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IGNOU HISTORY NOTES : Modern India - DIFFUSION AND DECLINE

IGNOU HISTORY Study Notes for IAS, UPSC Exams

Modern India 1857-1964

DIFFUSION AND DECLINE

Structure

9.0 Objectives
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Decline of Harappa: The Archaeological Evidence
9.3 Theories of Sudden Decline
9.3.1 Floods and Earthquakes
9.3.2 The Shifting Away of Indus
9.3.3 Increased Aridity and D~ying Up of the Ghaggar
9.3.4 Barbarian Invasions
9.4 Ecological Imbalance: Theory of Gradual Decline
9.5 The Tradition Survives
9.5.1 Sind
9.5.2 The Indo-Ira~an Borderlands
9.5.3 Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan
9.5.4 Kutch and Saurashtra
9.6 Transmission of the Harappan Tradition
9.7 What Survives from Harappa?
9.8 Let Us Sum Up
9.9 Key Words
9.10 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises

9.0 OBJECTIVES

After reading this unit, you will get to know: about the problems faced by scholars to understand the decline of Harappan Civilization about the theories-put forward for the decline of Harappa that why over the years scholars have stopped lwking for the causes of decline of Harappa, and that instead scholars are trying to look for the evidence of survival and continuities of the Harappan Civilization.

9.1 INTRODUCTION

In the previous units we have discussed the various aspects. of origin and growth of Harappan Civilization. However, the disappearance of 'the various aspects of its maturity i.e. writing, town planning, etc. in the subseqbnt phase of ancient India is rather mysterious. In this unit we will examine the various arguments put forward to solve this mystery.

9.2 DECLINE OF HARAPPA :THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE

Cities like Harappa, Mohenjodaro and Kalibangan experienced graduai decline in urban planning and construction. Houses made of old dilapidated bricks and shoddy construction encroached upon the roads and streets of the towns. Flimsy partitions sub-divided the courtyards of the houses. The Cities were fast turning into slums. A detailed study of the architectures of Mohenjodaro shows that many entry points to the 'Great Bath' were blocked. Sometimes later the 'Great Bath' and the 'Granary' fell into total disuse. At the same time the late levels (i.e. later habitations) at Mohenjodaro showed a distinct reduction in the-number of sculptures, figurines, beads, bangles and inlay works. Towards the end, the city of Mohenjodaro shrank to a small settlement of three hectares from the original .eighty-five hectares.

Before its abandonment Harappa seems to have witnessed the amval of a group of people about whom we know through their burial practices. They were using a pottery which was different from those of the Harappans. Their culture is known as the 'Cemetery H' culture. Processes of decline were in evidence also in places like Kalibangan and Chanhudaro. We find that buildings associated with power and ideology were decaying apd goods related to displays of prestige and splendour were becoming increasingly scarce. Later on, cities like Harappa and Mohenjodaro were abondoned altogether.

A study of the settlement pattern of the Harappan and Late Harappan sites in the Bahawalpur area also indicates a trend of decay. Along the banks of the Hakra river the number of settlements came down to 50 in the Late Harappan period from 174 in the Mature Harappan period. What seems likely is that in the last two-three hundred years of their life, the settlements in the core region of the Harappan civilization were declining. The population seems to have either perished or moved away to other areas. Whereas the number of sites in the triangle of Harappa, Bahawalpur and Mohenjodaro declined, the number of settlements in the outlying areas of Gujarat, East Punjab, Haryana and upper Doab increased. This indicates a phenomenal increase in the number of people in these areas. This sudden increase in the population of those regions can be explained by the emigration of people from the core regions of Harappa.

In the outlying regions of thc Harappan civilization, i.e. the areas of Rajasthan and punjab; people continue to live. But life had changed for them. Some
of the important features associated with the Harappan civilization-writing, uniform weights, Harappan pottery and architectural style had disappeared.
The abandonment of the cities of the Indus is roughly dated to about 1800 B.C. This date is supported by the fact that the Mesopotamian literature stops referring to Meluhha by the end of 1900 B.C. However, even now;,the chronology of the end of Hrriappan cities remains tentative. We do not as yet know whether the major settlements were abandoned at one and the same or at different periods. What is certain, however, is the fact the abandonment of the major cities and the de-urbanisation of other settlements indicates the decline of the Harappan civilization.