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DrRajpalSingh
August 25th, 2013, 10:02 PM
One of the oldest flourishing civilisations of the world known as Indus Valley Civilisation/ Harappan Civilisation of Ancient India which was unearthed in 1921, has opened the interest of researchers as how did it decline but no unanimity has so far been arrived at between the scholars. The purpose of the thread is to seek views of the scholars, who have knowledge about the decline/ collapse/ disappearance/ destruction or as some say continuity of it so as to understand the phenomenon in better way.

Welcome your views.

DrRajpalSingh
August 25th, 2013, 10:05 PM
Decline of Harappan Culture
The decline of Harappan culture is difficult to explain. During its late phase between 2000 and 1700 BC 'The Indus Valley Civilization as a distinct entity gradually ceased to exist'. Historians have different opinions regarding the causes of the decay and disappearance of the Harappan culture. Various causes have been ascribed for its weakening and then decay: Increase in rainfall, earthquake, decrease in fertility of soil, floods, Aryan invasion, disease etc.

Mortimer Wheeler pointed out that the Harappan culture was destroyed by the Aryans. The Aryans were more skilled at warfare and were powerful than the Harappans. In the last phase of Mohenjodaro, men and women and children were massacred in the streets and houses. But there is very little evidence on this opinion.
Sir John Marshal, Lambrick and E.J.H Mackay suggest that the decline of the Harappan civilization was mainly due to the vagaries of the Indus River. But this theory is partly true. Some of the evidence of the devastation by floods has been found at Mohenjodaro and Lothal but there is no such evidence in respect of other sites like Kalibangan.

Some historians suggest that the first urban civilization came to an end around 1700 BC because its numerous small settlements grew beyond their natural limits leading to the mismanagement of natural resources. Although the theory of ecological factors for the decline of the Harappan civilization is latest yet it does not give us complete answer. Historians are of the view that the decline of the Indus Civilization was not the result of a single event; it was a slow decline and a result of combination of factors.
[Source: http://www.historytuition.com/indus_valley_civilization/decline_of%20_harappan_culture.html ]

Thanks

DrRajpalSingh
August 26th, 2013, 09:10 AM
The 'decline' of Harappan civilisation [earlier called IVC] encomapasses in it, the decline of flourishing urban civilisation with its attendant features like well laid out towns, their business and trade both internal and external and also their way of life.

However this does not mean that entire culture and the people vanished on the stroke of a specific hour. Rather the process was gradual phenomenon and it took centuries of years. Some traits of the life and manners even continued after the decline of major urban centres representing this culture and civilisation and even today some of the features of Harappan civilisation could be identified in Indian culture.

Of course, the Aryan, if you agree that they indeed came from outside, had their pastoral, agricultural traits of cultural life when the 'decline' of Harappan civilisation set in.


The reasons of this decline were varied and have/had been debated for long.

The discussion on the earlier thread, link:

http://www.jatland.com/forums/showthread.php?36296-Possible-causes-of-the-Decline-of-Harappan-Civilisation&p=345274#post345274 (http://www.jatland.com/forums/showthread.php?36296-Possible-causes-of-the-Decline-of-Harappan-Civilisation&p=345274#post345274)

may be read before going into finer aspects of the issue raised under this thread.

Thanking you.

DrRajpalSingh
August 26th, 2013, 03:59 PM
There are several well researched articles and views on the issue of the decline of the Harappan Civilisation. To read some of them, kindly link :

http://www.mohenjodaro.net/indusdecline.html

http://www.mohenjodaro.net/indusdecline.html

Thanks and regards

DrRajpalSingh
August 26th, 2013, 04:04 PM
Regarding climatic changes and their impact and role in the decline of old civilisations like Harappan Civilisation kindly use link to study :

http://news.discovery.com/history/ancient-egypt/collapse-river-civilization-harappan-climate-change-120529.htm

Thanks

DrRajpalSingh
August 26th, 2013, 04:06 PM
The following link further tells us something interesting on the issue. Link, read and draw your own conclusions:

http://www.mapsofindia.com/my-india/history/possible-reasons-for-the-decline-of-the-harappan-civilization (http://www.mapsofindia.com/my-india/history/possible-reasons-for-the-decline-of-the-harappan-civilization)

Thanks

DrRajpalSingh
August 26th, 2013, 04:11 PM
To understand the decline of ancient Mohenjodaro in Modern Pakistan, the first site in the series of townships in the Harappan civilisation, sighted in 1921, kindly link:

http://www.mohenjodaro.net/indusdecline.html

Thanks

ravinderjeet
August 26th, 2013, 04:32 PM
राजपाल जी आपके दिए लिंक तो मेने अब पढ़े नहीं ,पर फुर्सत के समय जरूर पढूंगा । मेरा मानना ये हे की जो ,भवन निर्माण कला , बावली (जोहड़ या पानी के श्रोत ),नगर विन्यास , खेती करने के तरीके ,सब के सब आज भी जट्टों के गाँव में पाए जाते हैं । इसीलिए सिन्धु घाटी के लोग नष्ट नहीं हुए ,वे या तो आर्यों की ही एक शाखा थे ,जो कालान्तर में उनके साथ मिश्रित ,और स्थ्नान्त्रित हो गए । सिन्धु घटी की सभ्यता आज भी हमारे गाँव में जीवित हे ।

DrRajpalSingh
August 26th, 2013, 04:55 PM
राजपाल जी आपके दिए लिंक तो मेने अब पढ़े नहीं ,पर फुर्सत के समय जरूर पढूंगा । मेरा मानना ये हे की जो ,भवन निर्माण कला , बावली (जोहड़ या पानी के श्रोत ),नगर विन्यास , खेती करने के तरीके ,सब के सब आज भी जट्टों के गाँव में पाए जाते हैं । इसीलिए सिन्धु घाटी के लोग नष्ट नहीं हुए ,वे या तो आर्यों की ही एक शाखा थे ,जो कालान्तर में उनके साथ मिश्रित ,और स्थ्नान्त्रित हो गए । सिन्धु घटी की सभ्यता आज भी हमारे गाँव में जीवित हे ।

Good !

I have never said that they were wiped out or vanished altogether!

Rather, I subscribe to the view that around 1900 BCE the well flourishing urban civilisation started to fade due to a number of causes and rural habitations came into existence which later on developed into cities during the course of Second Urbanisation in the 1st millenium BCE in India.

However, the traces of the impact of the Indus civilisation are discernible on the present culture and civilisation of India of even today.

Who these people were who gave birth to such splendid urban commercial civilisation in those days is another important aspect which may be dealt with in the already existing thread in the sub forum Jat History:

http://www.jatland.com/forums/showthread.php?35392-Harappan-Indus-Valley-Civilisation-Vedic-in-Character-or-not

Thanks.