CHAPTER 2
INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION
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Fairly flat– farming is easier on flat land
Soft soil – land is easier to plough
The rich mud ‘silt’ from the mountains made
the valley land fertile when flooded.
Hot climate – It results in production of 2 or 3
harvest a year.
Food along river bank
Animals could easily be hunted
The soil near river never dried out
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In 1850s British engineers found the old
bricks/ruins while building Lahore-Multan
Railway.
A few years later, a British Archaeologist, in
search for Buddhist shrines found Harrapan
bricks, pottery, stone tools, seal with writing
during excavation.
In 1922, an Indian Architect R D Banerji found
Mohenjodaro to the south of Harrapa.
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Highly urban ‘developed’
400.000 people lived.
Area of 60 Hectares
Settlements include Kalibangan, Lothal
(India), Chanhudaro (Nawabshah) and
Harappa
River Indus and its tributaries was the Central
Area .
1400 settlements (village and cities) – 900 in
India , 500 in Pakistan., 1 in Afghanistan
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A peaceful Civilization
◦ No royal tombs
◦ no evidence of army or military
◦ No artefacts with pictures of war
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Civilization was ruled by the group of people
– rich merchants, land owners, priest.
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Known as twin cities—build in same size and plan, same bricks
(kiln-fired)
Pre-planned
good drainage systemUse of clay pipes
2 meter high inspection holes
Main Areas: Citadel
---- place for public buildings
---Lower Town---- place for houses and businesses
Grand Buildings :The great bath
Granary
*rich houses-30 rooms,poor-2 room apartement
*workshops for craftsmen—made beads, metal objects,
pottery,cloth
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The Great Bath :
Grandest building------------------12 m
long: 7m wide : 2.4m deep (like a swimming
pool)
Lined with the layer of bitumen (natural tar to
make it water proof)
At each end they were steps and drain hole
at one end.
Around the edge were rooms with small bath
with wills. It was perhaps used by priest.
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The Granary:
Huge building : 45m long : 23 wide
It had high brick base. Huge pieces of woods
were kept in criss-cross pattern on it.
It is believed that it was used for grain
storage due to fresh air system.
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How were towns and cities run?
Main Areas:
---Citadel ---- place for public buildings
Raised high : gives complete view of
the lower town.
---Lower Town---- place for houses and
businesses
Terracotta “mother goddess
Priest king
in life hereafter.
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Seals with figures of gods, woman with horns
near papal tree, man with three faces,
terracotta figurines: mother goddess
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Few graves that shows bodies have been
burned or given river burial – pots that held
food or water : People believed
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Main crops:
Cotton – woven into cloth
Grain crops--- wheat, barley, millet
Mustard and sesame--- for cooking
Vegetables: peas, chick peas
Fruits: banana, melons, dates
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Domesticated animals: cattle, goats,
sheep, chicken, rabbits, dogs, cats, ducks
andhumped zebu –provided leather, meat,
milk, wool,etc.
Animals for labour: elephants, horses, asses.
Buffalo, oxen
Animals for hunting: gazelle, antelops, wild
boars, rhinoceros, wild elephants, leopards,
tigers and fish
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Household items were made from
wood, pottery, bronze, gold, silver,
lead, tin and copper
Potters made figurines of humans and
animals on potter’s wheel. Blue glazed
pottery were found.
Bronze was used to make saws,
adzes, chisels, gouges, statues and
bowls.
statue of a dancing girl
bronze
Rich People’s jewellery
was made from gold,
silver, ivory, blue jade*
and blue lapis lazuli*
(* from Afghanistan),
carnelian stone (from Gujrat)
Poor People’s jewellery was
made sea-shell, bones,
copper, bronze and
soapstone
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WHY DO YOU THINK THAT EARLY
CIVILISATIONS BEGAN NEAR RIVERS?
NAME TWO MAIN BUILDINGS FOUND IN INDUS
VALLEY.
NAME TWO MAIN AREAS OF INDUS VALLEY.
INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION
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WHERE DID INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION
BEGIN?
NAME TWO MAIN AREAS? WHO DO YOU
THINK USED TO LIVE ON CITEDAL AND WHY
WAS IT RAISED HIGH?
DO YOU THINK PEOPLE OF INDUS VALLEY
HAD RELIGIOUS BELIEF?
LIST THE CROPS GROWN IN INDUS VALLEY.
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Commonly used—more than 2000 seals were
found
Strange figures, animals (bulls, crocodile,
unicorn, elephants tigers, etc. )and writings
on the seals and a knob on the back
Made of steatite ‘soap stone’ (a soft gray
green or brown stone)
Maybe used as amulets or trademark.
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Historians believed Indus Valley people were
the first one to develop writing.
Found that writing was scratched on jars
Not related to writing of other civilization
Around 250-500 characters.
Written from right to left.
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Imports:
Gold --- Southern India
Silver--- Afghanistan, North-west india, Mesopotamia
Lapis lazuli--- Afghanistan
Turqiouse –iran
Tin – Persia
Carnelian – Gujrat
Export:
Food
metals(tin, lead, copper, gold, silver)
Timber
Cotton
ivory
carnelian beads
Weights
animals(peacock, cats, monkeys)
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Main centers :
Mohenjodaro and Harappa
Goods were carried on flats
bottomed boats with made of cotton cloth.
Two-wheeled ox-carts were a common means
of transport.
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Set of cubical weights have been found on
seven gate ways This shows that it is used for
weighing goods. It’s believed that at city
gates some goods were taken by the official
as a tax.
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Historians don’t exactly know. Here are some
assumptions
Terrible disease killed people
Invaders ‘ Aryans’ destroyed
Flood
Earth quake
Population grew large --- people starved
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SHARE ANY ONE FACT RELETED TO INDUS
VALLEY WRITING WITH YOUR PARTNER.
TELL ANY ONE REASON FOR THE DECLINE OF
INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION
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Location:
Southern part of the land between the tigris
and Euphrates.
Later, it was called Mesopotamia --- the land
between rivers. (part of Iraq)
SUMERIAN CIVILISATION
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ON THE MAP, LOCATE PAKISTAN, ITS NEIGHBOURING
COUNTRY TO THE SOUTH WEST, AND NEXT NEIGHBOURING
COUNTRY TO ITS WEST.
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you know the ancient name
of IRAQ?
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In 3000 BC , several cities have grown :l
Eridu, Uruk , Ur
Each city had strong walls or a moat.
Cities weren’t planned. Smaller than Indus
Valley cities.
Upto, 10,000 people lived.
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Purpose of life was to serve Gods and
Goddesses who were thought to own the city.
Each city had a special god in the temple who
was thought to take care of a city.
Due to war later the head of armies had got
power so they started ruling the city with the
priest.
Sumerian prince
Large temples with several rooms and
staircases.--- only high priest was allowed to go
to the home of the god.
Rent was paid to the god in form of farm produce
and animals to keep the city save from war and
flooding. This was the reason that priest became
powerful.
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Enki (god of water)
Ninbursag (mother goddess) w/o Enlil
Enlil- (God of air) h/o Ninbursag
Inanna (ishtar) (goddess of love and war
Nanna (sin) (moon god) Enlil’s son
Utu (sin) (sun god) nanna’s son
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In 1920s, British Archeologist Sr. Leonard found
450 graves at Ur.
One grave was called DEATH PIT --- it had 73
skeletons and `the body of a king-Mes kalam
shar
At one corner a stone tomb was built, here the
body of king with food, water and treasures were
kept. Carnelian beads, helmets and swords were
there too.
Men, women, servantscourtiers walked down the
grave with soldiers and musicians and drank
poison.
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Wheels were made with the sliced trunk.
Potter’s wheel was invented.
Animals were used for ploughing
Sails were fitted to the boats. Boats were
made with plaited reeds covered with
bitumen.
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Formed lunar calendar
Were the first scientist and studied stars and try
to forecast floods.
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Worked out the system of arithmetic for
calculation of taxes.
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The number system was based on sixty--- 60
secs.
In a minute : 60 mins.
In an hour, 360 degree circle.
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1000s of clay tablets were found with
cuneiform writing done by pressing reed in a
wet clay . Writing was fired to keep it safe.
Lots of learning about this civilization was
done through their writing.
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Made of sun dried bricks strengthened with
straws and reeds.
Rich people live in two storey
Poor people lived in small rooms of one floor.
No drains for the wastage instead deep pit
were built.
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Harbour and warehouse was built on the
river. Following were traded:
Farm goods
Cloth
Timber ---from Lebanon
Stone
minerals
silver and copper from Asia minor and Sinai
*WATER FIGHTS
*INVADERS
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SHARE ANY 5 THINGS ABOUT SUMERIANS
WITH YOUR PARTNER
 EGYPTIAN
CIVILISATION
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NAME THE LONGEST RIVER?
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WHERE IS IT SITUATED?
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By 5000BC, towns and villages grew up near River
Nile.
Lasted for 3000 years : had several heights at
different times.
By 3200BC, there were two Kingdoms : Lower and
Upper Egypt : later, upper Egypt conquered the
lower town and two kingdoms were merged.
The king Pharaoh ruled United Kingdom. In the
period of old kingdom, Pyramids were built at
Giza.
A model boat found inside the tomb
 Believed in gods and built temples --around 2000 gods.
 Most important God ‘RA’ the sun god.
 Nut—godess of sky
 Set—god of deserts, storm, trouble
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Believed that pharaoh is a living god.
Believed in life hereafter—things including
food, water, chariots, treasure and models of
servant were kept in the tomb near the dead
person.
Jackal headed god, Horus
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Rich people were buried in tombs after the bodies are
mummified so that the soul KA could live inside the body
in the life hereafter.
Process:
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Heart was left but the other organs were removed. The
body was dried up with a special salt for 40 days. The
organs were dried to and kept in the tomb.
The body is then wrapped in linen bandages putting
amulets and onion in dead persons hand.
The mummy was then put into a coffin with a portrait of a
dead person painted so that KA spirit would recognized.
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Between 2700 – 1640 BC eight were built with
stones
Pharaohs were often buried in it.
Largest pyramid is at Giza- built by 100,000
men in 20 years – 51 hectares—146 m high –
2300,000 limestone blocks were used to
built.
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Writing system called hieroglyphics ‘signs
pictures’
700 signs
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Writing sources is preserved due to desert air
such as papyrus-an Egyptian paper (made by
flattening reed stem set in crisscross pattern
Historians understand Egyptian writing.
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Agriculture:
Instrument ‘nilometer’ was invented to
measure the depth of nile flood water.
Shaduf was made to raise water
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Time:
Egyptians divided the year in 365 days and
24 hours.
Science:
Development of mathematics and
architecture
Developed medicines.
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Onset of famines
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Misguided pharoahs
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Invaders – Libyans and Assyrians