Indus Valley Civilization Notes for SSC Exams

The Indus Valley Civilization, also called the Harappan Civilization, is the first big topic of ancient history in SSC exams. It was a Bronze Age civilization that flourished in the north-west of the Indian subcontinent from about 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE in its mature phase. Questions are mostly on the sites, their rivers, the discoverers and the special features. These Indus Valley Civilization notes for SSC give all of these in short tables with practice questions.

Basic Facts

Important Sites and Their Features

Town Planning

• Cities were divided into a higher part (citadel) and a lower town.
• Streets crossed each other at right angles, which is called the grid pattern.
• Houses were built of standard-size baked bricks.
• There was a very good drainage system with covered drains.
• The Great Bath of Mohenjo-daro was probably used for ritual bathing.

Economy and Trade

• Agriculture: Wheat, barley, peas, sesame and cotton were grown. Cotton was grown here earlier than in other places.
• Animals: Cattle, sheep, goat and buffalo were domesticated. The horse was not common.
• Trade: They traded with Mesopotamia, which was called Meluhha in Mesopotamian texts.
• Weights: Weights were in the ratio of 16, and seals were used for trade.
• Metals: They knew copper and bronze, but iron was not known.

Society, Religion and Art

• Seals show the "Pashupati" figure and the unicorn, and the Mother Goddess terracotta figures were common.
• Trees like the pipal and animals like the bull were worshipped.
• The bronze statue of the "Dancing Girl" was found at Mohenjo-daro.
• Dead bodies were mostly buried, and no big temples have been found.

Phases of the Civilization

Important Terms to Remember

• Citadel: The raised western part of a city, where the rulers or priests probably lived.
• Granary: A building to store grain, found at Harappa and Mohenjo-daro.
• Seal: A small stone piece, often made of steatite, used for trade and with an animal picture and script.
• Faience: A glass-like material used to make beads and small objects.
• Meluhha: The name used for the Indus region in Mesopotamian records.

Decline of the Civilization

Scholars have given different reasons, such as climate change, drying of the Ghaggar-Hakra river, floods and the change of trade routes. There is no single accepted cause.

Comparison with the Vedic Culture

Quick Tips

• Learn the sites with their rivers and states in a table, because this is the most common question.
• Remember that the "first discovered" site is Harappa and the "largest in India" is Rakhigarhi.
• Link each site with one special feature, like Lothal with the dockyard and Kalibangan with the ploughed field.
• Do not mix the Indus Valley with the Vedic period, because they are different cultures.

Quick Revision Points

• Harappa was found in 1921 and Mohenjo-daro in 1922.
• The civilization was urban, with a grid pattern and good drainage.
• Lothal had a dockyard and Dholavira had a water conservation system.
• The Harappan script has not been deciphered.
• Iron was not known to the Harappans.

Practice Questions With Answers

1. Which was the first site discovered of the Indus Valley Civilization?
   Answer: Harappa
2. Who discovered Harappa?
   Answer: Daya Ram Sahni
3. Where is the Great Bath found?
   Answer: Mohenjo-daro
4. Which site is famous for the dockyard?
   Answer: Lothal
5. Which site is the largest in India?
   Answer: Rakhigarhi
6. Which site has fire altars and a ploughed field?
   Answer: Kalibangan
7. Which metal was not known to the Harappans?
   Answer: Iron
8. Which site is known for water conservation in Gujarat?
   Answer: Dholavira
9. Where was the Dancing Girl statue found?
   Answer: Mohenjo-daro
10. Which river is linked with Harappa?
    Answer: Ravi

How to Practise This Chapter

Make a table of site, river, state and feature, and revise it daily. Then solve questions from our practice papers and the previous year papers page. After this chapter, read the Mauryan Empire notes. Link it with Indian Geography for rivers and sites on the map, and see the Indian History notes page for the full list.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Indus Valley Civilization?

The Indus Valley Civilization was an early urban civilization in the north-west of the Indian subcontinent from about 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE. It is also called the Harappan Civilization.

Why is it called the Harappan Civilization?

Harappa was the first site to be discovered, so the civilization is named after it.

Who discovered the Indus Valley Civilization?

Daya Ram Sahni discovered Harappa in 1921, and R. D. Banerji discovered Mohenjo-daro in 1922.

Which is the largest site of the Indus Valley Civilization in India?

Rakhigarhi in Haryana is the largest site in India. Dholavira, Lothal and Kalibangan are also very important.

What is the Great Bath?

The Great Bath is a large water tank found at Mohenjo-daro. It was probably used for religious bathing.

Why was Lothal important?

Lothal in Gujarat had a dockyard, so it was an important port and a centre of trade and bead making.

What was the main occupation of the Harappan people?

Agriculture was the main occupation, along with trade, crafts and animal rearing.

Which crops did the Harappans grow?

They grew wheat, barley, peas, sesame and cotton.

Was the Harappan script deciphered?

No. The Harappan script is still not deciphered, so our knowledge of the civilization comes mainly from archaeology.

Did the Harappans know iron?

No. They knew copper and bronze, but iron came much later.

Why did the Indus Valley Civilization decline?

No single reason is accepted. Climate change, drying up of rivers and floods are the common explanations.

How many questions come from the Indus Valley Civilization in SSC exams?

Usually one question comes from this topic in SSC General Awareness papers, but the number can change from year to year.