Page 29 - SST Class 06
P. 29
g They worshipped a father God who might lends credence to the possibility that Indus
be a progenitor of the race and probably people might have practiced some rudimen-
was a prototype of Shiva as the Lord of the tary or even elaborate forms of sacrificial
Animals. ceremonies to propitiate their gods. Since
g They were familiar with some forms of yoga they had the knowledge of brick making
and meditation. and geometric designs, they might have
used it to build sacrificial altars. However, so
g They believed in some kinds of trees which
far no sacrificial altars or pits were found in
are depicted in the seals as a Pipal or an
the excavations at the Indus Valley sites.
Acacia tree, defended by a guardian spirit
against an evil force symbolised as a tiger. In Decline
seals, the guardian spirit is depicted vari- Definite reason that led to the decline of the
ously as a bull, a snake, a goat, a mythical Indus Valley Civilization is not known, as no
creature or an animal. reliable resource of that period is available at
g They worshipped fertility symbols such as present. Every conclusion regarding the decline is
round stones and pierced stones, a practice based upon speculations of historians. Though
that probably preceded the worship of Shiva the reason of the decline is not known, but
and Parvathi in the form Shivalinga. through excavations it is clear that fall of the
Harappan Civilization occurred between 1800
g They might have also believed in magical
BC to 1700 BC.
rituals, charms and amulets and so also in
spirits and demons. It is commonly believed that the Aryans were the
next settlers. They were skilled fighters, so their
g They mostly cremated the dead along with
attack might have led to the destruction of the
some objects as offerings for use in their
Harappan Civilization. Even the epics of the
after lives.
Aryans mentioned about their victory over the
g The Great Bath of Mohenjo-Daro or the
great cities. The human remains found during
much larger one found recently at the
excavation of Indus valley point towards some
Dholavira site in Kutch, was probably a
violent cause of their death. Now, many histori-
prototype Kovil or sacred tank which are
ans, who do not believe this theory, say that the
found in the ancient temples of southern
Aryans might not be involved in any such attack.
India, where people might have taken
Owing to this conflict, the theory of a huge
purification baths or participated collectively
climatic change or natural disaster gained credi-
in some kinds of ritual baths on important
bility. It has been found out that around 2000
occasions.
BC, some major climatic changes started occur-
g Going by the number of animals in the
ring in the Indus Valley. These changes had led
Indus seals and the presence of baths
to floods in the plains and cities. Historians have
suggest that they might have used water and
found evidence to prove this theory as well. Most
animals in sacrificial rituals as offerings or
of the cities in the Harappan Civilization have
for expiation and ritual cleansing.
been found in a condition as if these had been
g If we accept that the Vedic people had some first abandoned and then rebuilt.
historic affinity with the Indus Valley
Cities, for instance, were initially built with great
Civilization which some believe to be true, it
care, but reconstruction of the same was done
Social Science-6 29
