Ancient India - Indus Valley Civilization (సింధు నాగరికత)

 Okay, thank you for providing the transcript content through the video player interface. Based on the information presented by the speaker, K. Naresh, here are the notes covering the key points discussed in the T-SAT lecture on Indus Valley Civilization cities:

Subject: Ancient India - Indus Valley Civilization (సింధు నాగరికత)

Topic: Cities of the Indus Valley (సింధు నాగరికతలోని నగరాలు)

Speaker: K. Naresh, Subject Expert (T-SAT)

I. Introduction (0:00 - 0:34)

Objective: To learn about the various cities of the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) and their significance.

Exam Relevance: Previous exams have focused on:

Names of the cities.

Rivers associated with the cities.

Individuals who conducted excavations.

Artifacts found at the sites.

The lecture will cover these aspects for important IVC cities.

II. Harappa (హరప్పా) (0:34 - 5:52)

Location:

Pakistan, Punjab Province.

On the banks of the River Ravi (రావి నది).

(Context: Located in West Punjab, which became part of Pakistan after partition).

Significance:

The first site of the Indus Valley Civilization to be discovered through excavations (1921).

Because it was the first site found, the entire civilization is often referred to as the Harappan Civilization (హరప్పా నాగరికత).

Excavator: Sir Dayaram Sahni (సర్ దయారాం సహానీ) in 1921.

Key Findings & Features:

6 Granaries: Found in two rows near the river.

Nickname: "City of Granaries" (ధాన్యాగారాల నగరం) as it had the most granaries compared to other sites like Mohenjo-daro and Lothal.

H-shaped Cemetery (H ఆకారంలో శ్మశానవాటిక). Indicates concern for health/hygiene.

Wooden Coffin (చెక్క శవపేటిక) found within the cemetery.

Bronze Mirror & Bronze Scale (కాంశ్య అద్దము, కాంశ్య స్కేలు) found inside the coffin, suggesting importance given to personal appearance/adornment.

Red Jasper Male Torso: A headless, limbless statue made of red jasper stone.

Resembles a dancer.

Named "Nataraja Vigraham" (నటరాజ విగ్రహం) by Sir John Marshall.

Potter's Wheel (కుమ్మరి చక్రం): Evidence of pottery making.

Evidence of Linga Worship (లింగమును పూజించిన ఆధారాలు).

III. Mohenjo-daro (మొహంజోదారో) (5:52 - 11:40)

Location:

Pakistan, Sindh Province, Larkana District.

On the banks of the Indus River (సింధు నది).

Excavator: R.D. Banerjee (రఖల్ దాస్ బెనర్జీ / ఆర్.డి. బెనర్జీ) in 1922.

Meaning (Sindhi): "Mound of the Dead" (మృతుల దిబ్బ). Named due to a mound of 32 skeletons found near the Great Bath.

Destruction: The city was destroyed and rebuilt 7 times, primarily due to flooding from the Indus River. Evidence seen in 7 distinct layers of silt.

Nicknames:

"Nikhilisthan" (నిఖిలిస్థాన్) meaning "Garden City" (ఉద్యానవనాల నగరం).

Key Findings & Features:

Highest Number of Wells: Approximately 700 wells discovered (individual house wells + public wells). Likely due to water scarcity as the Indus river changed course.

Largest Granary (అతిపెద్ద ధాన్యాగారము): Dimensions approx. 150 ft x 50 ft.

Great Bath (మహాస్నానవాటిక):

Made of burnt bricks.

Steps leading into the pool.

Rooms surrounding it, possibly for changing clothes.

Evidence suggests facilities for both hot and cold water.

Great Assembly Hall (అతిపెద్ద సమావేశ మందిరము).

Pashupati Seal: Seal depicting a figure considered a proto-Shiva (Pashupati).

Bearded Man Statuette (గడ్డంతో ఉన్న మనిషి బొమ్మ): Made of Steatite.

Bronze Dancing Girl Statuette (కంచుతో తయారుచేసిన నగ్న నర్తకి విగ్రహం): Some historians infer the existence of a Devadasi system from this.

Steatite Seal with Ship Image (స్టియోటైట్ రాయితో ఓడ ముద్రిక): Note the material (stone seal) vs. Lothal's finding (clay model).

Largest City: Considered the largest city of the IVC, covering approx. 500 hectares.

Twin Capitals: Harappa and Mohenjo-daro called "Twin Capitals" (జంట నగరాలు) by historian Stuart Piggott.

IV. Chanhudaro (చన్హుదారో) (11:40 - 14:27)

Location: Pakistan, Sindh Province, on the Indus River.

Excavator: N.G. Majumdar (ఎన్.జి. మజుందార్) in 1931.

Significance:

An important Industrial Center (పారిశ్రామిక నగరం), along with Lothal.

No Citadel: The only major IVC city discovered without a protective citadel wall (రక్షణ కోటగోడ లేని ఏకైక నగరం).

Flooding: Affected by floods 3 times (less than Mohenjo-daro's 7 times).

Key Findings:

Make-up Box / Vanity Case (అలంకరణ పెట్టె).

Ink Pot (సిరాబుడ్డి).

Bead Making Factory/Industry (పూసల పరిశ్రమ): Evidence of beads made from gold, silver, ivory, etc., likely exported.

Cat's Paw Prints (పిల్లి యొక్క కాలి ముద్రలు): Suggests domestication of cats.

V. Amri (అమ్రి) (14:27 - 15:37)

Location: Pakistan, Sindh Province, on the Indus River.

Excavator: N.G. Majumdar (ఎన్.జి. మజుందార్).

Significance:

Represents an Early Harappan (Pre-Harappan) phase (సింధు నాగరికత కంటే ముందుగానే వర్ధిల్లినది).

This 'Early Harappan Culture' (పూర్వ హరప్పా సంస్కృతి) was studied by Fairservis (ఫెయిర్ సర్వీస్) around 1950.

Key Finding: Evidence of Rhinoceros (ఖడ్గమృగానికి సంబంధించిన ఆధారాలు).

Occupation: Primarily Agriculture (వ్యవసాయం) and Animal Husbandry (పశుపోషణ).

VI. Lothal (లోథాల్) (15:37 - 21:19)

Location: India, Gujarat.

Meaning (Gujarati): "Mound of the Dead" (మృతుల దిబ్బ), similar to Mohenjo-daro.

Excavator: S.R. Rao (ఎస్. రామారావు) in 1954.

Location Details: On the banks of the Bhogava River (భోగావా నది), a tributary of the Sabarmati.

Nicknames: "Mini Harappa", "Cosmopolitan City" (కాస్మోపాలిటన్ నగరం).

Unique Urban Feature: Only IVC city where houses had main entrances facing the main street (తూర్పు వైపున ముఖద్వారం). Other cities typically had entrances on side lanes.

Key Findings & Features:

Artificial Dockyard (కృత్రిమ ఓడరేవు): World's earliest known man-made dockyard.

Built inland, connected to the Bhogava river via a channel.

Had gates to control water levels.

Provided safe harbor for ships, protecting them from storms/tides/tsunamis.

Evidence of maritime trade.

Considered a Tidal Port (అలల ఆధారితంగా).

Double Burial (ద్వికననము): A grave containing the skeletons of a male and a female buried together. Its exact significance (not necessarily Sati) is debated.

Fire Altars / Homa Gundam Evidence (హోమగుండం ఆధారాలు).

Fox Painting from Panchatantra Story (పంచతంత్రానికి చెందిన నక్క పెయింటింగ్).

Chess Boards (చెస్ బోర్డులు).

Measuring Scales/Instruments (కొలిచే ప్రమాణాలు).

Evidence of Rice Cultivation (వరిపంట ఆధారాలు): Rice husk/grains found.

Terracotta (Burnt Clay) Horse Figurine (టెర్రకోట గుర్రం బొమ్మ).

VII. Dholavira (ధోలవీరా) (21:19 - 23:57)

Location: India, Gujarat, Kutch District (కచ్ జిల్లాలో).

Excavators:

J.P. Joshi (జె.పి. జోషి) - 1991.

R.S. Bisht (ఆర్.ఎస్.బిస్త్) - 2000-2001.

Significance:

Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021.

Largest IVC site in India (after Rakhigarhi recent findings - speaker implies Dholavira was considered largest before Rakhigarhi's full extent was known).

City without a River: Unique among major IVC sites for not being on a perennial river (నది లేని ఏకైక నగరం).

Key Findings & Features:

Reservoir System: Advanced water management system with large reservoirs to collect rainwater (likely due to lack of river). One reservoir had 32 steps.

Stadium (స్టేడియం).

Large Signboard/Inscription: A significant inscription with 10 large Harappan symbols (10 గురుతులతో హరప్పా ముద్రిక). Script undeciphered.

Silver Ornaments (వెండి ఆభరణాలు).

VIII. Surkotada (సుర్కోటడ) (23:57 - 25:16)

Location: India, Gujarat.

Excavator: Jagatpati Joshi (జగపతి జోషి) in 1964.

Key Findings:

Horse Remains (గుర్రం యొక్క అవశేషాలు): Bones found. This is significant because horses were generally considered unknown to IVC people.

Debate: Historian Romila Thapar suggested these might be donkey bones, not horse bones.

Camel Remains (ఒంటె అవశేషాలు).

Unique Feature: Only IVC city with a stone fortification wall (రాతితో రక్షణ గోడ).

IX. Kalibangan (కాలీభంగన్) (25:16 - 26:40)

Location: India, Rajasthan.

River: On the banks of the Ghaggar River (now dry), identified with the ancient Saraswati River (గగ్గర్ (సరస్వతి) నది తీరంలో).

Meaning: "Black Bangles" (నల్లటి గాజులు).

Excavators:

A. Ghosh (Amalanand Ghosh) - 1953.

B.B. Lal and B.K. Thapar - 1961.

Key Findings:

Evidence of Ploughed Field (భూమిని దున్నిన ఆధారాలు).

Camel Bones (ఒంటె అవశేషాలు).

Cylindrical Seals (సర్పలేఖన ముద్రలు - usually linked to Mesopotamia).

Fire Altars / Homa Gundam Evidence (హోమగుండంకి సంబంధించిన ఆధారాలు).

Evidence of Earthquake: Earliest archaeological evidence of an earthquake in the region (మొదటిసారిగా భూకంపం వచ్చినట్లు ఆధారాలు).

X. Banawali (బన్వాలీ) (26:40 - 27:01)

Location: India, Haryana.

River: On the banks of the Saraswati River (సరస్వతి నది తీరంలో).

Excavator: R.S. Bisht (ఆర్.ఎస్. బిస్త్) in 1974.

Unique Urban Feature: Lacks the typical Grid Pattern layout found in most IVC cities (గ్రిడ్ విధానంలో లేని నగరం). Has a circular or radial layout (వృత్తాకార వ్యవస్థ).

Key Findings:

Clay Model of a Plough (బంకమట్టి నాగలి).

Barley and Mustard Seeds (బార్లీ, ఆవాలు). Found associated with an 11-room building.

XI. Daimabad (దైమాబాద్) (26:40 - 27:01 - Mentioned briefly)

Location: India, Maharashtra.

River: Pravara River (ప్రవర నది తీరంలో).

Discovery: Found in 2004. (Likely means significant findings or recognition date, as the site was known earlier).

Key Findings:

Bronze Elephant Figurines (కంచుతో చేసిన ఏనుగు బొమ్మలు).

Bronze Chariot (కంచు రథం).

XII. Causes for the Decline of Indus Valley Civilization (27:01 - 28:13)

Multiple Theories:

Aryan Invasion: Proposed by Mortimer Wheeler. Based on skeletons with injury marks found at Mohenjo-daro. (Note: This theory is heavily debated today).

Expansion of Thar Desert.

Climate Change: Proposed by Sir John Marshall and Koshambi.

Drying up of Rivers (esp. Ghaggar-Hakra/Saraswati): Proposed by Dr. Agarwal.

Natural Calamities (Earthquakes): Proposed by A. Ghosh.

Environmental Degradation/Problems: Proposed by Fairservis.

Speaker's Conclusion: States that most modern historians (according to the speaker) attribute the decline to the Aryan Invasion. (Again, this is a simplified view of current academic consensus which often favors climate/environmental factors).

These notes summarize the main points covered in the lecture, focusing on the cities, their locations, excavators, key findings, and significance as presented by the speaker.