World’s First Urban Civilization – Harappan Civilization

What is Harrapan civilization?

Harappan civilization is the world’s first urban civilization and one of the oldest. About 100 years before, no one even had a clue that such a great, advanced, and old civilization existed in India.

It was contemporary to the Mesopotamia and Egypt civilizations or believed to be older than them.

First, it was known as the Indus valley civilization because it was developed near the river Indus. But as per the later findings, it was spread beyond the Indus valley so, it was named after the Harappa- the first city found.

Sometimes it is also referred to as Sarasvati Civilization because most of its archeological sites have been found at the bank of the Ghaghra-Hakra river, Which is believed to be the path of the ancient Sarasvati.

Discovery of the world’s oldest civilization

It all started with the first British railway lines between Lahore and Karachi. Engineers found the ruins near the village Harappa and unknowingly they used bricks from the ruins for building railway tracks.

After that series of inventors visited the site and found something that had to change India’s history forever.

In 1872 Sir Alexander Cunnigham visited the site but mistakenly he dated it around 400 BCE.

In 1912 another British amateur archaeologist John Faithfull visited the site and discovered the odd seals. He also found that it was much older than previously predicted. From here the journey started to finding the oldest city of India buried underground.

In 1921 Director General of the archeology of India appointed his assistant Daya Ram Sahni to supervise. They continued to dig and found that ruins were from around 2500 BCE to 1900 BCE. It was not just the oldest and largest city but a very older civilization than anyone had suspected.

The place was named based on the nearest town Harappa and the civilization was also called Harrapan civilization. Harappa seemed the bid city like their capital.

For the next 10 years, excavations continued and they found another city Mohenjo-Daro on the banks of the Indus River.

By 1931 it was clear that the past of India is much older, more complex, and advanced than anyone ever expected.

Where do the Harappan people come from?

The Harrapan civilization is much older than the chalcolithic culture but as for the bronze age civilization, it was way more advanced.

Historians belives that nomadic people from around 10000 BCE started this civilization. The people lived in small groups, with temporary portable homes going with whatever they found on the way fruits, berries, and roots. Around 7000 BCE, these people started to stabilize and practice agriculture. With the gradual evolution, they found an efficient way for food producing and making permanent residents. They also herded cattle, sheep, and goats. By 5000 BCE there is evidence that started trading with other cultures as far as the coast of the Arabian sea and Central Asia. By the time some of their small settlements had grown into towns.

However, these all are the beliefs we do not know the exact origin of the Indus valley people. But if we go with most of the findings it suggests that they emerged from the early settlements rather than came from elsewhere.

Harappan civilization was much larger and more advanced than our expectations. It spread not only in India and Pakistan but also in current Afghanistan.

The total area covered by the Harrapans was very huge ranging from 680,000 to 800,000 sq km. In the north, it was extended to Manda – Jammu, and Kashmir in south Malvan – Gujarat, west Sutkagen dor – Pakistan, east Alamgirpur – Uttar Pradesh.