Ancient India

The oldest name - Indus civilization. According to archelogical tradition, the most appropriate name- Harrapan Civilization (Harrapa- the first discovered site).According to geographical point of view, the most suitable name - Inuds-Saraswati Civilization. The most accepted period - 2500 BC - 1750 BC. John Marshall was the first scholar to use the term 'Indus civilization'. The Indus civilization belongs to Proto- Historic period.Scholar generally believed that Harrapan- Ghaggar- Mohenjodrao axis represent the heartland of the Indus civilization.

                    The northern most site of Indus civilization- Ropar (sutlej)/Punjab (earlier); Manda (chenab)/ Jammu kashmir(now).
                    The southern most site of Indus civilization- Bhagatrav(Kim)/ Gujarat(earlier); Daimabad(pravara)/ Maharashtra(Now).
                    The Eastern most site of Indus civilization- Alamgirpur (Hindon)/Uttar pradesh. The Western most site of Indus civilization- Sutkagendor(Dashk)/Makran Coast, Pakistan- Iran border.

Site                          Archaeological Finds

Harrapa  -    6 Granaries in a row, working floors,workmen's quarters, virgin -Goddess (seal), cementery, stone symbols of lingum (male se organ) and yoni (female sex organ) painted            pottery , clay figures of Mother Goddess, wheat                                 and barley in wooden mortar, copper scale.

Mohenjodaro -   Great granary, great bath( the largest building of  civilization), assembly hall, shell strips, pashupati Mahadeva, bronze image of nude woman dancer,Human skeleton huddled together, Brick kilns.

Chanhudaro  -  Lipstick, metal workers, Terracotta model of  bullock cart, bronze toy cart.

Mohenjodaro is the largest site of Indus civilization, Rakhigarhi is the largest Indian site of Indus civilization.

Surkotada(kutchh districy, Gujarat) is the only Indus site where the remains of horse have actually been found.

Main corps:- wheat and Barely; evidence of cultivation of rice in Lothal and Rangpur(Gujarat) only. other corps are Dates, mustard, seasamum, cotton etc. Indus people were the first to produce the cotton in the world.

Animal:- sheep, goat, humped and humpless bull, buffalo, boar, dog. cat , pig, deer, tortoise, elephant, camel, tiger etc.

• A very interesting feature of this civilization was that Iron was not known to people.
• The sumerian text refers to trade relation with 'Meluha' which was the name given to the Indus civilization.
• Shatughai and Mundigaq were the Indus sites found in Afghanistan.
• The Harrapan were the earliest people to produce the cotton.
• As there is no evidence of coins, barter is assumed to have been the normal method of exchanges of goods.
• The Harrapn people didn't worship their God in temple. No temple in fact has been unearthed. An idea of their religion is formed from the statues and figurines found.
• The most commonly found figurine is that of Mother Goddess(Matridevi or shakti).
• Shiva Shakti worship, the oldest form of worship in India, appears to have been part of the religious belief of Harrapan people.