Indus Valley Civilization - State its characteristics.

Excavations done about 70 years ago at Mohenjodaro and Harappa (which is now in Pakistan) have found evidence of the existence of a great civilization. Since these places are in the Indus Valley, hence it has been named Indus Ghati Civilization. More recently, such evidence has been found which shows that this civilization was spread in the south up to Maharashtra. Some consider it to extend up to the Krishna River. Its period is said to be 2500-1500 BC. The following are the characteristics of this civilization.

(a) City Life - Towns were settled in a planned manner. Roads, 33 feet wide, cut each other at right angles, bricks and gypsum were used to build houses. There was a good drainage system. There was good arrangement of water supply. People used to wear clothes made of cotton and wool.

(b) Art - Discovered things show that these people had acquired great proficiency in the field of art. Some stone sculptures have been discovered which resemble fine specimens of Greek art.

(c) Religion - People used to worship deities. Peepal tree worship was a common practice. They also worshiped the Vedic deity Shiva. They used to burn the dead.

(d) Sumerian and Mesopotamian - Similarities to civilizations - There were cultural contacts between the people of Indus Valley Civilization and Sumerian and Mesopotamian civilizations. In all these civilizations, baked bricks, chalk for making copper and bronze utensils, etc. were used.

(e) Difference from Vedic Civilization - Indus Valley Civilization was urban whereas Vedic Civilization was rural. The people of Indus Valley did not use horse, but in Vedic civilization people used horse. The people of Indus Valley had no knowledge of Kavach whereas its use for the people of Vedic Civilization was a simple matter. The people of Indus Valley did not know the use of iron whereas the people of Vedic civilization knew the use of iron.