**Indus Valley Civilization: Origin and Authors**

The Indus Valley Civilization, also known as the Harappan Civilization, was one of the ancient world's most advanced urban civilizations. It flourished around 2500 BCE to 1900 BCE in what is now modern-day Pakistan and northwest India. The civilization was named after the Indus River, which played a vital role in the development of its cities.

**Origin of the Indus Valley Civilization:**
The exact origin of the Indus Valley Civilization is still a subject of debate among archaeologists and historians. Several theories have been proposed to explain its origins, but no consensus has been reached. Some of the prominent theories include:

1. Indigenous Development: This theory suggests that the civilization developed locally from the farming communities of the region. It proposes that the people living in the Indus Valley gradually developed sophisticated agricultural practices, trade networks, and urban settlements.

2. Migration and Aryan Invasion: According to this theory, the Indus Valley Civilization was established by migrants from Central Asia or the Iranian plateau. It suggests that the civilization was later invaded and destroyed by the Aryans, who migrated into the region.

3. Trade and Cultural Exchange: Another theory proposes that the civilization developed through extensive trade networks and cultural exchange with neighboring regions. It suggests that the Indus Valley people adopted and adapted various cultural elements from different societies.

**Authors of the Indus Valley Civilization:**
The Indus Valley Civilization is known for its impressive urban planning, advanced infrastructure, and unique script. However, the script used by the Indus Valley people remains undeciphered, and thus, the authors of the civilization remain unidentified. The lack of decipherment of the script limits our understanding of their literature and intellectual pursuits.

Archaeological excavations have revealed a wealth of information about the material culture and lifestyle of the Indus Valley people. The authors of the civilization can be inferred based on the artifacts, architecture, and city planning that have been uncovered. Some of the notable features include:

1. Urban Planning: The cities of the Indus Valley Civilization were well-planned, with advanced drainage systems, grid-like streets, and multi-story buildings. The planning and execution of such cities required skilled architects, engineers, and urban planners.

2. Pottery and Crafts: The Indus Valley people were skilled in pottery-making, metalworking, and craftsmanship. The intricate designs and motifs found on pottery vessels and other artifacts indicate the presence of skilled artisans and craftsmen.

3. Agricultural Techniques: The civilization relied heavily on agriculture, and evidence of advanced agricultural practices, such as irrigation systems and crop rotation, suggests knowledge and expertise in the field of agriculture.

In conclusion, the origin of the Indus Valley Civilization is still a matter of debate, with various theories proposed to explain its development. The authors of the civilization remain unknown due to the undeciphered script. However, based on the architectural, artistic, and technological achievements of the civilization, it can be inferred that skilled architects, engineers, craftsmen, and urban planners were responsible for creating and maintaining the impressive cities and infrastructure of the Indus Valley Civilization.

The Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC) was a Bronze Age civilisation in the northwestern regions of South Asia, lasting from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, and in its mature form from 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE.[a] Together with ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, it was one of three early civilisations of the Near East and South Asia, and of the three, the most widespread, its sites spanning an area stretching from northeast Afghanistan, through much of Pakistan, and into western and northwestern India.[b] It flourished in the basins of the Indus River, which flows through the length of Pakistan, and along a system of perennial, mostly monsoon-fed, rivers that once coursed in the vicinity of the seasonal Ghaggar-Hakra river in northwest India and eastern Pakistan.
The civilisation's cities were noted for their urban planning, baked brick houses, elaborate drainage systems, water supply systems, clusters of large non-residential buildings, and new techniques in handicraft (carnelian products, seal carving) and metallurgy (copper, bronze, lead, and tin). The large cities of Mohenjo-daro and Harappa very likely grew to containing between 30,000 and 60,000 individuals[c] and the civilisation itself during its florescence may have contained between one and five million individuals.[d]

Gradual drying of the region's soil during the 3rd millennium BCE may have been the initial spur for the urbanisation associated with the civilisation, but eventually weaker monsoons and reduced water supply caused the civilisation's demise, and to scatter its population eastward and southward.

The Indus civilisation is also known as the Harappan Civilisation, after its type site, Harappa, the first of its sites to be excavated early in the 20th century in what was then the Punjab province of British India and now is Pakistan.[e] The discovery of Harappa and soon afterwards Mohenjo-daro was the culmination of work beginning in 1861 with the founding of the Archaeological Survey of India during the British Raj. There were however earlier and later cultures often called Early Harappan and Late Harappan in the same area; for this reason, the Harappan civilisation is sometimes called the Mature Harappan to distinguish it from these other cultures.