Learning Objectives
- Students will learn about the Indus Valley Civilization.
- Students will understand how people lived about 5,000 years ago.
- Students will know about the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-daro.
- Students will appreciate the advanced planning of ancient Indian cities.
Let Us Begin!
About 5,000 years ago, one of the world's oldest and most advanced civilizations grew along the banks of the River Indus (now mostly in Pakistan and parts of India). This is called the Indus Valley Civilization or Harappan Civilization. The people who lived there were incredibly smart -- they built planned cities with straight roads, drainage systems, and even bathrooms in their homes!
[Image: Indus Valley Civilization scene — Great Bath of Mohenjo-daro, planned streets, drainage system, seals with bull and unicorn. Labels for key features. Title: "Indus Valley Civilization"]
The Two Great Cities
1. Harappa (in present-day Pakistan)
This was one of the first cities discovered. The entire civilization is named after it. It had a citadel (a raised area with important buildings) and a lower town where common people lived.
2. Mohenjo-daro (meaning "Mound of the Dead," in present-day Pakistan)
This was the largest city. It had the famous Great Bath -- a large pool that may have been used for religious bathing. The city had well-planned streets in a grid pattern, like a chessboard.
Indian sites: Lothal (Gujarat), Kalibangan (Rajasthan), Dholavira (Gujarat), and Rakhigarhi (Haryana) are important Indus Valley sites in India.
How Did People Live?
| Aspect | Details |
|---|
| Houses | Made of baked bricks. Had rooms, courtyards, wells, and bathrooms with drains. |
| Roads | Straight and wide, crossing at right angles. Main roads were up to 10 metres wide. |
| Drainage | Every house had drains connected to covered street drains. Very clean! |
| Food | Grew wheat, barley, rice, peas, and cotton. Kept cattle, sheep, and goats. |
| Crafts | Made beautiful pottery, jewellery, toys, and seals with animal pictures. |
| Trade | Traded with Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) using boats. Used standard weights and measures. |
| Writing | Had a script (writing system) that has not been decoded yet! |
Think about it -- 5,000 years ago, these people had better drainage than many places today! How advanced they must have been!
Key Words and Meanings
| Word | Meaning |
|---|
| Civilization | An advanced society with cities, laws, writing, and culture |
| Excavation | Digging up the ground carefully to find old objects and buildings |
| Citadel | A raised, fortified area in a city with important buildings |
| Great Bath | A large brick pool found in Mohenjo-daro |
| Seal | A small carved stone with pictures and writing, used for trade |
| Grid Pattern | Streets crossing each other at right angles, like a chessboard |
Key Points to Remember
- The Indus Valley Civilization is about 5,000 years old.
- Two main cities: Harappa and Mohenjo-daro.
- Cities had planned streets, drainage systems, and brick houses.
- The Great Bath in Mohenjo-daro is a famous structure.
- People grew crops, made crafts, and traded with other civilizations.
- Indian sites include Lothal, Dholavira, and Rakhigarhi.
Practice Questions
A. Fill in the Blanks:
1. The Indus Valley Civilization is about years old.
2. Mohenjo-daro means "."
3. The famous Great Bath was found in .
4. Houses were made of baked .
5. is an Indus Valley site in Gujarat, India.
B. True or False:
1. The Indus Valley people had no drainage system.
2. Streets in Mohenjo-daro were in a grid pattern.
3. The Indus Valley script has been fully decoded.
4. People grew wheat and barley.
5. Lothal is an Indus Valley site in Rajasthan.
C. Multiple Choice Questions:
1. The Indus Valley Civilization grew along which river?
(a) Ganga(b) Indus(c) Yamuna(d) Narmada
2. What were seals used for?
(a) Cooking(b) Trade(c) Fighting(d) Farming
D. Short Answer Questions:
1. What was special about the drainage system of Indus Valley cities?
2. Name two crops grown by Indus Valley people.
3. Why is the Indus Valley Civilization considered advanced?
Think and Do -- Fun Activity
City Planner: Imagine you are planning a city like Mohenjo-daro. Draw a simple map showing straight roads, houses with drains, a Great Bath, and a market area.
Compare: Write two things that are similar and two things that are different between an Indus Valley city and your city today.
Similar:
Different: