Review of studies shows Indus Valley, other ancient societies in South Asia were able to develop resilience to climate change

  • December 17, 2024
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
No Comments

 

 

Review of studies shows Indus Valley, other ancient societies in South Asia were able to develop resilience to climate change

Sub : History

Sec: Ancient History

Context:

  • A recent review of scientific studies highlights how ancient societies in South Asia, particularly the Indus Valley Civilisation, developed resilience to climate change over the past 5,000 years.

Indus Valley Civilisation: Water Management and Agricultural Adaptation

  • Impact of Drought (~4,200 years ago):
    • Scholars believe several civilisations, including the Indus Valley, Akkadian Empire (Mesopotamia), and Old Kingdom Egypt, were disrupted by drought events.
  • Water Management Innovations:
    • Efficient water use: Active interventions like ponds and reservoirs expanded surface water availability for agriculture.
    • Cropping strategies: Indus settlements adopted diverse agricultural methods tailored to various precipitation regimes and socio-ecological conditions.
  • Urban Planning and Monsoon Variability:
    • The Harappans developed advanced urban planning and water management systems to adapt to unpredictable monsoons.
    • Rural settlements with flexible farming strategies played a crucial role in ensuring socio-economic resilience.

Indus Valley Civilization was the first major civilization in South Asia,  which spread across a vast area of land in present-day India and Pakistan (around 12 lakh sq.km).

The time period of mature Indus Valley Civilization is estimated between BC. 2700- BC.1900 ie. for 800 years. But early Indus Valley Civilization had existed even before BC.2700.

Features of Indus Valley Civilization:

  • On the valleys of river Indus.
  • Also known as Harappan Civilization.
  • Beginning of city life.
  • Harappan Sites discovered by – Dayaram Sahni (1921) – Montgomery district, Punjab, Pakistan.
  • Mohanjodaro discovered by – R. D. Banerji – Larkana district, Sind, Pakistan.
  • The city was divided into Citadel(west) and Lower Town(east).
  • Red pottery painted with designs in black.
  • Stone weights, seals, special beads, copper tools, long stone blades etc.
  • Copper, bronze, silver, gold present.
  • Artificially produced – Faience.
  • Specialists for handicrafts.
  • Import of raw materials.
  • Plough was used.
  • Bodies were buried in wooden coffins, but during the later stages ‘Hsymmetry culture’ evolved where bodies were buried in painted burial urns.
  • Sugar cane not cultivated, horse, iron not used.

Indus Valley Sites and Specialties

HARAPPA

  • Seals out of stones
  • Citadel outside on banks of river Ravi

MOHENJODARO

  • Great Bath, Great Granary, Dancing Girl, Man with Beard, Cotton, Assembly hall
  • The term means ” Mount of the dead”
  • On the bank of river Indus
  • Believed to have been destructed by flood or invasion(Destruction was not gradual).

CHANHUDARO

  • Bank of Indus river. – discovered by Gopal Majumdar and Mackey (1931)
  • Pre-Harappan culture – Jhangar Culture and Jhukar Culture
  • Only cite without citadel.

KALIBANGAN

  • At Rajasthan on the banks of river Ghaggar, discovered by A.Ghosh (1953)
  • Fire Altars
  • Bones of camel
  • Evidence of furrows
  • Horse remains ( even though Indus valley people didn’t use horses).
  • Known as third capital of the Indus Empire.

LOTHAL

  • At Gujarat near Bhogava river, discovered by S.R. Rao (1957)
  • Fire Altars
  • Beside the tributary of Sabarmati
  • Storehouse
  • Dockyard and earliest port
  • double burial
  • Rice husk
  • House had front entrance (exception).

ROPAR

  • Punjab, on the banks of river Sutlej. Discovered by Y.D Sharma (1955)
  • Dog buried with humans.

BANAWALI

  • Haryana
  • On banks of lost river Saraswathi
  • Barley Cultivation.

DHOLAVIRA

  • Biggest site in India, until the discovery of Rakhigarhi.
  • Located in Khadir Beyt, Rann of Kutch, Gujarat. Discovered by J.P Joshi/Rabindra Singh (1990)
  • 3 parts + large open area for ceremonies
  • Large letters of the Harappan script (signboards).

RELIGION OF INDUS VALLEY

  • Pashupathi Mahadev (Proto Siva)
  • Mother goddess
  • Nature/ Animal worship
  • Unicorn, Dove, Peepal Tree, Fire
  • Amulets
  • Idol worship was practised (not a feature of Aryans)
  • Did not construct temples.
  • The similarity to Hindu religious practises. (Hinduism in its present form originated later)
  • No Caste system.

SOCIETY AND CULTURE

  • The systematic method of weights and measures (16 and its multiples).
  • Pictographic Script, Boustrophedon script – Deciphering efforts by I. Mahadevan
  • Equal status to men and women
  • Economic Inequality, not an egalitarian society
  • Textiles – Spinning and weaving
  • 3 types – burial, cremation and post-cremation were there, though burial was common.
  • Majority of people Proto-Australoids and Mediterranean (Dravidians), though Mongoloids, Nordics etc were present in the city culture. Read more on races of India.
History Review of studies shows Indus Valley