Eternal India Encyclopedia

LURE - THRU THE AGES

Eternal India

encyclopedia

3750 B.C. - 1500 B.C. - INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION - HARAPPAN CULTURE

“The story of the rise and decline of the Indus Civilization is an epitome of man's struggle for conquering nature

and building an integrated peace-loving and prosperous society. In this struggle the Harappans seem to have

succeeded to a large extent. Their response to the challenge of nature, which came from the river as well as the sea,

was a positive one.

Nature's second challenge to man came from the sea. The highly resourceful craftsmen of the Indus cities could

even produce scientific instruments in shell, of which compass and linear scale are good examples. Many of the

luxury articles of gemstones and ivory were exported to Bahrain, and Ur, Kish, and Brak in Mesopotamia besides

Susa in Elam.

In the fertile plains of the Indus, Saraswati and Sabarmati rivers the Harappans could grow surplus food to feed the craftsmen engaged

in metal-working, bead-making and ship-building through an efficient distributory channel which presupposes an equally efficient

administration of towns and cities and regulation of trade.

The crowning achievement of the Indus Empire is the cultural integration of different ethnic and religious groups ensuring enduring

peace and material prosperity. The Indus Civilization could not have survived for five centuries in its pristine form enforcing uniform laws

and ensuring proper distribution of goods over a vast territory of 1.5 million sq. km. had it not been a culturally and politically well-knit society

with a state which was effective but not ruthless. Each province had a centre of authority and each city or town was well administered as

reflected in the homogeneity of planning and services available to the citizens.”

‘Dawn & Devolution of the Indus Civilization

Dr. S.R. Rao

CHRONOLOGY

Life span of the city at Harappa as viewed

by :

Marshall : 3250 - 2750 B.C. Mackay

2800 - 2500 B.C.

Vats : 3500 - 2500B.C. Wheeler

2500-1500B.C.

On the basis of 14 C and relative dates

Eastern Province

Southern Province

Kalibangan

Banawali

Mitathal

2350-1700 B.C.

2250-1400 B.C.

2200-1400 B.C.

Surkotada

Lothal

Rojdi

Protohistory

c. 4,000 B.C. to

c. 2.000B.C.

Neolithic-Chalcolithic

II.

2,500 B.C. to

c. 1,000 B.C.

Chalcolithic

III. c. 2,000 to

c. 700

B.C.

Copper Age

IV.

c. 2,000 B.C. to

c. 1,000 B.C.

c. 2,500 B.C.

c. 2,350 B.C. to

c. 1,750 B.C.

Early Iron Age

Neolithic

2400-1800 B.C.

2450-1600 B.C.

2100-1500 B.C.

Baluchistan

Kashmir

Assam (Meghalaya)

Andhra

ii.

Mysore-Kamataka

iii.

Tamilnadu

iv.

Bihar

Kashmir

vi.

Maharashtra

Madhya Pradesh

ii.

U.P.

iii.

Bihar

iv.

Maharashtra

Ahar or Banas Culture i. S.E. Rajasthan

Indus Civilization

Sind,

Baluchistan,

Punjab,

Western

U.P., N. Rajasthan

Kutch,

Saurashtra,

Coastal Gujarat.

c. 1,000 B.C. to

U.P.

c. 700 B.C.

ii.

Bihar

iii.

W. Bengal

iv.

Mysore

M.P.

vi.

Maharashtra

Central Province

Mohenjo-daro : 2500-1800 B.C. Amri :

2450-1700 B.C.

Kot-diji : 2450-1700 B.C. Balakot :

2450-1700 B.C.

These dates will be followed until MASCA corrected dates

suggested in table given below are accepted by all archaeologists.