Why this matters now
The Harappan civilisation is a prelims heavyweight — sites and their finds, town planning, the script, religion and decline theories are asked almost every year in GS-1.
Extent and major sites
It was the largest of the ancient civilisations by area, spanning parts of present-day Pakistan and north-west India. Key sites: Harappa and Mohenjodaro (the Great Bath, Great Granary), Dholavira (water management, a signboard), Lothal (a dockyard), Kalibangan (ploughed field, fire altars), Rakhigarhi (the largest site) and Banawali.
Town planning and economy
Cities followed a grid layout with a raised citadel and a lower town, baked-brick houses, and an advanced covered drainage system. The economy rested on agriculture, craft (bead-making, metallurgy) and trade (with Mesopotamia, via seals), using standardised weights and measures and the still-undeciphered Indus script (written boustrophedon).
Religion and decline
Evidence suggests worship of a mother goddess, a Pashupati (proto-Shiva) seal, sacred trees and animals — but no temples. The decline (c. 1900 BCE) is debated: theories include climate change and aridity, the drying of the Saraswati/Ghaggar-Hakra, floods, declining trade — the older “Aryan invasion” theory is now largely discredited as a single cause.
UPSC angle
Know the key sites and their signature finds (Lothal dockyard, Dholavira water, Kalibangan altars, Rakhigarhi largest), grid town planning + drainage, standardised weights, the undeciphered script, and the multi-cause decline.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most important Indus Valley sites?
Harappa, Mohenjodaro, Dholavira, Lothal (dockyard), Kalibangan, Rakhigarhi (largest) and Banawali.
What was special about Harappan town planning?
A grid layout with a citadel and lower town, baked-brick houses and an advanced covered drainage system.
Has the Indus script been deciphered?
No — the Indus script remains undeciphered; it was generally written boustrophedon (alternating direction).
Why did the Indus Valley Civilisation decline?
Likely a combination of climate change/aridity, the drying of the Saraswati river, floods and declining trade.