ICSE · Grade 6

Ch. 1: Indus Valley Civilization

India's first known urban Bronze Age civilization (2500–1500 BCE), also called Harappan Civilization, famous for planned cities, drainage, the Great Bath, trade, and seals.

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1.1 Origin 1.2 Location 1.3 Main Characteristics of the Indus Valley Civilization 1.4 Decline of the Indus Valley Civilization
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# Real-Life Connections ### 1. Your city drains = Harappan drains When rainwater flows into covered drains under the road, thank the Harappans — they built **horizontal + vertical drains**, covered with bricks, with **manholes for cleaning** 4000 years ago! ### 2. Your bathroom at home Many Harappan houses had a **bathroom, kitchen, courtyard, and well**. Clean living was a value, not a luxury. ### 3. Shopping malls & warehouses The **Great Granary** stored surplus grain — like a giant warehouse near the river for boat transport. ### 4. Swimming pool / community hall The **Great Bath** is like a community pool used for **religious ceremonies**, with steps, galleries, dressing rooms, and bitumen waterproofing. ### 5. Cotton T-shirt on your body Indus people were among the **first in the world to cultivate cotton**. Your clothes connect to their farms. ### 6. Barcode / ID seal Merchants used **seals** for trade identity — like a logo or stamp on packages today. ### 7. Port city = Lothal **Lothal dockyard** is like a modern port where ships load goods for export.
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Topics in this chapter

  • 1.1 Origin
    Bronze Age civilization 2500–1500 BCE. One of three early civilizations with Egypt and Mesopotamia. …
  • 1.2 Location
    From Baluchistan to Gujarat. First city excavated: Harappa (Montgomery, Punjab). Mohenjo-daro in Lar…
  • 1.3 Characteristics
    Rivers, society, food, dress, ornaments, family life, town planning, architecture, occupations, seal…
  • 1.3.7 Town Planning
    Citadel + Lower town. Streets at right angles. Scientific covered drainage with manholes.…
  • 1.3.8 Architecture
    Baked bricks, Great Bath, Great Granary, Assembly Hall, dwelling houses with wells and bathrooms.…
  • 1.3.9 Occupation
    Agriculture (first cotton cultivators), animal domestication, trade (Lothal dockyard), art & craft.…
  • 1.3.10 Seals
    2000+ seals of clay, soapstone, copper. Animals and script. Script still undeciphered.…
  • 1.3.11 Religious Beliefs
    Mother Goddess, yogic figure, pipal tree, amulets, burial with goods, life after death. No temples f…
  • 1.4 Decline
    Around 3900 years ago. Theories: floods/earthquakes/epidemics, Aryan invasion, river course change.…

Philosophy check

  • What is this civilization?
  • Why was it advanced?
  • How did cities work?
  • Where do we still see these ideas?
  • Exams — what will be asked?