Urban Growth - UPSC PDF Download

Indus Valley Civilization was spread over a vast geographical area of 1.3 million sq. km which extends from modern day Iran in the west to UP in the east, J & K in the north to Maharashtra in the South. Most of the cities found during excavation are situated either on banks of river Indus or now dried up river Saraswati. Archaeologist in total have found a total 1400 sites till now of which 925 are in India and 475 are in Pakistan.

The IVC was the largest ancient civilization by area and was essentially a city culture sustained by surplus agricultural produce and extensive commerce, which included trade with Sumerians. Thus, it contained a large number of urban settlements or cities.

IVC Urban Centres

It extended over a core area of 1500 square kilometre and during its peak was home to 1-5 million people based on a conservative estimate. The Indus Valley Civilisation extended from Pakistan's Baluchistan in the west to India's western Uttar Pradesh in the east, from north-eastern Afghanistan in the north to India's Gujarat state in the south.  

Details and Significance of IVC Sites

1. Mohenjo-daro

Excavated site of Mohenjo-daro

• Literally means ‘the mound of dead men’.
• It is located on the banks of the Indus River in the Sindh Province of Pakistan.
• It is one of the better preserved cities of the IVC.
• Built around 2500 BCE, it was one of the largest settlements of the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation, and one of the world's earliest major cities
• The most dramatic characteristic of the city is a commanding Citadel. It is a massive, mud-filled brick embankment which rises 43 feet above the lower city.
• The Citadel contained a ‘College’, a multi-pillared ‘Assembly Hall’ and the famous ‘Great Bath’.
• Most Mohenjo-daro houses are built of kiln fired brick. The major streets are 33 feet wide and run north-south intersecting subordinate ones, running east-west, at right angles.
• There is a great granary consisting of a podium of square blocks of burnt-bricks with a wooden superstructure.
• Parallel rows of two-roomed cottages were found. These cottages were perhaps used by the workmen or poor section of the society.
• The city of Mohenjo-daro shows nine levels of occupation above the present floodplain. The city was flooded at least 7 times.

2. Harappa

Excavated Site of Harappa

• It was the first site to be discovered and hence IVC is also known as the Harappan civilisation.
• It is located near the banks of the Ravi River in the Punjab Province of Pakistan.
• Along with Mohenjo-daro, Harappa was one of the two biggest cities of the IVC.
• Similar to Mohenjo-daro, two rows of six small granaries were found in Harappa.
• The citadel at Harappa also displays a Great Bath but of slightly different design.
• Between the granary and the citadel, have also been found a series of circular platforms, probably for the pounding of grain.
• At a lower level below the granary platforms and the citadel, were crowded single - celled dwellings.

3. Kalibangan

Excavated Site of Kalibangan

• It is located on the banks of the ancient river Saraswati, now known as Ghaggar-Hakra in Rajasthan, India.
• There is evidence of mud-brick fortification here.
• Here there is evidence that the fields were ploughed and is the world's earliest attested ploughed field.
• One of the platforms within the city citadel had fire altars which contained ash.
• Another platform has a kiln-burnt brick lined pit containing bones. These suggest the practice of the cult of sacrifice.
• The existence of wheel conveyance is proved by a cart-wheel having a single hub.
• A bangle factory was also excavated here.

4. Lothal

Lothal

• It is one of the southernmost cities of the Indus Valley Civilization located near the Gulf of Khambhat in Gujarat, India.
• It was a major port city and evidence of docks has been found.
• Lothal was a vital and thriving trade centre in ancient times, with its trade of beads, gems and valuable ornaments reaching the far corners of West Asia.
• The discovery of weights and measures proves that they knew arithmetic as well which is shown by a scale found at Lothal.
• It was surrounded by a thick, mud-brick wall on three sides, southern, western and northern.
• The dockyard and a wharf loading platform were located on the eastern side.
• Lothal is famous for its double burials.

5. Chanhudaro

Excavated Site of Chandudaro

• It is located south of the Mohejo-daro site in Sindh, Pakistan.
• It is theorised that Chanhudaro was located on the banks of the ancient Saraswati River.
• The city was twice destroyed by inundation.
• There was no citadel found in the site.
• Several constructions were identified as workshops or industrial quarters and some of the buildings of Chanhudaro might have been warehouses.
• A Bead Making Factory was found at Chanhudaro, which included a furnace.

6. Kot Diji

Kot Diji

• It is situated on the left bank of Indus river east of Mohenjo-daro.
• Wheel made of painted pottery, traces of a defensive wall and well-aligned streets, knowledge of metallurgy, artistic toys etc.
• Five figurines of the Mother Goddess were also discovered.
• The earliest occupation of this site is Pre-Harappan and is termed as Kot Dijian culture.
• It immediately preceded the Harappan phase.

7. Amri

Amri

• It is situated south of Mohenjo-daro.
• Knowledge of metal working, use of wheel pottery with animal figures painted on it, construction of rectangular houses, etc.
• This site is also Pre-Harappan and the culture here is called Amri culture.
• Amri had multi-level structures.
• It had distinct pottery technology called Amri ware.
• No writings were found in this site.

8. Banawali

Banawali

• It is situated on the left bank of the dried up Saraswati River in Haryana, India.
• Similar to Kalibangan, Amri, Kot Diji and Harappa, Banawali also shows two cultural phases: pre-Harappan and Harappan.
• Large quantities of barley, sesame and mustard were discovered here.
• A multi roomed house having a kitchen and a toilet was found, indicating that it may have belonged to a rich person.
• The settlement at Banawali was in an oval shape..
• It is the only IVC city that had radial streets.

9. Surkotada

Surkotada

• This site is located on the banks of now dried up river in the Kutch district of Gujarat, India.
• The settlement was comparatively smaller than other IVC sites.
• Both the citadel and the lower town discovered here were fortified.
• The total built up area of Surkotada of the period IC is in the form of a rectangle.
• The gates of Surkotada were different from the general Harappan design trends.
• This is particularly renowned for the remains of a horse jaw excavated from the site.

10. Desalpur

Burial Pit in Desalpur

• It is situated on the Bhadar River near Bhuj, Gujarat.
• It was a fortified township built of dressed stone with mud filling inside.
• The houses were constructed just against the fortification wall.
• In the centre, there was a building with massive walls and spacious rooms.
• Remains of a glazed ware pottery were found here.

11. Ropar

Ropar in Punjab

• It is situated on the beds of the Ghaggar-Hakra River and today lies on the banks of the Sutlej River in Punjab, India.
• The pottery is similar to that of the ones found from Kalibangan.
• The discovery of a dog buried below a human oval pit burial is interesting.
• Ropar was one of the bigger settlements in the region.

12. Dholavira

Dolavira

• It is one of the largest IVC sites discovered in post-independence India.
• It is located in Kutch district of Gujarat.
• Dholavira is famous for its water conservation and storage infrastructure.
• A Giant Water Reservoir and a unique water harnessing system were discovered here.
• The site also shows remains of dams and embankments.
• Unlike other Harappan cities, Dholavira was divided into three principal divisions, two of which were strongly protected by rectangular fortification.
• A huge circular structure on the site is believed to be a grave or memorial. It has ten radial mud-brick walls built in the shape of a wheel with spokes.
• Seven hemispherical constructions were found at Dholavira which were most likely burial tombs.
• Another significant discovery from here was what appears to be an advertisement board inscribed with 10 large signs.

13. Rakhigarhi

Rakhigarhi

• It is located on the seasonal Ghaggar-Hakar river plains in Haryana, India.
• The architecture here was similar to other Harappan cities.
• A unique feature from this site is that unlike other Harappan sites, here burials were also done in the prone position.
• The roads here were wider than usual.
• Recently, DNA analysis was performed on some of the skeletons unearthed rom Rakhigarhi.

Important IVC sites and Discoveries

Geographical Extent of IVC

We have made this chart to make your revision easier as most of the questions asked in UPSC preliminary examination are asked from the above chart and information. Document dealing with artifacts found in these cities are in a separate document.