Harappan Script | History Optional for UPSC (Notes) PDF Download

Introduction

The Harappan civilization, one of the most advanced ancient cultures, presents a significant mystery when it comes to understanding their language and writing system.

The Harappan Script

• Archaeologists have discovered the Harappan written script, but it remains undeciphered due to the brevity of the messages on seals, which are too short for computer analysis.
• The script consists of a unique combination of symbols accompanying images (pictographs) on each seal, varying from seal to seal, making it challenging to derive meaning.
• It is believed that people in different regions of the Harappan culture zone spoke various languages and dialects, with the writing on seals likely representing the language of the ruling elite.
• Scholarly debates suggest the language might belong to the Dravidian or Indo-Aryan families, but there is no consensus on the Harappan language’s affiliation or the script’s decipherment.

Inscribed Objects

• Approximately 3,700 inscribed objects have been discovered at Harappan sites, with most found on seals and sealings, and some on copper tablets, pottery, and other items.
• Mohenjodaro accounts for about half of these objects, with Mohenjodaro and Harappa together comprising 87% of all inscribed material.
• The inscriptions are generally short, averaging five signs, with the longest containing 26 signs (e.g., Dholavira “signboard”).
• The script appears fully developed, with around 400–450 basic signs, and is logo-syllabic, meaning each symbol represents a word or syllable.
• It was typically written from right to left, though there are instances of left-to-right writing and boustrophedon style for longer inscriptions.

Seals and Sealings

• Writing is commonly found on seals, some of which were impressed onto moist clay tablets called sealings, likely by merchants for authenticating merchandise.
• The presence of textile impressions on some sealings supports this theory.
• However, more seals than sealings have been found, suggesting that seals may have had other purposes, such as tokens for trade, amulets, or identification markers for wealthy individuals.
• Seals may have symbolized families or clans, and those no longer in use were intentionally broken to prevent misuse.
• Tablets with narrative scenes might have had religious or ritualistic significance.

Miniature Tablets and Copper Tablets

• Writing also appears on miniature tablets made of steatite, terracotta, and faience, with the writing not reversed as on seals.
• Rectangular copper tablets with writing and animal motifs were found at Mohenjodaro, while a few tablets with raised writing were discovered at Harappa, indicating restricted use.

Writing on Pottery and Other Items

• Evidence of writing on pottery suggests its use in craft production and economic transactions, even if potters were illiterate, they must have recognized the symbols.
• Pointed goblets with seal impressions may indicate the name or status of the person for whom the pot was made.
• Items like copper and bronze tools, stoneware bangles, bone pins, and gold jewelry were sometimes inscribed.
• A copper vessel from Mohenjodaro contained numerous gold objects, including ornaments with tiny inscriptions, likely naming the owner.
• Writing on personal possessions such as bangles, tools, beads, and bone rods may have had magical, religious, or ritualistic significance.
• The Dholavira ‘signboard’ might reflect urban literacy, indicating a civic use of writing.

Survival and Cultural Integration

• It is likely that only a small portion of Harappan written material has survived, and that people wrote on perishable materials as well.
• The common script across the vast Harappan culture zone indicates a high level of cultural integration.
• The script’s virtual disappearance by around 1700 BCE suggests a close link between writing and city life, along with insufficient downward percolation of writing.
• Unlike other ancient scripts that evolved over time, the Harappan script remained unchanged throughout the civilization’s existence, indicating that it was not widely used.
• It is possible that only a small group of privileged scribes controlled the written word, and it is unclear whether they had a system of teaching similar to contemporary Mesopotamia.