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Bronze Age: Indus Valley civilization Hello everyone, welcome to another video.Today, we will continue our journey into the bronze Age by discussing about Indus Valley.They thrived side to side with other civilization like ancient china, Egypt and Mesopotamia.Now lets start the video. Pre-History The Indus Valley Civilisation was a Bronze Age civilisation in the northwestern regions of South Asia, modern day Pakistan and India.Together with ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, it was one of three early civilisations of the Near East and South Asia, and of the three, the most widespread.It flourished in the basins of the Indus River, which flows through the length of Pakistan, and along a system of perennial, mostly monsoon-fed, rivers that once coursed in the vicinity of the seasonal Ghaggar-Hakra river in northwest India.The two best-known excavated cities of this culture are Harappa and Mohenjo-daro (located in modern-day Pakistan), both of which are thought to have once had populations of between 40,000-50,000 people, which is stunning when one realizes that most ancient cities had on average 10,000 people living in them.The total population of the civilization is thought to have been upward of 5 million, and its territory stretched over 900 miles (1,500 km) along the banks of the Indus River and then in all directions outward. Cities and Language The Indus Valley civilization (3300–1700 B.C.E.), also known as the Harappan civilization, was one of the earliest urban civilizations.Although the Harappans had a written language, the Indus Script remains undeciphered. Most of what is known about their culture and civilization comes from the ruins of their two largest cities: Harappa and Mohenjo-daro. Both cities cover slightly less than 2.6 square kilometers (one square mile). Mohenjo-daro has been estimated to have had a population of around 40,000 or more; Harappa is believed to be around the same. The cities, located about 400 miles from one another, were generally similar in layout. Each city was laid out in a grid-like pattern oriented on a north-south axis.The Harappan cities did not have palaces or temples, and show no evidence that the society was ruled by hereditary potentates like kings and queens.They must have elected officials or elites to manage and govern.The citadel mound complex at Mohenjo-daro was oriented on a north-south axis and The citadel complex included a structure called the Great Bath, as well as a granary, a residential structure, and assembly buildings.One of the more significant features of Harappan cities was their sophisticated water supply and waste extraction systems.Most houses in the lower town had their own bathrooms; many had their own wells. The bathrooms were typically arranged against the house's outside wall so both the bath and the toilet could discharge into the sewage network. This sewage network consisted of covered sewers built under the streets with removable covers for access for cleaning. In places where the effluent had to traverse long distances, sump- or cess-pits were provided.People lived in stone houses that were 2-3 stories high and all of them had sewage systems. The system was built with mud bricks and ran under the street. The city of Mohenjo Daro had 3,500 people. they had about 700 wells which brought underground water to the surface. The upper and lower sides of the city Mohenjo Daro were not joined but they were close together. The upper side was built out of mud with large buildings and also the Great Bath. The lower side of the city had small houses that were all similar. Ordinary people lived and worked in the lower side. Architecture and measurements The civilization's cities were noted for their urban planning, baked brick houses, elaborate drainage systems, water supply systems, clusters of large non-residential buildings, and new techniques in handicraft (carnelian products, seal carving) and metallurgy (copper, bronze, lead, and tin).[1] Its large urban centres of Mohenjo-daro and Harappa very likely grew to containing between 30,000 and 60,000 individuals,[2][note 1] and the civilisation itself during its florescence may have contained between one and five million individuals.The bricks were made in ratios of 1x2x4. “Houses range from 1–2 stories in height, with a central courtyard around which the rooms are arranged”Sites were often raised, or built on man made hills.[5] This could be to combat flooding in the nearby areas. Another aspect of the architecture is they often built walls around their entire cities. This could have served several different needs. Trade,Art and Religion When the archaeologists started exploring this place, many proofs regarding the Harappan culture and Indus Valley trade were found. Historians claim that this was the land of early development where trade and agricultural economy came into existence.the rivers surrounding their area, the land was fertile and they used to cultivate many crops such as Barley, Wheat, Melon seeds and oil crops like Sesame, Mustard, and Dates.Cotton was also cultivated and was traded to make cloth out of it, which was also marketed.The city workers used to make Pots, Plates, and glasses out of mud and clay to sell them. The traders would bring the materials that workers need and collect the finished goods for trade. Unearthed ornaments and the accessories made out of Seashells, Pearls, and beads were also traded. The Harappan people even made Terracotta Pots and painted them to trade. Coloured gemstones such as turquoise, lapis and lazuli were also sold by them.The Harappan people used to trade with foreign lands traveling through seas. The seaports found in Harappan civilization state that they were not bound to their own territories. They had traded with Iran and Afghanistan for Minerals, while Lead and Copper were exported from India. It was found that they also imported Jade from China. Gods There are many seals to support the evidence of the Indus Valley Gods. Some seals show animals which resemble the two gods, Shiva and Rudra. Other seals depict a tree which the Indus Valley believed to be the tree of life. The tree was guarded by a spirit to keep the evil forces away from the tree.The Indus Valley people built bathhouses and practiced ritual bathing. The great bath of Mohenjo-Daro was probably a proto type of a kovil or sacred tank(The great bath) found mostly in ancient temples in southern India where people may have performed Important rituals for special occasions. Collapse of the civilization By 1900 BC many Indus cities had been abandoned. Historians believe things started to fall apart around 1700 BC. But how did this apparently peaceful, well-organised civilisation collapse in just 200 years.Looking at the ruins we can see many changes. The cities became overcrowded, with houses built on top of houses. Trade was very important for the Indus civilisation.Around the time the Indus cities started to fail, Mesopotamia was going through huge political problems. Their trade networks collapsed and this would have had a big impact on the Indus cities.some historian also believe that the Indus civilisation collapsed because of changes to the geography and climate of the area. Movements in the Earth’s crust (the outside layer) might have caused the Indus river to flood and change its direction.It is believed that at the same time, the Ghagger Hakra River (another river in the area) dried up. People were forced to abandon many of the cities located along its banks.People would have starved and diseases would have spread.The main reasons for why this ancient civilization is still unknown but could be waterd down into the stated facts. Thank you so much for watching and if you stuck around till the end, Here's a fun fact about Indus Valley. "The first dentist was born in the Indus valley civilization". If you like this video please click the subscribe button and hit the notification bell, to keep up with the series.