Introduction:-

A long time ago, humans lived in caves and hunted animals for food. Slowly, they learned farming and started living in small groups. Over time, these small groups grew into villages, towns, and big cities. This is how the first civilizations started! But how did it happen in India? Let’s find out!

What is Civilization?

• Civilization is a way of life where people live in organized societies.
• It began when humans settled in one place and started farming.
• People built houses, formed rules, and created new skills like pottery and weaving.

Characteristics of a Civilization

or How do we know a place is a Civilization?

1. Cities and Villages – People live in big towns near rivers.
2. Agriculture – They grow crops and keep animals for food.
3. Trade – They exchange goods like grains, clothes, and pottery.
4. Writing System – They use symbols or scripts to communicate.
5. Rules and Leaders – Kings or leaders make laws to maintain order.
6. Religion and Worship – People pray to gods and build temples.
7. Art and Craft – They create beautiful pots, jewelry, and paintings.

Thus, Indian Civilization is known as a civilization because it had all these features.

Civilization Around the World

• Civilization began at different times in different places.
  • The Mesopotamian Civilization (modern Iraq and Syria) started about 6,000 years ago.
  • Ancient Egyptian Civilization developed a few centuries later in 3100 BCE.
  • Later, The Indus-Sarasvati Civilization begin in 2600 BCE.
    • Cities like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro developed.
• These early civilizations made important contributions to human progress.

Indian Civilization

• We will now focus on the Indian Subcontinent.
• The first civilization in this region began in the northwest.
• Note:- Indian Civilization is one of the world’s oldest, beginning around 4,500 years ago.

From Village to City:-

• The Indus River and its tributaries made the Punjab and Sindh plains fertile, helping farming grow.
  • Five main tributaries of Indus :- Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej.
• Long ago, the Sarasvati River also flowed through Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
  • Many ancient sites exist near the Sarasvati River.
  • Today, it is known as Ghaggar in India and Hakra in Pakistan.
  • It flows only during the rainy season.
  • Note:- The Rig Veda mentioned it as a great river flowing “from the mountain to the sea.”
  • Over time, the river dried up and disappeared.
• Around 3500 BCE, small villages started growing into towns. (in the northwest region)
• By 2600 BCE, these towns developed into big cities due to trade and exchanges.
• This civilization is called the Indus, Harappan, Indus-Sarasvati, or Sindhu-Sarasvati Civilization.
• The people of this civilization are known as Harappans.
  • It is one of the oldest civilizations in the world.
• The civilization is named Harappan because Harappa was the first city found in 1920–21.
• Moreover, this development is also called India’s First Urbanization.

• Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, located in present-day Pakistan, were the first discovered cities in 1924.
• Later, more cities like Dholavira (Gujarat), Rakhigarhi (Haryana), and Ganweriwala (Pakistan) were found.
• The Sarasvati basin had many sites, including Rakhigarhi, Ganweriwala, Farmana, Kalibangan, Bhirrana, and Banawali.

City Layout:-

• Cities followed a planned structure with wide, well-oriented streets.
• They had fortifications (strong wall or structutre).
  • Each city had an upper town (for elites) and a lower town (for common people).
• Large buildings, including warehouses, stored trade goods.
• Houses, made of bricks, had uniform construction quality regardless of size.

The Great Bath:-

• Mohenjo-daro had the Great Bath, a waterproof tank (12 × 7 m) with a well and drainage system.
• Note:- It was likely used for royal bath, religious rituals, but not a public bath as most houses had private bathrooms.