| History Class-3 IVC Part-1 PDF |
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The link of PDF of this History Class-3 IVC Part-1 is given below the explanation of the class, you can download the PDF by going below.
History Class-3 IVC Part-1
In this History Class-3 IVC Part-1, we will discuss about the Harappan Civilization, Origin of Harappans, etc.
Topics to be covered in this Article :-
- The Harappan Civilization
- Origin Of Harappans
- The Extent of Empire and Urbanization
The Harappan Civilization
The Harappan civilization, also known as the Indus Valley civilization, was one of the world’s earliest urban civilizations. Flourishing in the vast floodplains of the Indus River and its tributaries, the civilization emerged around 3300 BCE and thrived for nearly 2,000 years, until around 1300 BCE. Named after the modern-day city of Harappa in Pakistan, where its remains were first discovered, the Harappan civilization encompassed a large area extending from modern-day northeast Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwest India.
Origin of Harappans
•1). Born out of the womb of Indian Subcontinent in 1922, the sites of Harappa and Mohenjodaro were discovered by the scholars like Dayaram Sahni and Rakhal Das Banerjee respectively. However, John Marshall and Mortimer Wheeler also played a crucial role in the discovery and excavation of the Harappan cites.
•2). Since, Harappa was the first site excavated by the scholars, It has been named as the “Harappa Civilization”. In other words, Harappa was a type-site.
•3). John Marshall had used the name “Indus Valley Civilization” due to the location of the Harappan sites mainly on river bank Indus. But after India’s Independence, various other sites of Harappa were excavated outside the river Indus mainly in the Ghaggar-Hakra river valley. Therefore, Current Government of India named it the Sindhu-Saraswati Civilization.
•4). According to the Diffusionist theory, the Harappans were the migrants who came from the pockets of West Asia and settle down in the Indian Subcontinent. According to them, on the basis of Racial Study, the Harappans were divided into 4 races:-
(i) Mediterranean race
(ii) Mangoloids race
(iii) Proto – Australoids race
(iv) Alpines race
and majority of the Harappan belongs to the Mediterranean Race. However, the Diffusionist theory has been rejected by the Modern Historians regarding the origin of Harappa, it was long drawn process through which the Harappan Civilization emerged between 2600 BCE and 1900 BCE.
•5). The Neolithic-Chalcolithic Cultures emerged in the Indian Subcontinent from C. 5000 BCE onwards in the form of the sites like Mehargarh, Saraikhola, Rahman-dheri etc. formed the basis for the emergence of pre-harappans and early-harappans in the Indian Subcontinent.
•6). The pre-harappan and early-harappan cultures shared various cultural practices with continuity and change. Therefore, in the mature-harrapan phase many cultural practices of the early-harappans continued with some modifications.
•7). Hence, under the above background. the Harappan Civilization emerged due to the strong-will and hard labour of the Harappans from 2600 BCE onwards.
•8). The equation i.e. R1 + R2 + R3 = Harappan Civilization well establishes the process of the emergence of Harappan civilization where R1 stands for the perfect balance between the Harappan Cities and the villages in the surrounding whereas R2 stands for a balance between the city to city interaction within the Harappan territories and R3 stands for a perfect relationship between the cities of Harappa with the other cities of contemporary civilizations as Mesopotamia (Irag), Sumeria (Gulf Nations), and Egyptian and Mycenean (Greek) civilizations.
♦♦ It is important to note here, as long as the Harappans were able to maintain a perfect balance between R1 , R2 and R3, they prospered in the Indian Subcontinent, but when they compromised it, the decline of the Harappans was set-in.
The Extent of Empire and Urbanization
According to some scholars, the Harappans may have been an Empire because of the following reasons:-
•1). It was an extensive civilization extended from Sutkagendor in the west on the Makran Coast to Alamgirpur near Meerut of UP as the eastern point of the Harappans. Similarly, Manda in Kashmir and Daimabad in Maharashtra are the Northern and Southern-most point of the Harappans.
•2). Shortughai on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan acted as the overland post of Harappa for trade and commerce. Hence, Harappans were extended to a vast area of 2.18 million square kilometers which is much bigger than the Egyptian Civilization and even today’s Pakistan.
•3). The level of Uniformity found in the bricks, seals, ceilings, weights and measures across the Harappan cities indicate a centralized control may have been exercised by some authority either it could be Priest or the king.
•4). However, Some Historians are are of the opinion that Harappans may have been controlled by some Mercantile class because of their engagement in the trade and commercial activities. For e.g.:- the Lothal Dockyard.
•5). The most important contribution of Harappa to the modern civilization happens to be their urban characteristics such as:-
→ (A.) Their town planning used to consist of the main features like:-
- (i) Fortification
- (ii) laying down the town planning into forms:- (a) Citadel and; (b) lower towns.
However, there are 2 exceptions:-
- (a) Chanhudaro lacks Citadel.
- (b) Dholavira has middle town in between.
- (iii) Well-planned states designed on the Grid-pattern where normally the roads or states used to interact with each other at 90o.
- (iv) The emphasis on cleanliness and hygiene by the Harappans were par excellence on the parameters of even the modern days.
- (v) The construction of houses and buildings was designed upon the “English-bond” style under which the bricks were placed or
laid down in a typical arrangement i.e. vertical along with horizontal bricks.
→ (B.) The urban pattern of Harappa was supported by their trade and commerce and the agricultural practices performed by the nearby villages. Even some harappan cities used to perform the practice of agriculture. For eg.:- Kalibangan in Rajasthan has shown the evidence of the ploughed field. Similarly, Lothal has shown the evidence of the Bazaar Street of the Harappa. Lothal and Mohenjodaro have been as the “Mound of the Dead” because of discovering the skeletons of the Harappans from these sites.
→ (C.) Because of their long-distance trade, the Harappan towns were able to prosper during 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE. For e.g.:- The inscription of the King Sargaon of Akkad dated 2350 BCE mentions the ships of Dilmun, Magan, and Meluhha used to dock on the parts of Ur, Kish, Nippur, Susa of the Mesopotamian Civilization.
Practice Question
Ques. The ancient civilization in Indian Sub-continent differed from those of Egypt, Mesopotamia and Greece that its culture and traditions have been preserved without a breakdown to the present day. Comment. (200 words) (2015)
Class Quiz
Q1. The Great Bath, found in the excavations of the Harappan city of Mohenjodaro, was likely used for:-
a) Religious rituals
b) Daily bathing
c) Agricultural irrigation
d) Cooking purposes
Q2. Match list-I with list-II and select the correct answer from the code given below:-
list-I (Harappan Site) list-II (Location)
A. Manda 1. Rajasthan
B. Daimabad 2. Haryana
C. Kalibangan 3. Jammu and Kashmir
D. Rakhigarhi 4. Maharashtra
Codes:-
a) A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4
b) A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1
c) A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2
d) A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3
Q3. Ploughed field was discovered at which site?
a) Mohenjodaro
b) Kalibangan
c) Harappa
d) Lothal
Q4. What evidence suggests that Harappan society was well-organized?
a) Standardized weights and measures
b) Hierarchical social structure.
c) Strict caste system
d) Heavy taxation
Q5. Which of the following was NOT a feature of Harappan cities?
a) Well-planned streets
b) Advanced drainage system
c) Fortified walls
d) Pyramids
Q6. What was the primary material used for the construction of houses in Harappan cities?
a) Wood
b) Stone
c) Mud bricks
d) Concrete
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