NCERT Textbook: The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation | Social Studies (SST) Class 6 PDF Download

 Page 1


85
6 ? The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation
The Beginnings of 
Indian Civilisation
CHAPTER
6
 
The most ancient civilisation of India, known variously as the 
Harappan, Indus or Indus-Sarasvati Civilisation, was indeed 
remarkable in many ways. ... [It showed how] a well-balanced 
community lives — in which the differences between the rich 
and the poor are not glaring. ... In essence, the Harappan 
societal scenario was not that of ‘exploitation’, but of mutual 
‘accommodation’.
— B.B. Lal
Fig. 6.1. The North Gate entrance 
to Dholavira’s ‘Castle’ area.
1. What is a civilisation?
2. What was the earliest 
civilisation of the Indian 
Subcontinent?
3. What were its major 
achievements?
The Big 
Questions
6-100724_v8.indd   85 6-100724_v8.indd   85 11-Jul-24   4:24:54 PM 11-Jul-24   4:24:54 PM
Page 2


85
6 ? The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation
The Beginnings of 
Indian Civilisation
CHAPTER
6
 
The most ancient civilisation of India, known variously as the 
Harappan, Indus or Indus-Sarasvati Civilisation, was indeed 
remarkable in many ways. ... [It showed how] a well-balanced 
community lives — in which the differences between the rich 
and the poor are not glaring. ... In essence, the Harappan 
societal scenario was not that of ‘exploitation’, but of mutual 
‘accommodation’.
— B.B. Lal
Fig. 6.1. The North Gate entrance 
to Dholavira’s ‘Castle’ area.
1. What is a civilisation?
2. What was the earliest 
civilisation of the Indian 
Subcontinent?
3. What were its major 
achievements?
The Big 
Questions
6-100724_v8.indd   85 6-100724_v8.indd   85 11-Jul-24   4:24:54 PM 11-Jul-24   4:24:54 PM
86
Exploring Society: India and Beyond 
Tapestry of the Past
What Is a Civilisation?
At the end of Chapter 4, we saw the first human groups 
settling down, practising agriculture, developing some 
technologies (such as construction, metallurgy, transport) 
and moving towards ‘civilisation’. 
What, then, is civilisation? In general, the term is used for 
an advanced stage of human societies. To be precise, we 
will consider here that a ‘civilisation’ should have at least 
the following characteristics:
 ? some form of government and administration — to 
manage a more complex society and its many activities
 ? urbanism — town-planning, the growth of cities and 
their management, which generally includes water 
management and a drainage system
 ? a variety of crafts — including the management of raw 
materials (such as stone or metal) and the production 
of finished goods (such as ornaments and tools)
 ? trade both internal (within a city or a region) and 
external (with distant regions or other parts of the 
world) — to exchange all sorts of goods
 ? some form of writing — needed to keep records and to 
communicate
 ? cultural ideas about life and the world, expressed 
through art, architecture, literature, oral traditions or 
social customs
 ? a productive agriculture — enough to feed not just 
the villages, but also the cities.
THINK ABOUT IT
Which of the above characteristics do you think is the most 
fundamental — that is, a characteristic essential to the 
development of all others?
Metallurgy: 
Includes the 
techniques 
of extracting 
metals from 
nature, 
purifying or 
combining 
them, as well 
as the scientific 
study of metals 
and their 
properties.
6-100724_v8.indd   86 6-100724_v8.indd   86 11-Jul-24   4:24:54 PM 11-Jul-24   4:24:54 PM
Page 3


85
6 ? The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation
The Beginnings of 
Indian Civilisation
CHAPTER
6
 
The most ancient civilisation of India, known variously as the 
Harappan, Indus or Indus-Sarasvati Civilisation, was indeed 
remarkable in many ways. ... [It showed how] a well-balanced 
community lives — in which the differences between the rich 
and the poor are not glaring. ... In essence, the Harappan 
societal scenario was not that of ‘exploitation’, but of mutual 
‘accommodation’.
— B.B. Lal
Fig. 6.1. The North Gate entrance 
to Dholavira’s ‘Castle’ area.
1. What is a civilisation?
2. What was the earliest 
civilisation of the Indian 
Subcontinent?
3. What were its major 
achievements?
The Big 
Questions
6-100724_v8.indd   85 6-100724_v8.indd   85 11-Jul-24   4:24:54 PM 11-Jul-24   4:24:54 PM
86
Exploring Society: India and Beyond 
Tapestry of the Past
What Is a Civilisation?
At the end of Chapter 4, we saw the first human groups 
settling down, practising agriculture, developing some 
technologies (such as construction, metallurgy, transport) 
and moving towards ‘civilisation’. 
What, then, is civilisation? In general, the term is used for 
an advanced stage of human societies. To be precise, we 
will consider here that a ‘civilisation’ should have at least 
the following characteristics:
 ? some form of government and administration — to 
manage a more complex society and its many activities
 ? urbanism — town-planning, the growth of cities and 
their management, which generally includes water 
management and a drainage system
 ? a variety of crafts — including the management of raw 
materials (such as stone or metal) and the production 
of finished goods (such as ornaments and tools)
 ? trade both internal (within a city or a region) and 
external (with distant regions or other parts of the 
world) — to exchange all sorts of goods
 ? some form of writing — needed to keep records and to 
communicate
 ? cultural ideas about life and the world, expressed 
through art, architecture, literature, oral traditions or 
social customs
 ? a productive agriculture — enough to feed not just 
the villages, but also the cities.
THINK ABOUT IT
Which of the above characteristics do you think is the most 
fundamental — that is, a characteristic essential to the 
development of all others?
Metallurgy: 
Includes the 
techniques 
of extracting 
metals from 
nature, 
purifying or 
combining 
them, as well 
as the scientific 
study of metals 
and their 
properties.
6-100724_v8.indd   86 6-100724_v8.indd   86 11-Jul-24   4:24:54 PM 11-Jul-24   4:24:54 PM
87
6 ? The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation
LET’S EXPLORE
For each characteristic in the list above, can you make a list of 
professions or occupations that might exist in such a society? 
It is easy enough to see that all these characteristics are 
present in most societies in the world today. But when did 
civilisation begin, in the sense we have now defined? 
Civilisation began at different times in different parts of the 
world. In the region known as Mesopotamia (modern Iraq 
and Syria), that happened about 6,000 years ago, and the 
civilisation in ancient Egypt followed a few centuries later. 
You will learn about these and a few more civilisations in a 
later grade. In many ways, humanity would not have reached 
its present stage without the enormous contributions and 
advances of those ancient civilisations.
For now, however, we will only look at the Indian 
Subcontinent, and its northwest region is where our story 
begins. 
Beginning 
of Egyptian 
civilisation
Indus-Sarasvati 
civilisation
3000 
BCE
4000 
BCE
2000 
BCE
Beginning of 
Mesopotamian 
civilisation
Fig. 6.2. Timeline showing the period of the Indus-Sarasvati civilisation, from 
about 2600 to 1900 BCE.
6-100724_v8.indd   87 6-100724_v8.indd   87 11-Jul-24   4:24:57 PM 11-Jul-24   4:24:57 PM
Page 4


85
6 ? The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation
The Beginnings of 
Indian Civilisation
CHAPTER
6
 
The most ancient civilisation of India, known variously as the 
Harappan, Indus or Indus-Sarasvati Civilisation, was indeed 
remarkable in many ways. ... [It showed how] a well-balanced 
community lives — in which the differences between the rich 
and the poor are not glaring. ... In essence, the Harappan 
societal scenario was not that of ‘exploitation’, but of mutual 
‘accommodation’.
— B.B. Lal
Fig. 6.1. The North Gate entrance 
to Dholavira’s ‘Castle’ area.
1. What is a civilisation?
2. What was the earliest 
civilisation of the Indian 
Subcontinent?
3. What were its major 
achievements?
The Big 
Questions
6-100724_v8.indd   85 6-100724_v8.indd   85 11-Jul-24   4:24:54 PM 11-Jul-24   4:24:54 PM
86
Exploring Society: India and Beyond 
Tapestry of the Past
What Is a Civilisation?
At the end of Chapter 4, we saw the first human groups 
settling down, practising agriculture, developing some 
technologies (such as construction, metallurgy, transport) 
and moving towards ‘civilisation’. 
What, then, is civilisation? In general, the term is used for 
an advanced stage of human societies. To be precise, we 
will consider here that a ‘civilisation’ should have at least 
the following characteristics:
 ? some form of government and administration — to 
manage a more complex society and its many activities
 ? urbanism — town-planning, the growth of cities and 
their management, which generally includes water 
management and a drainage system
 ? a variety of crafts — including the management of raw 
materials (such as stone or metal) and the production 
of finished goods (such as ornaments and tools)
 ? trade both internal (within a city or a region) and 
external (with distant regions or other parts of the 
world) — to exchange all sorts of goods
 ? some form of writing — needed to keep records and to 
communicate
 ? cultural ideas about life and the world, expressed 
through art, architecture, literature, oral traditions or 
social customs
 ? a productive agriculture — enough to feed not just 
the villages, but also the cities.
THINK ABOUT IT
Which of the above characteristics do you think is the most 
fundamental — that is, a characteristic essential to the 
development of all others?
Metallurgy: 
Includes the 
techniques 
of extracting 
metals from 
nature, 
purifying or 
combining 
them, as well 
as the scientific 
study of metals 
and their 
properties.
6-100724_v8.indd   86 6-100724_v8.indd   86 11-Jul-24   4:24:54 PM 11-Jul-24   4:24:54 PM
87
6 ? The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation
LET’S EXPLORE
For each characteristic in the list above, can you make a list of 
professions or occupations that might exist in such a society? 
It is easy enough to see that all these characteristics are 
present in most societies in the world today. But when did 
civilisation begin, in the sense we have now defined? 
Civilisation began at different times in different parts of the 
world. In the region known as Mesopotamia (modern Iraq 
and Syria), that happened about 6,000 years ago, and the 
civilisation in ancient Egypt followed a few centuries later. 
You will learn about these and a few more civilisations in a 
later grade. In many ways, humanity would not have reached 
its present stage without the enormous contributions and 
advances of those ancient civilisations.
For now, however, we will only look at the Indian 
Subcontinent, and its northwest region is where our story 
begins. 
Beginning 
of Egyptian 
civilisation
Indus-Sarasvati 
civilisation
3000 
BCE
4000 
BCE
2000 
BCE
Beginning of 
Mesopotamian 
civilisation
Fig. 6.2. Timeline showing the period of the Indus-Sarasvati civilisation, from 
about 2600 to 1900 BCE.
6-100724_v8.indd   87 6-100724_v8.indd   87 11-Jul-24   4:24:57 PM 11-Jul-24   4:24:57 PM
88
Exploring Society: India and Beyond 
Tapestry of the Past
From Village to City
The vast plains of the Punjab (today 
divided between India and Pakistan) and 
Sindh (now in Pakistan) are watered by 
the Indus River and its tributaries. This 
made those plains fertile and, therefore, 
favourable to agriculture. A little further 
east, a few millenniums ago, another 
river, the Sarasvati, used to flow from 
the foothills of the Himalayas through 
Haryana, Punjab, parts of Rajasthan 
and Gujarat (see Fig. 6.3). In this whole 
region, from about 3500 BCE, villages 
grew into towns, and with increasing 
trade and other exchanges, those towns 
further grew into cities. This transition 
happened around 2600 BCE. 
Archaeologists gave this civilisation 
several names — ‘Indus’, ‘Harappan’, 
‘Indus-Sarasvati’ or ‘Sindhu-Sarasvati’ 
civilisation. We will use all these terms. 
Its inhabitants are called ‘Harappans’. 
It is one of the oldest civilisations in the 
world.
Tributary:  
A river that 
flows into a 
larger river 
(or lake). For 
instance, the 
Yamuna is a 
tributary of the 
Ganga.
DON’T MISS OUT
Why are the inhabitants of this civilisation called ‘Harappans’ 
today? That is simply because the city of Harappa (today in 
Pakistan’s Punjab) was the first of this civilisation to be exca-
vated, way back in 1920–21, over a century ago.
This development is also called the ‘First Urbanisation of 
India’.  
6-100724_v8.indd   88 6-100724_v8.indd   88 11-Jul-24   4:25:00 PM 11-Jul-24   4:25:00 PM
Page 5


85
6 ? The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation
The Beginnings of 
Indian Civilisation
CHAPTER
6
 
The most ancient civilisation of India, known variously as the 
Harappan, Indus or Indus-Sarasvati Civilisation, was indeed 
remarkable in many ways. ... [It showed how] a well-balanced 
community lives — in which the differences between the rich 
and the poor are not glaring. ... In essence, the Harappan 
societal scenario was not that of ‘exploitation’, but of mutual 
‘accommodation’.
— B.B. Lal
Fig. 6.1. The North Gate entrance 
to Dholavira’s ‘Castle’ area.
1. What is a civilisation?
2. What was the earliest 
civilisation of the Indian 
Subcontinent?
3. What were its major 
achievements?
The Big 
Questions
6-100724_v8.indd   85 6-100724_v8.indd   85 11-Jul-24   4:24:54 PM 11-Jul-24   4:24:54 PM
86
Exploring Society: India and Beyond 
Tapestry of the Past
What Is a Civilisation?
At the end of Chapter 4, we saw the first human groups 
settling down, practising agriculture, developing some 
technologies (such as construction, metallurgy, transport) 
and moving towards ‘civilisation’. 
What, then, is civilisation? In general, the term is used for 
an advanced stage of human societies. To be precise, we 
will consider here that a ‘civilisation’ should have at least 
the following characteristics:
 ? some form of government and administration — to 
manage a more complex society and its many activities
 ? urbanism — town-planning, the growth of cities and 
their management, which generally includes water 
management and a drainage system
 ? a variety of crafts — including the management of raw 
materials (such as stone or metal) and the production 
of finished goods (such as ornaments and tools)
 ? trade both internal (within a city or a region) and 
external (with distant regions or other parts of the 
world) — to exchange all sorts of goods
 ? some form of writing — needed to keep records and to 
communicate
 ? cultural ideas about life and the world, expressed 
through art, architecture, literature, oral traditions or 
social customs
 ? a productive agriculture — enough to feed not just 
the villages, but also the cities.
THINK ABOUT IT
Which of the above characteristics do you think is the most 
fundamental — that is, a characteristic essential to the 
development of all others?
Metallurgy: 
Includes the 
techniques 
of extracting 
metals from 
nature, 
purifying or 
combining 
them, as well 
as the scientific 
study of metals 
and their 
properties.
6-100724_v8.indd   86 6-100724_v8.indd   86 11-Jul-24   4:24:54 PM 11-Jul-24   4:24:54 PM
87
6 ? The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation
LET’S EXPLORE
For each characteristic in the list above, can you make a list of 
professions or occupations that might exist in such a society? 
It is easy enough to see that all these characteristics are 
present in most societies in the world today. But when did 
civilisation begin, in the sense we have now defined? 
Civilisation began at different times in different parts of the 
world. In the region known as Mesopotamia (modern Iraq 
and Syria), that happened about 6,000 years ago, and the 
civilisation in ancient Egypt followed a few centuries later. 
You will learn about these and a few more civilisations in a 
later grade. In many ways, humanity would not have reached 
its present stage without the enormous contributions and 
advances of those ancient civilisations.
For now, however, we will only look at the Indian 
Subcontinent, and its northwest region is where our story 
begins. 
Beginning 
of Egyptian 
civilisation
Indus-Sarasvati 
civilisation
3000 
BCE
4000 
BCE
2000 
BCE
Beginning of 
Mesopotamian 
civilisation
Fig. 6.2. Timeline showing the period of the Indus-Sarasvati civilisation, from 
about 2600 to 1900 BCE.
6-100724_v8.indd   87 6-100724_v8.indd   87 11-Jul-24   4:24:57 PM 11-Jul-24   4:24:57 PM
88
Exploring Society: India and Beyond 
Tapestry of the Past
From Village to City
The vast plains of the Punjab (today 
divided between India and Pakistan) and 
Sindh (now in Pakistan) are watered by 
the Indus River and its tributaries. This 
made those plains fertile and, therefore, 
favourable to agriculture. A little further 
east, a few millenniums ago, another 
river, the Sarasvati, used to flow from 
the foothills of the Himalayas through 
Haryana, Punjab, parts of Rajasthan 
and Gujarat (see Fig. 6.3). In this whole 
region, from about 3500 BCE, villages 
grew into towns, and with increasing 
trade and other exchanges, those towns 
further grew into cities. This transition 
happened around 2600 BCE. 
Archaeologists gave this civilisation 
several names — ‘Indus’, ‘Harappan’, 
‘Indus-Sarasvati’ or ‘Sindhu-Sarasvati’ 
civilisation. We will use all these terms. 
Its inhabitants are called ‘Harappans’. 
It is one of the oldest civilisations in the 
world.
Tributary:  
A river that 
flows into a 
larger river 
(or lake). For 
instance, the 
Yamuna is a 
tributary of the 
Ganga.
DON’T MISS OUT
Why are the inhabitants of this civilisation called ‘Harappans’ 
today? That is simply because the city of Harappa (today in 
Pakistan’s Punjab) was the first of this civilisation to be exca-
vated, way back in 1920–21, over a century ago.
This development is also called the ‘First Urbanisation of 
India’.  
6-100724_v8.indd   88 6-100724_v8.indd   88 11-Jul-24   4:25:00 PM 11-Jul-24   4:25:00 PM
89
6 ? The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation
LET’S EXPLORE
Some of the important cities of this civilisation are marked in 
the map (Fig. 6.3). As a class activity, can you try to match these 
cities with the modern states or regions in the table on the next 
page?
Fig. 6.3. Map of some of the main settlements of the Indus-Sarasvati 
civilisation. Notice the natural boundaries formed by the mountain ranges  
(in brown colour). 
6-100724_v8.indd   89 6-100724_v8.indd   89 11-Jul-24   4:25:03 PM 11-Jul-24   4:25:03 PM