12th History Harappan Civilization PDF

12th CH: 1, The Harappan Civilisation Notes Made By: DEEPAK GARG HISTORY ईंटें , मनके और हड्डियााँ हड़प्पा सभ्यता 9717406188  Harappan Civilization is also known as Indus Valley Civilization. This is the oldest civiliz...

12th CH: 1, The Harappan Civilisation Notes Made By: DEEPAK GARG HISTORY ईंटें , मनके और हड्डियााँ हड़प्पा सभ्यता 9717406188  Harappan Civilization is also known as Indus Valley Civilization. This is the oldest civilization of India.  There is no consensus about the chronology of the Harappan civilization.  Different scholars have given different dates regarding this period.  According to Sir John Marshall, "This civilization flourished between 3250 and 2750 BC."  It was Daya Ram Sahni who first discovered the Harappan sites in 1921.  The main centers of this civilization are in Pakistan. The famous sites of this civilization (now in Pakistan) are Mohenjodaro and Chanhudaro.  Kalibangan, Sangol, Pangplore, Lothal, Dholavira and Banavali are the main centers of flourishing of this civilization in India.  The urban planning of this civilization was very magnificent. The houses were built in an organized manner. The roads were wide and intersected each other at right angles.  The people of Indus Valley Civilization had also made excellent plans for the drainage of rain water and dirty water.  Caste system did not exist in the society. Everyone lived with mutual love and understanding. Women had a high position or position in the society.  He was crazy about fashion. The economic life of the people was very prosperous.  The main occupation of the people was agriculture and animal husbandry.  Trade was well developed. Both internal and external trade was done.  People worshiped many gods and goddesses. They worshiped Mother Goddess, Lord Shiva, animals, birds, trees and the Sun.  They knew arts and crafts. They knew the art of making beautiful sculptures, toys, pottery, jewelery etc. They were skilled in the production of seals.  The languages they used on the seals are still to be deciphered. If one is able to decipher their script inscribed on the seals, it will throw a flood of light on various aspects of the Harappan civilization.  The main source of our information about Harappan civilization is archaeological material.  Excavations conducted at Indus sites attempt to reconstruct the history of this civilization.  During the excavation of Indus sites, many tools, pottery, seals, household items etc. have been excavated.  All these excavated materials are thoroughly examined by archaeologists.  Many historians like Cunningham, Rem Wheeler, John Marshall and G.F.  Dates have played an important role in reconstructing the history of the ancient past including the sites of the Indus Valley Civilization.  Around 1900 BC, these were clear signs of the decline of this civilization.  By this time the two most important cities of the Indus Valley – Mohenjodaro and Harappa had completely declined.  Many Indian archaeologists like Daya Ram Sahni, SR Rao, RS Bisht and BK Thapar have played a major role in the excavation of Indus sites.  The Indus Valley Civilization is also known as the Bronze Age Civilization, because people used bronze extensively to make their pottery, figure lines and jewellery.  Around 1200 BC this civilization had completely disappeared. Epidemics, invasion of Aryans, change in the course of Indus River, excessive floods, earthquakes etc. could be the main reasons for the decline of this civilization. Archaeological Evidence of Harappan Civilization:  Harappan Civilization is also known as Indus Valley Civilization. This civilization dates back to between 2600 BC and 1990 BC.  This is the oldest civilization of India. We come to know about the civilization from archaeological evidence such as houses, utensils, jewellery, tools and seals used by the people of that period.  There were also earlier and later cultures, known as the Early Harappan and Late Harappan civilization.  Cunningham was the first Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India who initiated archaeological excavations at Harappan sites.  Cunningham was unable to find the importance of the Harappan civilization and believed that Indian history began with the first cities of the Ganges valley.  Daya Ram Sahni, Rakhal Das Baneji, John Marshall were some of the important archaeologists  associated with the discovery of the Harappan civilization. The boundaries of the Harappan civilization have no connection with present national boundaries. The major sites are now in Pakistani territory.  In India, many Harappan settlements were found in Punjab and Haryana. Kalibangan, Lothal, Dholavira, Rakhi Garhi and Banavali were the main centers in India where this civilization flourished.  Archaeologists attempt to classify artifacts in terms of content and functions by comparing them with present-day objects. The problems of archaeological interpretation are most evident in attempts to reconstruct Harappan religious practices.  Unusual objects such as terracotta figurines of women, stone figurines of men, unicorn figures and figures in yogic postures on seals, and structures such as great baths and fire altars may have had religious significance. Many reconstructions about the Harappan civilization are currently speculative and there is a vast scope for future work. Seals, script, weights of Harappan civilization:  Seals and sealing were used to facilitate long distance communication. If the luggage bag arrives with its sealing intact, it means that it has not been tampered with. Seals also revealed the identity of the sender.  Harappan script has not been understood till date. The script was not alphabetical and had between 375 and 400 many signs.  Exchange was regulated by a precise system of weights, usually made of unmarked stone called chert. Lower denominations of weight were binary 7 and higher denominations followed the decimal system. Food habits of Harappan people: The people of the Harappan civilization ate a wide variety of plant and animal products, including fish, meat, wheat, maize, millet, pulses, rice and other foods. For this, the Harappan people domesticated cattle, sheep, goat, buffalo and pig. Agricultural techniques used by the Harappan people: Archaeological evidence suggested that oxen were used for plowing and that two different crops were grown simultaneously. Since most of the Harappan sites are located in semi-arid land, it is clear that water from canals and wells was used for irrigation. Limited Students in Every Batch Leaders in CBSE Pattern Lowest Fees than Other’s Classes Add: 9/297, Dakshinpuri Extn. ND-62 Social and economic differences among the Harappan people:  Archaeologists use certain strategies to explore social and economic differences between people. These include the study of burials and artefacts which can be divided into utilitarian and luxury.  Valuable materials are generally concentrated in larger settlements, but are rarely found in smaller settlements. Craft production of the Harappan people:  The Harappans knew the art of making beautiful sculptures, toys, pottery, jewelery etc. Chanhudaro was a small settlement devoted exclusively to craft production, including bead making, shell cutting, metal working, seal making and weight making.  Grinding, polishing and drilling was done to make beads. Nageshwar and Balakot were special centers of making shell objects as both these settlements are near the coast. Apart from small settlements, large cities like Mohenjodaro and Harappa were also specialized centers of craft production. Getting materials for crafts:  The Harappans used various methods to obtain materials for craft production. Sometimes they established settlements where raw materials were available. Another strategy to procure raw materials could have been to send expeditions to areas where these were available such as the Khetri region (Rajasthan) for copper and South India for gold.  People of Harappan civilization established contact with distant countries like Oman to obtain copper. Harappan seals, weights, dice and beads were found in other countries, Oman, Bahrain and Mesopotamia. Economic life and trade during the Harappan Civilization:  The economic life of the people was very prosperous. The main occupation of the people was agriculture and animal husbandry.  Trade was well developed. Both internal and external trade was done. Pictures of ships and boats have also been found on the seals, which throw light on Harappan contacts with distant places. Religious beliefs of the Harappan people: People of this civilization worshiped many gods and goddesses. They worshiped Lord Shiva, Mother Goddess, animals, birds, trees and the Sun. Caste system in Harappan civilization:  Caste system did not exist in the society. All people live with each other with love and understanding.  Women had a high position or position in the society. Mohenjodaro, a planned city of the Harappan civilization:  Mohenjodaro was the most famous urban site of the Harappan civilization. Although Harappa was the first site to be discovered, it was badly destroyed by brick robbers.  Settlements in the Harappan civilization were divided into two classes, one smaller in terms of land but higher in terms of power known as citadels, the other much larger in terms of area but lower in terms of power known as cities. Was known in.  The drainage system in all the Harappan cities was carefully planned. Residential buildings at Mohenjodaro were centered around a courtyard, had their own bathrooms, whose drains were connected to street drains.  Many houses in Mohenjodaro had wells and their estimated number was about 700. Structures such as warehouses and huge baths were used for public purposes. End of Harappan Civilization:  By 1800 BCE, most of the mature Harappan sites were abandoned. This civilization completely disappeared around 1200 BC. After 1900 BCE, a rural lifestyle emerged known as 'Late Harappan' or 'Successor Cultures'.  Causes of the end of civilization include climate change, deforestation, extreme floods, shifting and drying up of rivers and overuse of landscapes. All of these factors may have weakened the civilization, but its ultimate extinction was likely accomplished by deliberate and large-scale destruction or invasion. Important Terms:  Seal: This usually included animal motifs and signs from a script.  Hoarding: Metal objects and jewelery are usually kept inside containers by people.  Stratigraphy: Study of historical layers.  Motif: Name of an animal used on seals by the Harappans to mark some kind of trademark.  Proto-Shiva: A seal showing a figure sitting in a yogic posture surrounded by animals has been designated as Proto-Shiva, an early form of one of the gods of Hinduism.  Linga: Polished stones often worshiped as a symbol of Lord Shiva.  Shamans: These were groups of men and women who claimed to have magical and healing powers and the ability to communicate with the other world.  Art: It refers to painting, sculpture, pottery and seal making.  Culture: A term used for a group of objects, distinctive in style, typically found within a geographic region and period of time.  Pictograms: Picture-like signs to represent letters or words.  The Great Bath: The most famous building in Mohenjodaro for bathing.  Granary: Building where grain was stored. Time Line:  1862 Alexander Cunningham was appointed as the first Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India.  1921 DR Sahni discovered Harappa.  1992 RD Banneji discovered Mohenjodaro.  1924 Sir John Marshall announced the discovery of the Indus Valley Civilization.  1953 Excavation of Kalibangan by A. Ghosh did it.  1955 SR Rao discovered Lothal.  1968 SS Talwar and RS Bisht discovered Sanghal. Leaders in CBSE Pattern Limited Students in Every Batch Lowest Fees than Other’s Classes Add: 9/297, Dakshinpuri Extn. ND-62