Indus Valley Civilization

Indus Valley Civilization

The Indus Valley civilization was among the few urban civilizations, which was the one of the greatest cultures of the ancient worlds. Its many great cities with paved streets, well-arranged and planned houses and good drainage system were much remarkable.  In fact they were the first people of the world  that known the concept of town planning and living in hygienic surroundings.

This Civilization was home the largest of the four ancient urban civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, South Asia and China.

Major sites of  this civilization have been mostly discovered in Pakistan. Ahmed Hassan Dani is a Pakistani archaeologist , who  is one of the foremost  authorities on South Asian Archaeology and history. He was the first Muslim graduate of the Banaras Hindu University, He worked in 1945 together with Mortimer Wheeler  on  Mo-en jo daro  excavation.

          

  In 1922, archaeologists discovered first  site of Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), known as Mo-enjo Daro(Sindh).  Harappa (Punjab)was discovered in 1923, Kot Diji (Sindh), Gumla -seven miles from Dera Ismail Khan.

Water plays an important role in the life cycle..Majority of early civilization flourished along the river valleys. The inhabitant  of IVC dwelt on the bank of Indus River so it is also called Indus River valley civilization.

The Indus, Nile, Tigris, Euphrates and other long rivers have been the regions of much organized civilizations, along these rivers people made settlements

Mo-enjo Daro:

Moenjo Daro is the ancient Indus valley city. It means mount of the dead.It was built around 2600BC and lasted about 1700BC. It was the administrative center of the civilization. It is located 25 km southwest of Larkana  in Sindh.

One can claim that Moen jo Daro was the one of the planned, developed and advanced cities of its times.

Harrapa:

Harappa is another center of IVC, Moenjo Daro and Harrapa, both cities were remarkable in their planning and constructions. These cities are believed to be the town capitals. Harrapa was center of trade as well.Harrapans cast tools and weapons in bronze.

Mehargarh:

It lies on the Kachhi Plain of Balochistan.It is located in the west of Indus river valley.

This city has its history and root in Neolithic Period  about 7000BC to 3200BC. It was the city of mud brick houses and discovered in 1974. People had cultivated here barley, wheat and dates. They had herd of goats , sheep and cattles.