Page 24 - SST Class 06

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The First Cities

DISCOVERY OF THE INDUS VALLEY The Extent
CIVILIZATIONS Look at the map. You can see that shaded part is
The Indus Valley Civilization was an ancient where this culture flourished. It covered Sindh,
civilization located in Pakistan and northwest Baluchistan, Punjab, Haryana,Gujarat, Rajasthan
India today, on the fertile flood plain of the Indus and parts of western Uttar Pradesh. The total
River and its vicinity. Evidence of religious area covered was about 1,299,600 sq. km. Many
practices in this area date back approximately to sites have been excavated, but the most impor-
5500 BCE. Farming settlements began around tant are Harappa and Mohenjodaro, now in
4000 BCE and around 3000 BCE there, Pakistan, Kalibangan in Rajasthan, Ropar in
appeared the first signs of urbanisation. By 2600 Punjab, Lothal in Gujarat, Banawali in Haryana,
BCE, dozens of towns and cities had been Alamgirpur in Uttar Pradesh and the two newest
sites—Rakhigarhi in Haryana and Dholavira in
established and between 2500 and 2000 BCE
the Indus Valley Civilization was at its peak. Kachchh in Gujarat. Several rural sites have also
been discovered.
INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION 2800 BCE — 1900 BCE THE EMERGENCE OF TOWNS
REFERENCES
Jonathan Mark Kenoyer is another archaeologist
Extent of Harappan
Civilization
Indus Sites of Indus Valley working for the last 12 years in Harappa. He
Jhelum Chenab Civilization suggests that the city started as a farming village
Rahman Khera Present International
boundaries
Ravi Satluj
Gumla Beas around 3300 BCE. Situated near the river Ravi,
Dabar Kot Harappa Kota
Syal Sanghol
Nal Sandhanawala one of several tributaries of the ancient Indus
Mahi Kali Bangan Rupar
Nokjo Mohenjo Daro Kotasur 11 Sites in Mitathal Alamghirpur River system of Pakistan and north-western
Bahewalpur
Lohumjo Daro Kot Diji (Hissar)
P A K I S T A N 25 Sites in
Lohari Bikaner
Sutkagen Dor Dhal Chambal Many sites in India, Harappa lay on a fertile flood plain. Good
Amri Uttar Pradesh
Thana Bula Khan Ganga
Chanhu Daro Yamuna land and a reliable food supply allowed the
Karchat
Sarkotada Betwa Son
Desalar village to flourish. Most of the people were
Rangpur I N D I A
Lothal Narmada
Rajdi Mengam farmers. But, what probably converted the
Prabhas Patan Bhagatrav Tapi
village into a city is that it also lay on the cross-
Mahanadi
roads of several trade routes.
Originally it was called the Indus Valley civiliza-
He believes that traders who came from
tion because the first cities that were discovered
Baluchistan and northern Afghanistan brought in
were found on the banks of the river Indus.
copper, tin and lapis lazuli. Clam and conch
Later, more and more cities were discovered
shells were brought from the south-western sea
away from the river. Since many of the cities had
coast, timber from the Himalayas, semi-precious
the same pattern as Harappa, it becames the
stones from Gujarat and silver and gold from
type site. So the civilization came to be known as
Central Asia. With so many goods coming in,
the Harappan civilization.
many Harappans became traders and artisans.
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