Class 6 Social Science Chapter 6 Notes The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation
→ Cardinal direction: One of the four main directions: north, south, east and west.
→ Elite: Higher layers of the society, such as rulers, officials, administrators, and often priests.
→ Excavate: To dig out.
→ Fortification: A massive wall surrounding a settlement or city, generally for protective purposes.
→ Metallurgy: The technique of extracting metals from nature, purifying or combining them, as well as the scientific study of metals and their properties.
→ Reservoir: A large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply.
→ Settlement: A place where people establish a community.
→ Tributary: A river that flows into a larger river (or lake).
→ Warehouse: A large building used for storing products before they are sold, used or rented out.
→ About 6,000 years ago: Mesopotamian Civilisation began.
→ Around 2600 BCE: Harappan or Sindhu-Sarasvati Civilisation began.
→ 1920-21: The city of Harappa was excavated.
→ 1921-22: The city of Mohenjo-daro was excavated.
→ 1924: The Harappan cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-daro were identified.
→ Around 1900 BCE: Harappan or Sindhu-Sarasvati Civilisation began to fall apart.
→ From 2200 BCE: The world got affected by climatic change.
Learning Objectives
- Understand what civilisation actually is.
- Examine the transition from nomadic lifestyles to settled communities.
- Learn about the main characteristics of the Harappan Civilisation.
- Explore the reasons for the decline of the Harappan Civilisation.
Introduction
Civilisation marks the transition of early humans from nomadic lifestyles to settled communities. Ancient history had witnessed many such civilisations, one of which even flourished in the Indian subcontinent. Let’s Explore the characteristics that define a civilisation and trace its evolution in the Indian subcontinent.
What is a Civilisation?
When early humans started settling down at one place, they slowly moved towards ‘civilisation’. A civilisation is defined as an advanced stage of human societies characterised by several key features.
- A form of government and administration – to manage the complex society.
- Urbanism: involving town planning, growth and management of cities.
- Variety of crafts: including the management of raw materials and the production of finished goods.
- Trade: both internal and external, important for exchange of goods.
- Writings: essential for keeping records and communication.
- Cultural ideas: expressed through art, architecture, literature, oral traditions, or social customs.
- Productive agriculture system: to sustain both villages and cities.
Civilisations began at different times at different places. A notable early example is the Mesopotamian civilisation around 6,000 years ago, followed by one in ancient Egypt. These ancient civilisations paved the path for the progress of humanity. The study of civilisation in the Indian subcontinent begins with its northwest region.
The Harappan Civilisation
The plains of Punjab (now divided between India and Pakistan) and Sindh (in Pakistan) were nourished by waters of the Indus River and its tributaries, making them fertile and most suitable for agriculture. Also, the Sarasvati River, which once flowed through regions like Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat, also supported early settlements.
Around 3500 BCE, villages in these areas began to grow into towns, and by 2600 BCE , these towns further developed into cities. This transition marked the beginning of one of the world’s oldest civilisations, which is also labelled as ‘First Urbanisation of India’.
It came to be known as the Indus, Harappan, Indus-Sarasvati or Sindhu-Sarasvati civilisation. Its inhabitants are called Harappans, named after the city of Harappa, the first of these cities to be excavated.
Town-Planning – The Harappan cities, Harappa and Mohenjo-daro (both in Pakistan), were the first ones to be discovered and identified back then in 1924. Many other sites were located in the Indus plains, which gave this civilisation the name, ‘Indus Valley Civilisation’.
With time, other significant cities like Dholavira, Rakhigarhi, and Ganweriwala, along with numerous smaller sites, were uncovered. The cities were carefully planned, with wide streets often aligned with the cardinal directions.
Most of the cities were fortified and divided into two parts: The ‘upper town’ for the elite and the ‘lower town’ for the common people. The cities also had some large buildings like warehouses and the Great Bath, which are believed to serve collective purposes. Another notable point was that the construction quality was the came for all big and small houses, and all buildings were made of bricks.
Water Management: The Harappans prioritised water management and cleanliness. Homes often had separate bathing areas connected to a well-planned drainage system that ran below the streets and drained all the waste water.
Different regions used different sources of water, including wells, ponds, streams, or reservoirs. Mohenjo-daro, for example, drew water from brick wells, while in Dholavira (Gujarat), large reservoirs were used.
Agriculture and Eating Habits: The Harappans settled near rivers, which were not only the source of water but also had fertile soil suitable for agriculture. They cultivated cereals like barley, wheat, millets, and rice, along with pulses and vegetables.
They were also the first ones in Eurasia to grow cotton, which they used for weaving clothes. Farming tools like the plough were also brought into use, and agriculture was managed mostly by small rural villages that further supplied produce to the cities.
The Harappans also domesticated animals for meat consumption and also practiced fishing. The diet of Harappans even included dairy products, turmeric, ginger, and bananas, as was revealed by scientific examinations of their cooking pots.
Trade: The Harappans were active traders. They engaged in trade not only within their civilisation but also with civilisations of far-off regions. They exported ornaments, timber, daily-use objects, gold, cotton, and possibly food items.
Carnelian beads were the most popular ornaments and were crafted using advanced drilling techniques. They also crafted shell bangles and bronze tools. It is likely that Harappans imported copper, as this metal was not common in Harappan settlements.
They used land routes, rivers, and maritime routes for trade, marking the first intensive maritime activity in India. Lothal, a settlement in Gujarat, featured a large dockyard probably for boats, which would have facilitated long-distance trade.
Seals: The Harappans used small seals made of steatite to support their trade. These seals depicted animal figures and symbols and were likely used to identify goods and traders. Although the meanings attached with these symbols and figures are still not clear, they are believed to be linked to trade activities.
The End or a New Beginning?
Around 1900 BCE, the Sindhu-Sarasvati civilisation slowly began to decline despite its earlier achievements. The cities were gradually abandoned while the remaining inhabitants shifted to a rural lifestyle with no government or administration above them. The Harappans eventually dispersed into a number of small rural settlements.
Possible Reasons for Decline:
- Climatic Change: From 2200 BCE onward, a significant climatic shift led to reduced rainfall and drier spells. This could have made agriculture challenging, impacting the food supply to the cities.
- Sarasvati River Drying: The Sarasvati River dried up in its central basin, resulting in the abandonment of cities like Kalibangan and Banawali.
There were earlier theories suggesting decline as a result of warfare or invasions. But such theories have been disproven, as there is no evidence of conflict or weapons, rather, Harappan civilisation was believed to be very peaceful.
Therefore, the decline appears to be related to environmental changes only. Despite the disappearance of cities, much of the Harappan culture and technology continued and passed on to the subsequent phases of Indian civilisation.