Presentation -01

Indus valley civilisation

Introduction

Discovered in 1856 A.D.,When a railway track between Karachi and Lahore was being laid.

The Indus Valley civilization (also known as the Harappan Civilization, the Indus-Sarasvati or
Hakra Civilization and sometimes the Indus Civilization

Site of Harappa was explored in 1920 under the supervision of Mr.Dayaram Sahni and Mr.Madhu
Swaroop VASTA.

Another city namely Mohan jodaro, was 400 mile away from Harappa in same region explored
in 1922 by Mr.Rakhal
Das Bangaree.

Location of Mohenjo-daro within the Pakistani province of Sindh

Civilization

Nearly 5000 years ago a group of peoples mostly of Sumerian origin landed into N.W. through
Khyber pass and settled in the breath taking green valley of Indus.
This marks the beginning of Indus valley civilization or Harappa civilization in India and the
contemporary of ancient Mesopotamia.
Planning
impressive, organized and regular layout
Systematic
The basic layout of the settlement was established on a grid iron pattern that was defined by
large street running north south direction.

Each major mound was surrounded by a massive mud brick walls, with brick gate ways and
bastions located at intervals along each site.

The mound oriented along east-west axis

1 College
2 Bath
3 Rooms
4 Loading platform and granary
5 Drain
6 Residence for priests
7 Assembly hall
8 Temple complex
9 Bastions (of baked brick)
10 Tower (of baked brick)
11 Mud-brick embankment
12 Stairs
X Buddhist stupa (not contemporary with the
ancient Mohenjo-daro structures)

Mohenjo Daro : Citadel

Mound

A - stupa is a Buddhist building, from the Kushan period

B- the Great Bath
C- Mound
Granary,Assembly hall

Walls

The walls of the houses were built several times in different angles .

At harappa the different walled areas were spread around a central depression that may have
been a large tank.

Gateway of Indus Valley Civilization

Walls were laid in English bond in mud mortar in

a course of stretchers alternately with course of headers.

kiln-burnt bricks.

care to break the joints.

City walls

The city wall is 9m.wide and with additional bastions making it up to 11 m. wide.

The gate itself is made from backed bricks with 1m. Thick wall bounded with mud brick city wall.

The gate opening is 2.8m. Wide, permitted just one cart to pass at a time.

The top of the gate was probably coverd and had a check post or watch tower.

Streets

The city divide in to 12 blocks

Streets were 9 m. wide, and made 90 degree to each other.

Secondary streets are about half the width of the main streets, oriented towards east-west;
smaller alleys are a one third of the width of the main streets.

Building materials

Since most of the Indus settlements were in the alluvial planes.

The most common building materials, naturally were mud bricks and burnt bricks, wood and
reeds.

Houses

The houses were strictly design from point of view of utility.

The houses consisted of rooms around a courtyard.

Contained a stair case to the upper story.

Every house have a bathroom, latrine and a a well.

But no street window and direct entrance open in main street.

Worship place

The city of Mohan jodaro contain many tall buildings as the worship place.

Granaries

neatly planed.

45 meters long and 15

meters wide.

to store food grains.

Granary at Harappa

The Great bath

most important public place and was used for religious purpose.

The great bath is 11.88m. Long, 7.01m. Wide and 2.43 m. deep.

The stairs are provided at bath ends up to the bottom of the bath.

The Flore of bath is made of burnt bricks.

A layer of bitumen to protect the water put in bottom.

A well ,in a room near the great bath has been found, which probably was the source of water for
filling this public bath.

Some small rooms with front rooms verandah exist around the great bath, which supposed to
used as changing rooms and bath rooms.

Public Bath

Drainage system

The drains were covered with slabs

Water flowed from houses into the street drains.

The street drains had manholes at regular intervals.

Housewives were expected to use pits in which heavier part of the rubbish will settle down while
only sewerage water was allowed to drain off.

In every house there was a well-constructed sink, and water flowed from the sink into the
underground sewers in the streets.

References

http://www.thenagain.info/webchron/india/harappa.html

http://www.scribd.com/doc/67019694/The-Harappan-Civilization

http://203.77.194.71:81/Members/niyomi/THE%20GRID.pdf

http://www.boloji.com/index.cfm?md=Content&sd=Articles&ArticleID=892

http://www.mango.itgo.com/mdaro_citadel.htm

http://www.andaman.org/BOOK/F1IndusCivilization/indus.htm

http://indiansaga.com/history/features_indusvalley.html