jewellery shop located now in
the Bond Street of London".
Furthermore, people used, many kinds of household
comfort. The art of
articles to make their life one of luxury and
pottery reached its perfection. They painted and
were the
Household and
Luxury Articles
|glazed their pots. It seems that theyvessels. Besides
L
first in the world to use earthen
and porcelain. And
those they also used vessels of copper, bronze, saucers, vases and
all such vessels included bowls, dishes, cups,
 16 History ofAncient India
basins. The people used needles, razors, knives, ivory combs of
different shapes and oval mirrors of bronze with wooden handles,
different purpose of these, spears, axes, daggers, bows, arrows and
lamps made of copper, shell and clay. The women used combs and
hairpins. They reached perfection in the use of cosmetics. Collyrium,
AWeapons
tace-paints, perfumes, lipstick were a few of such cosmetics that
the women are also known to have used vanity bags. Thus in the
culture of beauty the women of Harappa were not at all inferior in
any way to present day women. The wealthy people were found
to have used chairs, bed steads all made of wood. Even various
kinds, of tryes whistles and ratlles were used by the children. The
toys were mostly clay models of animals and birds, men women
and the carts. There were also dolls which small girls used.
The Harappan people were the first in the world to
introduce a regular transport system. Wheeled-carts for the land
and boats for water used as means of transport. This is known from
the remains of a roofless two wheeled cart with its rider sitting on
the front. According to John Marshall it was the first
wheeled
transport of the world.
Amusements and pastifne playd a conspicuous role in the
life of the Harappans. They used to spend their leisure
hours in
various kinds of amusements such as hunting, fishing and
,Amusements 1witnessing cock-fight. Elderly persons played dice
Vand Pastime |and this shows that they were fond of
JThe excavation of the image of a gambling.
dancing girl made
of bronze speaks of their love for
dancing and music.
The people also made domestic use of
bull, the ox, the buffalo, and the camel were some animals. The
service in the cultivation of the fields and domesticated for their
the transportation of
7
Bomestication g0ods. Similarly goat, deer, and pig were
L
Aof Animals domensticated for food. But it appears that they
Jdid 'not know the use
of the horse and the
However, they were familiar with other animals dog.
the tiger, the bear and the like the monkey,
rhinocers as is known from their figures
depicted on the seals.
17
The Harappan Culture
The Harappan people used several kinds of weapons for
- strings were used as weapons of war and hunting.
|The sickle, the razor and the knife were used for
L Jother purposes. However the use of swords,
armour or shields and helmets was probably unknown to them.
That was possibly because they did not know the use of iron. As
such all their weapons were made of copper and bronze.
Agriculture was the chiefsource of the livelihood of the
Harappans. That was because of the ideal conditions such as a fertile
soil and the annual Aood which came as a boon to them. Barley,
cotton and wheat were their chief agricultural products. Experts
have opined that the Harappans were the first in
Agriculture the world to cultivate wheat. However they
produced more grain than they actually required.
The surplus grains were stored in the granaries. The maintenance
of such granaries indicates that agriculture was quite probably
under the direct control of the State government.
Industry like agriculture was well-developed. Spinning of
wool and cotton was very popular bath among the poor and the
rich. It appears that the Harappans were the first in the world to
1 weave cotton cloths. There were also potters,
Jndustry and |carpenters, blacksmiths, goldsmiths, and,ivory
Crafts
J and stone makers. They had attained proficiency
in their respective crafts. Of those weaving, pottery and jewellery
in particular reached perfection. They produced varieties of tools
and implements by smelting metals like copper and bronze. Besides
these, they used metals like tin, lead, gold and silver.
The society of the Harappans was not based upon an
constituted a part of
agrarian economy only. Trade and commerce
representation of a ship on a seal is a clear
their economic life. The
Indus and Ravi were
proof of their maritime activities. The rivers
merchants traded inside
navigable. And through these rivers the
 worship
nunber
a whichTrimukha Pashupati rhinocerosVidesses
the identified And fromenergy
worshipped agricultural practices.
dependance ofthe tombs wrernor role THE of cottonCommerceTradeand with and
coins.
precious
th e various 18
findings Gods
ant seals in
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as same. the As They
of ruins the of to
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India.
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of deer throne mnother found the knew foreign seals
from
Mesopotamia. I 7
from they
representations.female large agriculture and PRACTICES and Inside
animals), with were of of Gods Harappan
the in India,
number The
safely robes had creation.
sitting cross-legged goddess terra-cottastone at the sizes. thethem. traded
symbol their and Harappa countries
use
History
God found Rajputana India
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with MahayoginShiva,under in worship Goddesses
Presumably of Harappa with
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furthermore
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Scholars of female beliefin their give their seals
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Furthermore cult. on
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HARAPPAN
scripts and form aSCRIPT: Marshall
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| respect practice.
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straightTheir one was methods from the Harapan
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characteristies the were
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and the preserved
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furniturcs
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testimonyyogic toa they
prevalence
were Indus burning the crocodile, animals and took A
rectlinear. wamostly
s to The they deity
performed
in of purpose. speak of have Neem all
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the this In in ofand posture dove
Hinduism an ofthe the to those had with
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pictographic seals, people. One a as sunworship
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was John of the thern. lone animism,
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burying in
as doubt found in
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