Harappan Civilisation or the Indus Valley civilization was the largest civilization that existed in ancient India. It covered approximately 1/2 million miles of Northern Indian subcontinent. The Indus Valley people were highly artistic and skilled. A highly organized urban setup and a strong economy were their strong features.
The Harappan economy flourished with extensive cultivation of wheat and barley. The Indus River, now in Pakistan, was used for transport. The weights that were used by the traders were accurate and highly standardized, with each trader having his own personalized seals. The greatest artistic skills of these people were seen in these seals. They had engravings of animals, flowers and other symbols of artistic, religious and economic value.
The people enjoyed a comfortable and luxurious life. Their towns were well planned. The cities were divided into lower dwellings and a citadel which housed important buildings. The streets formed a grid system and were of moderate width. Bricks of fixed sizes, stone and wood were used for building purposes. Municipal authorities were responsible for the maintenance of the whole valley and a drainage system that was highly efficient. The buildings in the lower area, being mainly functional, lacked variety. Most houses were 2 storied. The brickwork was completely waterproof. The granaries were also intelligently constructed, with strategic air ducts and platform that was divided into units. The docks were used for inland and foreign trade.
The Indus valley civilization had a script that was pictorial and never had more than 20 consecutive symbols. There were a total of 300 symbols in their script. The inscriptions were two or three line linear that began from left to right, and then reverse in the next line. The religion followed by the Indus Valley civilization is believed to be the Hindu religion.
The Harappan civilization is said to have declined possibly due to attack by invaders from central and western Asia who might have destroyed the Harappan cities. It has also been suggested that recurrent floods caused by tectonic earth movement, soil salinity, and desertification might have wreaked destruction.
