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Questions and Answers
What may have stimulated the urbanisation of the Indus region during the 3rd millennium BCE?
What was the outcome of the reduction of the water supply in the Indus region?
How many Mature Harappan sites have been reported?
What is the name of the city in the lower Indus Valley that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
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What is the name of the city in western Gujarat that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
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What is the name of the river system after which the Indus civilisation is named?
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What is the name of the type site after which the civilisation is sometimes referred to?
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What is the name of the collection of hymns in archaic Sanskrit that mentions the river Sarasvati?
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When did the Indus Valley Civilisation last?
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Which of the following was NOT a feature of the Indus Valley Civilisation?
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What was the name of the seasonal river in northwest India and eastern Pakistan?
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What is the name of the first excavated site of the Indus Valley Civilisation?
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What is the estimated population of Mohenjo-daro and Harappa?
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What is the name of the culture that populated the early Harappan cultures?
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What is the name of the river that flows through the length of Pakistan?
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What is the term sometimes applied to the Indus Valley Civilisation?
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Study Notes
Indus Valley Civilisation
- Lasted from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, with its mature form from 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE
- One of the three early civilisations of the Near East and South Asia, along with ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia
- Spanned an area from modern-day Pakistan, northwestern India, and northeast Afghanistan
Geography
- Flourished in the alluvial plain of the Indus River, which flows through Pakistan
- Also existed along a system of perennial monsoon-fed rivers, including the Ghaggar-Hakra River in northwest India and eastern Pakistan
Harappan Culture
- Named after the type site Harappa, the first to be excavated in the 20th century
- Early Harappan cultures were populated from Neolithic cultures, such as Mehrgarh in Balochistan, Pakistan
- Harappan civilisation is sometimes called Mature Harappan to distinguish it from earlier cultures
Cities
- Noted for urban planning, baked brick houses, elaborate drainage systems, and water supply systems
- Clusters of large non-residential buildings and techniques of handicraft and metallurgy
- Cities like Mohenjo-daro and Harappa had between 30,000 and 60,000 individuals, with the civilisation possibly containing between one and five million individuals during its peak
Decline
- Gradual drying of the region during the 3rd millennium BCE may have led to urbanisation and eventually caused the civilisation's demise
- Reduced water supply led to the dispersal of the population to the east
Excavations
- Over a thousand Mature Harappan sites have been reported, with nearly a hundred excavated
- Five major urban centres: Mohenjo-daro, Harappa, Ganeriwala, Dholavira, and Rakhigarhi
Language
- The Harappan language is not directly attested, and its affiliations are uncertain
- The Indus script has remained undeciphered, with some scholars favouring a relationship with the Dravidian or Elamo-Dravidian language family
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Description
Explore the history of the Indus Valley Civilisation, a Bronze Age civilisation that flourished in South Asia from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE. Learn about its origins, development, and significance.
