Indus Valley Civilization | Early Civilizations | World History | Khan Academy

Summary

The Indus Valley Civilization, centered around the Indus River and primarily in modern-day Pakistan, was a highly advanced society from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE. Known for its standardized weights, measures, and bricks, it showcased remarkable urban planning, including sewage systems and public baths. With evidence of extensive trade networks reaching Mesopotamia and China, the civilization's decline remains a mystery, possibly due to climate change or natural disasters. Despite the inability to decipher their script, the Indus Valley Civilization's influence on modern culture, such as Hinduism, is evident.

Takeaways

• 🌱 The Indus Valley Civilization, also known as the Harappan civilization, was one of the world's earliest, thriving around the Indus River, primarily in modern-day Pakistan.
• 🏙️ The civilization was extensive, with over 1,000 sites discovered and an estimated population of up to five million people.
• 🏗️ Known for their advanced urban planning and architecture, the Indus Valley people built structures with precise measurements and had sophisticated sewage systems.
• 🛠️ They used standardized bricks and units of measurement, indicating a high level of organization and possibly centralized governance.
• 🔢 The civilization had a system of weights and measures, including an incredibly small unit of 1.6 millimeters, reflecting their precision in craftsmanship.
• 🎨 Art and sculptures, such as the 'Dancing Girl' and 'Priest-King,' provide insights into their culture, though interpretations are speculative.
• 💍 The Indus Valley people were skilled in making intricate jewelry, indicating a developed sense of aesthetics and craftsmanship.
• 🌊 Evidence of maritime trade suggests a vast network connecting the Indus Valley with regions like Mesopotamia and possibly China.
• 📜 The civilization's writing system remains undeciphered, but some symbols, like the swastika, have cultural connections to present-day India and Hinduism.
• ❓ The decline and end of the Indus Valley Civilization are still a mystery, with theories ranging from climate change to natural disasters or cultural assimilation.

Q & A

Why were early civilizations often found around river valleys?

Early civilizations were often found around river valleys because these areas provided fertile soil for agriculture, which in turn supported higher population densities and more sedentary populations. Agriculture also allowed for specialization and the development of complex societies.

What is the significance of the Indus River in ancient civilization?

The Indus River is significant because it was the center of the Indus Valley Civilization, which is also known as the Harappan civilization. This civilization, located mainly in modern-day Pakistan, was one of the earliest and most extensive, with evidence of settlements dating back to around 7000 BCE.

What is the Harappan civilization and how did it get its name?

The Harappan civilization is an early urban culture that existed in the Indus Valley. It was named after Harappa, the first site where evidence of this extensive civilization was discovered.

What time period is considered the main part of the Harappan civilization?

The main part of the Harappan civilization is considered to be around 3300 BCE, marking the beginning of the early period of the Indus Valley civilization.

What is the mature period of the Indus Valley civilization, and what structures were discovered during this time?

The mature period of the Indus Valley civilization is often referred to as the time when the largest structures and pieces of technology were discovered, which is around the same time as the ancient Sumerians and the empire of Sargon the Great.

How extensive was the Indus Valley civilization geographically?

The Indus Valley civilization was extensive, with over 1,000 sites discovered in the region, mainly in modern-day Pakistan and India. It is believed that as many as five million people might have been part of this civilization.

What evidence suggests that the Indus Valley civilization had a standardized system?

The Indus Valley civilization had a standardized system as evidenced by the uniformity in weights and measures, the use of standard brick sizes in construction, and the presence of the same symbols across various sites.

What technological advancements are seen in the Indus Valley civilization?

The Indus Valley civilization had advanced technology for its time, including well-constructed brickwork, public baths, citadels, defensive structures, and sewage systems. They also had a precise unit of measurement as small as 1.6 millimeters.

What is known about the trade network of the Indus Valley civilization?

The Indus Valley civilization had an extensive trade network, as evidenced by the discovery of their jewelry in Mesopotamia and the presence of materials from China and other parts of India. They also used shells from the Arabian peninsula, indicating maritime trade.

Why is the end of the Indus Valley civilization considered a mystery?

The end of the Indus Valley civilization is a mystery because it was a thriving and extensive civilization that suddenly declined. Theories include climate change, natural disasters, or a decline in trade, but the exact cause is still unknown.

What is the current understanding of the writing system of the Indus Valley civilization?

The writing system of the Indus Valley civilization remains undeciphered, and while there are examples of their script, including the use of the swastika symbol, the language and the full extent of their writing system are not well understood.

Outlines

00:00

🌱 Origins and Characteristics of the Indus Valley Civilization

The Indus Valley Civilization, also known as the Harappan civilization, is discussed as one of the earliest civilizations, emerging around 3300 BCE along the Indus River, primarily in modern-day Pakistan. The civilization is noted for its agriculture, which supported higher population densities and allowed for specialization. It is compared to other ancient civilizations like the Egyptians and Mesopotamians, which also developed around rivers. The script delves into the timeline of the civilization, highlighting its early, mature, and late periods. The mature period is particularly noted for its significant structures and technological advancements. The civilization's extensive reach is illustrated through a map showing over 1,000 discovered sites, suggesting a population of up to five million. The paragraph emphasizes the standardization in weights, measures, and bricks, indicating a unified culture and possible centralized administration.

05:02

🏺 Cultural and Technological Achievements of the Indus Valley Civilization

This paragraph focuses on the Indus Valley Civilization's cultural and technological advancements. It describes the impressive architecture and urban planning at Mohenjo-Daro, including well-constructed brickwork, public baths, citadels, and advanced sewage systems. The civilization's artistic achievements are exemplified through sculptures like the 'Dancing Girl' and the 'Priest-King,' as well as their intricate jewelry, which indicates a sophisticated society. The paragraph also discusses the extensive trade network of the Indus Valley Civilization, with evidence of their goods found in Mesopotamia and the use of materials from distant regions like China and the Arabian Peninsula. The script touches on the civilization's writing system, with examples of their symbols, including the swastika, highlighting cultural and religious connections to modern South Asia.

10:02

🔍 The Mystery of the Indus Valley Civilization's Decline

The final paragraph delves into the enigmatic decline of the Indus Valley Civilization. Despite its long history and apparent prosperity, the civilization began to decline for reasons that remain unclear. Theories range from climate change, which might have caused rivers to dry up and agriculture to become more difficult, to natural disasters like floods. There is also speculation about a possible migration or a decline in trade and cultural sophistication. The paragraph concludes by acknowledging the significant contributions of the Indus Valley Civilization to history and the potential for future discoveries to reveal even more about this advanced society.

Keywords

💡Indus Valley Civilization

The Indus Valley Civilization, also known as the Harappan Civilization, is one of the world's oldest urban cultures, which flourished in the Indus River basin. It is significant to the video's theme as it provides the historical context for the discussion. The civilization is highlighted by its advanced urban planning, including sewage systems and standardized brick sizes, indicating a high level of technological advancement for its time.

💡Agriculture

Agriculture is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. In the context of the video, the emergence of agriculture around river valleys is noted as a catalyst for the development of early civilizations, including the Indus Valley. The script mentions that agriculture supported higher population densities and allowed for more sedentary populations, which is fundamental to understanding the growth of these early societies.

💡Sedentary

Sedentary refers to a lifestyle where people live in one place for a long time, often associated with settled communities. The video discusses how agriculture allowed for more sedentary populations, which is a key concept in understanding the development of the Indus Valley Civilization. A sedentary lifestyle enabled the growth of cities and the establishment of complex societies.

💡Specialization

Specialization is the process in which individuals or societies focus on specific tasks or industries. The video mentions that agriculture allowed for more specialization, which is integral to the development of complex societies. In the context of the Indus Valley Civilization, specialization would have led to diverse roles and trades, contributing to the civilization's advancement.

💡Harappa

Harappa is the name of the first site where evidence of the Indus Valley Civilization was found. It is a key term in the video as it gives the civilization its alternative name, the Harappan Civilization. Harappa is used as an example to illustrate the geographical extent and cultural consistency across the sites of the civilization.

💡Mohenjo-Daro

Mohenjo-Daro is the largest site of the Indus Valley Civilization and is highlighted in the video for its impressive urban planning and architectural features. It is estimated that as many as 40,000 people lived in this city, which underscores the size and complexity of the civilization.

💡Standardization

Standardization refers to the process of making things uniform. In the video, standardization is mentioned in relation to the Indus Valley Civilization's weights and measures, bricks, and symbols. This uniformity across different sites suggests a high level of cultural and possibly political integration within the civilization.

💡Maritime Trade

Maritime trade involves the exchange of goods across seas or oceans. The video discusses the Indus Valley Civilization's extensive maritime trade network, which included regions like Mesopotamia. This trade network is significant as it indicates the civilization's economic sophistication and its connections with other ancient cultures.

💡Jewelry

Jewelry is a personal adornment, often made from precious metals and stones. In the context of the video, the intricate jewelry of the Indus Valley Civilization is mentioned as evidence of their advanced craftsmanship. The discovery of this jewelry in other regions, like Mesopotamia, also suggests the existence of a trade network.

💡Writing

Writing is a system of symbols used to represent language. The video mentions that while the Indus Valley Civilization had a writing system, it has not been deciphered. The inability to read their script is a key mystery and limits our understanding of the civilization's culture and history.

💡Decline

Decline refers to a decrease in power, quality, or condition. The video discusses the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization as a significant mystery. Theories range from climate change to natural disasters, but the exact cause remains unknown. The decline is a central theme in the video as it marks the end of a once-thriving civilization.

Highlights

Early civilizations often emerged around river valleys due to the support for agriculture and higher population densities.

The Indus Valley Civilization, also known as the Harappan civilization, was located mainly in modern-day Pakistan.

Evidence of basic villages and agriculture in the Indus Valley dates back to 7000 BCE.

The mature period of the Indus Valley civilization is characterized by significant structures and technological advancements.

The civilization's decline remains a mystery, with theories ranging from climate change to natural disasters.

The Indus Valley Civilization had extensive trade networks, with evidence of jewelry and materials from distant regions.

Standardization in weights, measures, and bricks indicates a high level of organization within the civilization.

Mohenjo-Daro was the largest site, with an estimated 40,000 inhabitants and advanced urban planning.

The civilization's art, such as the 'Dancing Girl' and 'Priest-King' sculptures, reflects a rich cultural heritage.

Writing and symbols from the Indus Valley Civilization show cultural connections to modern Indian religions like Hinduism.

The civilization's end is speculated to be due to a combination of factors, including climate change and environmental factors.

Over 1,000 sites have been discovered, suggesting a vast and interconnected civilization.

The Indus Valley Civilization's advanced sewage systems and water management indicate a sophisticated urban infrastructure.

The civilization's decline could have been influenced by a reduction in trade and economic activity.

The use of the swastika symbol in the Indus Valley Civilization predates its later association with the Nazis.

The civilization's long duration and eventual decline make it a significant area of study in archaeology.

The Indus Valley Civilization's technological advancements, such as precise construction techniques, were ahead of their time.

Transcripts

- [Narrator] As we've talked about in multiple videos,

some of the earliest civilizations we have found

have been around river valleys,

and that is no coincidence because some of the first

agriculture emerged around river valleys

and the agriculture supported higher population densities

and more sedentary populations,

and allowed for more specialization.

And we have talked about several of these,

the ancient Egyptians around the Nile River,

the ancient Mesopotamians around the Tigris and Euphrates.

And now we're gonna talk about the ancient civilization

around the Indus River.

The Indus River runs mostly in modern-day Pakistan,

and that's why it's called the Indus Valley civilization.

Indus Valley Civilization.

It's also sometimes referred to

as the Harappan civilization,

which was the first site where they found evidence

of this fairly extensive civilization.

Now to get ourselves acquainted in time,

this shows when archaeologists, historians

consider to be the main part of the Harappan civilization.

There's evidence that people had basic villages,

civilizations, agriculture here,

as far back as 7,000 BCE,

and that's just based on the evidence we have today,

but when people refer to the Indus Valley civilization

in particular, they're usually staring around 3300 BCE

and in orange right over here, this is the early period,

or you could say the early Indus Valley civilization.

Now some of the biggest structures and pieces

of technology that have been discovered

have been right over here, which is often referred to

as the mature period for the Indus Valley civilization,

and then it goes into decline.

We'll talk about why it might have gone into decline,

although we're not really sure,

and this is called the late.

Now to put it in context relative to these other

civilizations, remember the ancient Sumerians were

starting to be quite, I guess you could say civilized,

by about this period.

You start having a lot of intermingling

between the Acadians and the Sumerians

as you get into the late third millennium.

That's when you have the empire of Sargon the Great,

the Acadian Empire.

As you get to the end of this mature period

right over here, this is close to or around the time

of Hammurabi, the Babylonian Empire,

and in Egypt, if you go back to around 2500,

around this time, that's when the pyramids were built

and you have the Egyptian Kings,

these god-kings that were ruling for most of this period

right over here and as we'll see, there was actually,

we believe, a good bit of cultural interchange

between the significant civilizations.

Now just to appreciate how extensive this Indus Valley

civilization was, I will show you this map.

And this map, it's zoomed in of that region

around the Indus Valley that I just showed you.

This is a map of most of Pakistan here,

and these red squares are places where they have found

evidence of the civilization.

The first place was Harappa, right over here,

the Punjab region of Pakistan.

And that's why it's called the Harappan civilization.

But as you can see, it's much more than just around Harappa.

The largest site is at Mohenjo-Daro,

right over here in the Sindh region of Pakistan

and it's believed that as many as 40,000 people

lived in that city that we now, or that site,

that we now call Mohenjo-Daro.

And so far, we have discovered over 1,000 sites in this area

and we believe that as many as five million people

might have been part of the civilization.

Now the reason why we think it is a civilization

and now, and let me actually keep scrolling around

so you appreciate the extent of it.

There's sites in mainly, many in Pakistan that you see here.

There's also quite a few in modern-day India

right over here, so it's an extensive network

of these sites and the reason why we think it's

one civilization, or at least a connected culture,

is that you find a lot of standardization.

You find standardization in their weights and measures.

In fact, they have a unit of measurement that's

as small as 1.6 millimeters, and the reason why that's

important is you wouldn't create a unit of measurement

of 1.6 millimeters unless you knew how to use something,

unless you know how to make things that precise.

And one of the things that they made that precise

are things like their structures.

They had these standard bricks and this brick size

and many of these symbols that they used

were found throughout these sites.

Which said we don't know whether they were controlled

by one ruler or one emperor, but there was definitely

a lot of cultural interchange

to the point that they were using the same size bricks,

they were using the same symbols,

they were using the same units of measurement.

And also, as you can imagine,

having a unit of measurement that precise,

that small implies that they were great builders.

And the evidence we find today says yes, they were.

This is a picture of the site at Mohenjo-Daro

in modern-day Sindh Pakistan,

and you can see how tight this brick work is,

even by modern standards this is quite good.

You'd need to think of how many things we would build

would last 5,000 years in this good,

being exposed to the environments.

They think this was a public bath.

You see a citadel in the background.

We've discovered defensive structures.

Perhaps most impressively, there is,

or most impressive, there's sewage systems.

They think houses had wells, water.

So this was a technologically advanced civilization

especially for that time.

In many ways, more advanced than the other civilizations,

the contemporary civilizations that we had talked about.

Here are some examples of their sculpture or of their art.

This is, this one right over here is a picture,

it's called Dancing Girl, but she's not dancing,

but they think that might be her profession.

It's all speculation by archaeologists today.

This they believe is called Priest-King,

once again, it's all speculation.

This is an example of the types of seals they made.

This is their jewelry, once again,

this is quite intricate jewelry,

and this jewelry was not just discovered in

archaeological digs in these various sites.

There's evidence of their jewelry as far as

Mesopotamia in digs there.

And they believe that there was actually a very active

maritime trade network between these areas.

There's jewelry discovered in these Indus Valley

civilizations that were based on shells

from the Arabian peninsula.

They have materials from China,

so there's materials from other parts of India,

so once again, a very very extensive trade network.

These civilizations would have known about them.

But as we said, they were extremely,

they seemed somewhat organized.

Even though we can't read their writing,

in fact I have some examples of their writing here.

And you might notice, so this is examples

of their writing and you might notice there,

this is turned into a somewhat infamous symbol now,

because of the Nazis, this is a swastika.

But the swastika was one of the symbols they used,

it's a symbol in Hinduism,

it's considered a symbol of good luck.

It's something that the Nazis kind of usurped

and turned it into a very negative thing,

but it does show this connection between

that Indus Valley or that Harappan civilization

and modern cultures that are in India and

things like the Hindu religion.

Although once again, we do not know a ton

about their religion because their language hasn't

survived and we cannot decipher their actual writing.

But because of their organization and the consistency,

or relative consistency amongst these different sites

that are so far flung,

this is a large distance even on modern day terms,

but especially if we're talking about four or five

thousand years ago.

Because of that, we think that, okay,

there must have been at least decent government

administration or organization at a city-state level,

although we're unsure whether there was a connected

empire, whether you had an organization beyond that

or they all just decided to take each other's standards

and symbols and brick sizes and things like that.

Now, one of the key mysteries of the Indus Valley

civilization is why did it end?

It seemed to be this thriving civilization,

perhaps the most extensive one.

In other videos, I talk about right now,

the oldest wheel was discovered in Mesopotamia,

but some people think that the wheel might have been

used even earlier in the Indus Valley civilization.

I talk about this period, as early as 3300 BCE,

but there's evidence that the civilization

started much earlier.

In the site right over here in Mehrgarh,

right over here in Pakistan.

They think that humans were having simple villages

and agriculture as early, there's evidence

as early as 7000 BCE

and that site was discovered just in 1974.

We might discover things that take us

even further into the past,

and when you have a civilization that was around for

so long, if there were people there as early as 7000 BCE,

we're talking about it was there for thousands of years,

but all of a sudden, it starts to decline.

There's evidence of less and less trade going on,

less and less sophistication, and then it ends.

And it's one of the mysteries of history,

of archaeology today.

Why did this Indus Valley civilization end?

Some of the older theories were it was maybe

it was a foreign invasion, maybe some of the ancestors

of the modern Indians invaded,

or maybe they assimilated it somehow.

More current theories don't think that was the case.

They think it might be some form of climate change,

that some of the important rivers dried up,

made the agriculture much harder.

Some people think it might have been a natural disaster,

it might have been a flood of some kind.

But we just don't know.

Or the people, for some reason, decided to leave,

die, migrate to maybe other parts of the region.

But needless to say, it was a significant civilization,

and we're just scratching the surface

of what we know about it.

We know a lot and we know it was impressive,

even though we can't read their script

and we don't know as much about it as we know

about ancient Mesopotamia and the ancient Egyptians,

but signs are that as more time passes,

we'll realize that it was more and more sophisticated

and impressive than maybe we even appreciate today.