Salient Features of the Harappan Culture
Town
Planning
The Harappan culture was distinguished by its
system of town-planning on the lines of the grid system - that is streets and
lanes cutting across one another almost at right angles thus dividing the city
into several rectangular blocks. Harappa, Mohenjodaro and Kalibangan each had
its own citadel built on a high podium of mud brick. Below the citadel in each
city lay a lower town containing brick houses, which Great Bath at Mohenjodaro
were inhabited by the common people. The large-scale use of burnt bricks in
almost all kinds of constructions and the absence of stone buildings are the
important characteristics of the Harappan culture. Another remarkable feature
was the underground drainage system connecting all houses to the street drains
which were covered by stone slabs or bricks.
The most important public place of Mohenjodaro is the Great Bath
measuring 39 feet length, 23 feet breadth and 8 feet depth. Flights of steps at
either end lead to the surface. There are side rooms for changing clothes. The
floor of the Bath was made of burnt bricks. Water was drawn from a large well
in an adjacent room, and an outlet from one corner of the Bath led to a drain.
It must have served as a ritual bathing site. The largest building in
Mohenjodaro is a granary measuring 150 feet length and 50 feet breadth. But in
the citadel of Harappa we find as many as six granaries.
Economic life
There was a great progress in all spheres of economic activity such as
agriculture, industry and crafts and trade. Wheat and barley were the main
crops grown besides sesame, mustard and cotton. Surplus grain is stored in
granaries. Animals like sheep, goats and buffalo were domesticated. The use of
horse is not yet firmly established. A number of other animals were hunted for
food including deer.
Specialized groups of artisans include
goldsmiths, brick makers, stone cutters, weavers, boat-builders and terracotta
manufacturers. Bronze and copper vessels are the outstanding examples of the
Harappan metal craft.
Gold and
silver ornaments are found in many places. Pottery remains plain and in some
places red and black painted pottery is found. Beads were manufactured from a
wide variety of semi-precious stones. other parts of India. Foreign trade was
mainly conducted with Mesopotamia, Afghanistan and Iran Gold, copper, tin and several
semi-precious stones were imported. Main exports were several agricultural
products such as wheat, barely, peas, oil seeds and a variety of finished
products including cotton goods, pottery, beads, terracotta figures and ivory
products. There is much evidence to prove the trade links between the Indus and
Sumerian people. Many seals of Indus valley have been found in Mesopotamia.
Trade was of the barter type. The seals and the terracotta models of the Indus
valley reveal the use of bullock carts and oxen for land transport and boats
and ships for river and sea transport.
Social Life
Much evidence is available to understand the
social life of the Harappans. The dress of both men and women consisted of two
pieces of cloth, one upper garment and the other lower garment. Beads were worn
by men and women. Jewelleries such as bangles, bracelets, fillets, girdles,
anklets, ear-rings and finger-rings were worn by women. These ornaments were
made of gold, silver, copper, bronze and semi precious stones. The use of
cosmetics was common. Various household articles made of pottery, stone,
shells, ivory and metal have been found at Mohenjodaro. Spindles, needles,
combs, fishhooks, knives are made of copper. Children's toys include little
clay carts. Marbles, balls and dice were used for games. Fishing was a regular
occupation while hunting and bull fighting were other pastimes. There were
numerous specimens of weapons of war such as axes, spearheads, daggers, bows,
arrows made of copper and bronze.
Arts
The Harappan sculpture revealed a high degree of
workmanship. Figures of men and women, animals and birds made of terracotta and
the carvings on the seals show the degree of proficiency attained by the
sculptor. The figure of a dancing girl from Mohenjodaro made of bronze is
remarkable for its workmanship. Its right hand rests on the hip, while the left
arm, covered with bangles, hangs loosely in a relaxed posture. Two stone
statues from Harappa, one representing the back view of a man and the other of
a dancer are also specimens of their sculpture. The pottery from Harappa is
another specimen of the fine arts of the Indus people. The pots and jars were
painted with various designs and colours. Painted pottery is of better quality.
The pictorial motifs consisted of geometrical patterns like horizontal lines,
circles, leaves, plants and trees. On some pottery pieces we find figures of
fish or peacock.
Script
The Harappan script has still to be fully
deciphered. The number of signs is between 400 and 600 of which 40 or 60 are
basic and the rest are their variants. The script was mostly written from right
to left. In a few long seals the boustrophedon method - writing in the reverse
direction in alternative lines - was adopted. Parpola and his Scandinavian
colleagues came to the conclusion that the language of the Harappans was
Dravidian. A group of Soviet scholars accepts this view.
Other
scholars provide different view connecting the Harappan script with that of
Brahmi. The mystery of the Harappan script still exists and there is no doubt
that the decipherment of Harappan script will throw much light on this culture.
Religion
From the seals, terracotta figurines and copper tablets we get an idea
on the religious life of the Harappans. The chief male deity was Pasupati,
(proto-Siva) represented in seals as sitting in a yogic posture with three
faces and two horns. He is surrounded by four animals (elephant, tiger, rhino,
and buffalo each facing a different direction). Two deer appear on his feet.
The chief female deity was the Mother Goddess represented in terracotta
figurines. In latter times, Linga worship was prevalent. Trees and animals were
also worshipped by the Harappans. They believed in ghosts and evil forces and
used amulets as protection against them.
Burial Methods
The cemeteries discovered around the cities like Mohenjodaro, Harappa,
Kalibangan, Lothal and Rupar throw light on the burial practices of the
Harappans. Complete burial and post-cremation burial were popular at Mohenjodaro.
At Lothal the burial pit was lined with burnt bricks indicating the use of
coffins. Wooden coffins were also found at Harappa. The practice of pot burials
is found at Lothal sometimes with pairs of skeletons. However, there is no
clear evidence for the practice of Sati.
Decline of the Harappan Culture
There is
no unanimous view pertaining to the cause for the decline of the Harappan
culture. Various theories have been postulated. Natural calamities like
recurring floods, drying up of rivers, decreasing fertility of the soil due to
excessive exploitation and occasional earthquakes might have caused the decline
of the Harappan cities. According to some scholars the final blow was delivered
by the invasion of Aryans. The destruction of forts is mentioned in the Rig
Veda. Also, the discovery of human skeletons huddled together at Mohenjodaro
indicates that the city was invaded by foreigners. The Aryans had superior
weapons as well as swift horses which might have enabled them to become masters
of this region.
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