The Indus Valley Civilisation, also known as the Harappan Civilisation, is the oldest civilisation in Asia. Extending from northeast Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwest India, it covered approximately 280,000 square miles. It flourished from 2600 to 1900 B.C and is said to have originated around 3000 B.C. Records state that the Indus Valley Civilisation had a population of more than five million at its peak. In 1920s, the first of its several sites, Harappa, was excavated so it came to be known as the ‘Harappan Civilisation.’ New techniques in handicraft were developed by the inhabitants of the Indus River valley. The cities in the Indus Valley civilisation are well-known for their water supply systems, baked brick houses, clusters of large non-residential buildings, urban planning and elaborate drainage system. Only a few weapons have been found at the excavated sites and that hint towards prosperity and peace. Several items indicate the flourishing trade the Indus valley people had with lands as far away as Sumer in southern Mesopotamia. Over 1000 cities/towns have been found of which 406 are in Pakistan, while 616 sites are in India. Some of the most important urban centres of the civilisation were Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, Ganeriwala, Dholavira, and Rakhigarhi.
Why Was It Named As The Indus Valley
Most of the major sites were found in the vicinity of the Indus Valley, so it was named the ‘Indus Valley Civilisation.’ In the 1920s, when the first of its sites, Harappa, was excavated, it also came to known as the Harappan civilisation. Many refer to the civilization as ‘Sindhu-Saraswati Civilisation,’ ‘Sarasvati Culture,’ or the ‘Indus-Saraswati Civilisation,’ as the Ghaggar-Hakra river is recognized with the mythological Sarasvati river by some.
Extent of The Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC)
The IVC extended over parts of Pakistan, north-eastern Afghanistan, Pakistani Balochistan, western India, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh in the east. The Indus sites have also been unearthed in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The largest number of sites are in the Gujarat belt Coastal settlements extending from Sutkagan Dor, Sindh, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan.
The IVC sites have largely been found on rivers, and also on islands and the ancient seacoast. More than 600 sites have been discovered along the dried up river beds of the Ghaggar-Hakra River and its tributaries. More than 400 sites have been unearthed along the Indus and its tributaries.