How did the Indus Valley people live?

Answer 1

The city of Mohenjo-daro was well-planned and had a good layout. It could be divided into 3 parts- the citadel, the lower city and the outer parts of the city.

The citadel was known as fort or administrative block. The higher and ruling classes lived here. There were important buildings inside the citadel such as the Great Bath, the Granary and the Assembly or Town Hall.

The Great Bath was a rectangular tank, which looked like a swimming pool. There were steps from both sides to enter the bath. It had an outlet for draining out water. The Great Bath was surrounded by rooms and gallaries. It was very attractive.

The largest building excavated in Mohenjo-daro was is the granary, used for storing foodgrains.

In the citadel, some big buildings have been found. Those were the residences of the rich persons and the administrative class. A grand building was excavated which was 69 m long and 24 m wide. It was used as an assembly hall where prayers, gatherings and cultural functions were held. The lower part of Mohenjo-daro city was below the citadel. It was inhabited by the lower section of society.

The houses were well-constructed, built of bricks. The walls were thick, plastered and coloured. Houses were comfortable but all did not live in such houses. Labourers were poor and lived in small, one-room quarters.

There was an excellent and unparalleled system of drainage in the cities. The drains of the houses had their own outlets. Drains were covered with stone slabs but there were some uncovered drains too. Harappa city was as well-planned as Mohenjo-daro. Being along the river Ravi, Harappa was well-protected by thick, strong and high mud walls.

People produced wheat, barley, rice, fruits and vegetables. People also had meat, fish, dates and milk. The surplus foodgrains were used for trade. The people knew the art of weaving cloth. Clay spindles were discovered during excavations. The man wrapped lonf pieces of cloth around themselves and the women wore skirts that were tied at the waste by a girdle. They wore shawls. The women tied up their hair in ponytails and combed them in various styles to look beautiful.

Ornaments were used by both men and women. There were skilled goldsmiths to make the jewelleries of gold, silver, ivory, copper, bronze, bones, stones and shells. They used mirrors and combs. Razors have also been found during excavations. Excavations have revealed pottery at various sites in great numbers. The clay pots were baked, glazed and decorated.

Pottery was the main occupation of th Harappans. People also spun and wove cotton and wool. Many people made beads and amulets. Some people produced tools and implements. Trade was the major economic activity of the people. The Harappan people also traded wit hregions outside India. A large number of weights and measures have been found and the weights were found to be very accurate. Many seals made of clay and steatite have been found. Seals were used in trade.

Recreation and amusement were quite important to the Indus Valley people. Dice was a popular game. They also liked music, dancing, hunting, fishing, bull fights.

The picture carved on the seals tell us about the faith and religion of the people. The small female figures and terracotta figurines of women show that the people worshipped the Mother Goddess. People worshipped a male God who resembled Lord Shiva. Some Harappans buried their dead while others practised urn burial. The Indus Valley people believed in life after death. Therefore, pots, ornaments and other belongings of the deceased were also buried with them.

Hope this information was useful. I took reference from the book "The Essence Of Our Society" by Fr. K.V. Mathew Sdb.

Answer 2

The Indus people would be people that lived in the Indus river valley with is located in india or they would be indian people

Answer 3

harappans

Answer 4

Harappans