SINDHU-SARASVATI CIVILIZATION-Notes

 

SINDHU-SARASVATI CIVILIZATION-Notes

Sindhu-Sarasvati Who is not aware of the Vedas? That, Rig-Veda is the world’s oldest literature, is a matter of pride for Indians. Vedas encompass not just matters of bhakti, spirituality but several subjects that narrate the history of our nation. After studying the details and description of rivers, seas, mountains, the Earth, flora and fauna, lifestyle of people of those times, Scholars have penned the history of ancient India. Of these numerous details, Sarasvati River is an important one. Sarasvati used to be a gigantic river.

It contracted over the years due to natural causes and finally disappeared at around 2000 B.C.E. Based on this, historians have proved that the timeline of Rig-Veda is older than 3000 B.C.E. at the least. That is, 5,000 years before the current era! Hundreds of antiquity sites, townships are discovered in the basin region of Sarasvati. Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro are some of the first ones to have been discovered. Experts found the traces of civilization for the first time in these ancient towns – all the reason why Harappa civilization is a more common term used to identify ancient Indian civilization. However, it is most apt to call it SindhuSarasvati civilization instead.

The region where rivers Sindhu, Vitasta (Jhelum), Asikni (Chenab), Parushni (Ravi), Vipasha (Beas), Shutudri (Sutlej) and Sarasvati flowed, itself is the homeland of this ancient civilization. Apart from these, the plains created by rivers Gangaa and Yamuna, Gujarat, Baluchistan, and other regions are also key for studying ancient India.

Sindhu-Sarasvati civilization period has been termed as post-Vedic period by the experts. By the turn of this period, all four Vedas had been formulated. The cultural aspects that can be seen in AtharvaVeda largely resemble the aspects found in Harappa and other towns. Discovery of ancient towns The story of discovery of ancient bases of Sindhu-Sarasvati civilization is fascinating. Around 1921, technicians at Punjab’s Sindhu valley discovered some Harappan sites when they were laying rails. They appeared as mounds made of best quality of earthen bricks.

 They used these bricks as sleepers for rails. They found several more such buildings in the due course of time after which the archaeologists took up ground research. The archaeologists were convinced that those buildings were part of a town. There were similarities in the sites discovered after this with the ones discovered earlier – all around an existing town called Harappa. Hence, they were collectively termed as Harappa civilization. Even before this major discovery, in 1917, a major site was discovered in Kalibangan. Town Planning Two or more divisions can be seen in Harappan towns.

The western parts are smaller, but elevated. Archaeologists call it fort. The eastern parts are generally wide and low-lying. They are called villages. Every division had a wall of burnt clay bricks constructed around it. The bricks were laid in an inter-locking fashion which had ensured that such walls were stronger. The usage of burnt clay bricks indicates the advancement of the civilization. A ground-level tank can be seen constructed in another town Mohenjo-Daro.

The experts have identified it as an open bath. Built with bricks, precautions have been taken to ensure the structure was leak-proof. Stairs are located at two sides of the tank which has rooms built all around. Perhaps, the water to this tank was supplied from a nearby well, and the water was drained out after usage. Prominent people of the town would be bathing in this bath, it is presumed.

Fire places are found in the towns of Kalibangan and Lothal. Well-arranged grainaries can be seen in Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro and Lothal.

The low-lying space – the village – was the habitat part of the town. They were planned and built quite systematically – well planned houses, roads and drains can be seen there. The houses were built with bricks and walls were strong; generally, the houses were of one or two storeys. The inner core space had rooms surrounding. The doors faced the street; None of the windows were street-facing, though. The houses had baths, some with wells for water supply. Water availability was abundant. Every household having its own bath was a big thing back then. Such information shows that the Sindhu-Sarasvati civilization population led a prosperous life.

Towns had internal drainage system, the drains of which were built with bricks and covered with stone slabs. The drains of houses were connected to the external drains. Domestic grey and black waters were led into the external drains through these connecting drains. Cover slabs had holes to enable regular maintenance. It is understood that separate officers were appointed for maintenance. The drainage system alone shows how superiorthe systematic thought process of the then town-planners, grievance-less execution and maintenance, and interest towards civil responsibilities were.

Mother Goddess Teracota Idol Such well-equipped town construction is not seen in Egypt, Mesopotamia and other civilizations. Even in terms of physical expanse, the Sindhu-Sarasvati civilization was more advanced and bigger than the contemporary ones. Shivling found at Kalibangan Cultural details A p a r t f r o m the buildings, the artefacts found are mostly metal a n d p r e c i o u s stones. Beads and seals are found in large quantities. Harappan beads had demand even in the distant Mesopotamia. The technique of drilling a diametrical hole through a bead was well practised by Harappans. Pots with various designs are also found. Bangles made of metals and shell material are found in abundance along with female figurines adorning them in different patterns.

Women wearing such bangles made of shell is believed to be sacred and practised even today across the sects. It is possible that there were smaller towns/ settlements built only for bangle-making. The township system shows a clear hierarchical arrangement – precious metals, stones and jewellery must have been worn by the administrative section while the commoners wore beads. Women used to wear vermilion on their foreheads, a practice which is alive even to this day.