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The Untold Mystery of Indus Valley Civilization | Dhruv Rathee

Dhruv Rathee・16 minutes read

The discovery of the Indus Valley Civilization, with cities like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, revealed an ancient society with advanced urbanization, script, and infrastructure, lacking religious structures or evidence of warfare. Its decline between 1900 BC and 1300 BC remains a mystery, with theories suggesting environmental changes or disease outbreaks led to the civilization's disappearance by 600 BC.

Insights

  • The discovery of the ancient city of Harappa by James Lewis in 1829 and its subsequent survey by John Marshall in the 1920s unveiled the over 5,000-year-old ruins, leading to the identification of the Indus Valley Civilization spanning Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Northwest India with over 1,400 sites.
  • The Indus Valley Civilization, possibly 8,000 years old, showcased advanced urban features like multistoried brick houses, standardized bricks, toilets, and drainage systems, with the undeciphered Indus Script hinting at trade relations and possible language usage between the Indus Valley and Mesopotamian civilizations, showcasing a unique writing system adaptation.

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Recent questions

  • What significant discoveries were made in the Indian subcontinent in the 19th century?

    In the 19th century, James Lewis, a British East India Company soldier, discovered the ancient city of Harappa in the Punjab region, unknowingly documenting the ruins. Later, John Marshall, the director of ASI in the 1920s, led the survey of Harappa's ruins, revealing they were over 5,000 years old. This discovery led to the identification of the Indus Valley Civilization, a Bronze Age civilization spanning present-day Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Northwest India, with over 1,400 sites discovered.

  • What advanced features were present in the Indus Valley Civilization?

    The Indus Valley Civilization, possibly 8,000 years old, showed urbanization by 5,500 BC, with advanced features like multistoried brick houses, standardized bricks, toilets, and drainage systems. The cities followed a consistent pattern with Lower Mount enclosed by boundary walls and an Upper Mount citadel on higher ground, typically located to the west. The absence of religious structures, palaces, or evidence of warfare indicated a society without monarchs, priests, or social hierarchy.

  • What is the significance of the undeciphered Indus Script?

    The Indus Script, with over 400 signs, remains undeciphered, written right to left and possibly logosyllabic. Its presence in Mesopotamia suggests trade relations and language usage between the two civilizations, with Mesopotamians possibly writing their language in the Indus Script. Historians continue to study the script for clues to decode the language, with the mystery of the repeated jar-shaped symbol in Mesopotamian texts hinting at language adaptation in different scripts.

  • What architectural marvels were found in Mohenjo-Daro?

    The city of Mohenjo-Daro featured the iconic Great Bath, a large swimming pool measuring 900 ft² with a depth of 2.4 meters, constructed from burnt bricks and waterproofed with natural tar. The presence of a drainage hole and well indicated a continuous supply of fresh water, suggesting high cleanliness standards. The city's layout followed a pattern with essential public spaces like marketplaces and workshops enclosed by boundary walls.

  • What theories exist regarding the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization?

    The decline of the Indus Valley Civilization between 1900 BC and 1300 BC remains a mystery, marked by abandoned cities, neglected infrastructure, and severed trade links with Mesopotamia. Theories propose causes such as the drying up of the Saraswati River, deforestation, or a catastrophic disease outbreak, leading to the eventual disappearance of this advanced and peaceful civilization by 600 BC.

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Summary

00:00

"Unraveling the Mystery of Indus Script"

  • In 1827, James Lewis, a soldier of the British East India Company, deserted the army due to company issues and began traveling the Indian subcontinent under a new name.
  • In 1829, Lewis discovered the ancient city of Harappa in the Punjab region, unknowingly documenting the ruins.
  • John Marshall, appointed director of ASI in the 1920s, led the survey of Harappa's ruins, revealing they were over 5,000 years old.
  • Mohenjo-Daro, a historical site on the Indus river, was discovered with human skeletal remains, leading to the identification of the Indus Valley Civilization.
  • The Indus Valley Civilization, a Bronze Age civilization, spanned present-day Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Northwest India, with over 1,400 sites discovered.
  • The civilization, possibly 8,000 years old, showed urbanization by 5,500 BC, with advanced features like multistoried brick houses, standardized bricks, toilets, and drainage systems.
  • The Indus Script, with over 400 signs, remains undeciphered, written right to left and possibly logosyllabic, with patterns observed in the script.
  • The Indus Script's presence in Mesopotamia suggests trade relations and language usage between the two civilizations, with Mesopotamians possibly writing their language in the Indus Script.
  • The comparison of writing Hindi in Devnagri and Latin scripts illustrates the concept of writing a language in a different script, as seen with the Mesopotamians using the Indus Script for their language.
  • Historians continue to study the Indus Script for clues to decode the language, with the mystery of the repeated jar-shaped symbol in Mesopotamian texts hinting at language adaptation in different scripts.

13:38

Indus Valley Civilization: Advanced, Peaceful, Mysterious Decline

  • Cities of the Indus Valley Civilisation follow a consistent pattern with a Lower Mount enclosed by boundary walls and an Upper Mount citadel on higher ground, typically located to the west. The fort housed essential public spaces like marketplaces and workshops, with walls serving to deter wild animals and prevent floods.
  • The city of Mohenjo-Daro, depicted in the film of the same name, featured the iconic Great Bath, a large swimming pool measuring 900 ft² with a depth of 2.4 meters, constructed from burnt bricks and waterproofed with natural tar. The presence of a drainage hole and well indicated a continuous supply of fresh water, suggesting high cleanliness standards.
  • Unlike other ancient civilizations, the Indus Valley Civilisation lacked religious structures, palaces, or evidence of warfare, indicating a society without monarchs, priests, or social hierarchy. The absence of temples and royal tombs was a notable departure from contemporaneous Bronze Age civilizations.
  • The decline of the Indus Valley Civilisation between 1900 BC and 1300 BC remains a mystery, marked by abandoned cities, neglected infrastructure, and severed trade links with Mesopotamia. Theories propose causes such as the drying up of the Saraswati River, deforestation, or a catastrophic disease outbreak, leading to the eventual disappearance of this advanced and peaceful civilization by 600 BC.
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