Describe the sailent features of the Harappan civilization with special reference to town planning.
OR
Discuss the sailent features of the town planning of Harappan culture.
Sailent features of the town planning of Harappan civilization: In this post we will discuss about Sailent features of the town planning of Harappan civilization.
Introduction
The Harappan civilization, also known as the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), flourished around 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE. in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, particularly in present-day Pakistan and western India. The town planning of Harappan cities showcases remarkable features that highlight the advanced understanding of urban planning, infrastructure, and civic management during that time.
Remarkable town planning
The ruins of the cities of the Indus Valley Civilization display a remarkable skill of the people in town planning and sanitation. In fact the ruins have excited the wonder of the whole world. The cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, though hundreds of Kilometres apart, were built on the same careful town planning. Something of the same pattern is also found in the far away sites at Suktagindor and Surkotada in Baluchistan and Kalibangan in Rajasthan. Each had a population of about 30,000.
Sailent features of the town planning of Harappan civilization
Main features are cities with their wide and straight streets, efficient and covered drainage, structurally comfortable houses with bathrooms and built of burnt bricks of various shapes. Looking at the ruins, one English writer felt as if he were surrounded by ruins, of some present-day town in Lancashire. It is said that Mohenjo-daro was the oldest planned city of the world.
Some of the most salient features of Harappan town planning include:
Grid Layout
The Harappan cities, such as Mohenjo-Daro, Harappa, and Dholavira, were known for their well-planned grid-like layout. Streets were laid out in a rectangular or square pattern, with main streets running in a north-south and east-west direction, forming a uniform grid. This systematic layout allowed for efficient movement and organization of space.
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Fortification
The cities were surrounded by fortified walls made of mud bricks, protecting robbers, cattle raiders and floods.
Division of cities
The city was divided into two parts–An upraised citadel and the lower part of the city.
Upper part: In the western part of these ancient cities, an elevated citadel was the foundation for constructing significant structures.
These included granaries, administrative buildings, pillared halls, and courtyards.
The citadel housed essential residential structures used by the general public or select residents. Notably, cities like Harappa, Mohenjodaro,and Kalibangan featured a citadel built atop a tall mud-brick podium.
Lower part: Below the citadel in each city lay a lower town containing brick houses, which the common people inhabited.
Roads
The main roads followed straight course from north to south and east to west intersecting at right angles. These roads were as broad as modern ones with their 10 metre width. These main roads passed exactly through the middle of the city from each side. Parallel to these roads were others 3 to 6 metres in width, along which ran the row of buildings. The houses did not have the doors towards the main roads but opened on lanes, 1.5 to 3 metres wide.
Drainage
The drainage system was very impressive. The main drains, covered with bricks or stones ran below the streets and were connected with the house drains. The main drains emptied the waste into culverts which in turn emptied into the river. There was ample provision of periodical cleaning of soak pitts, and drains etc. Water flowed from the houses to the streets which had drains. The unique drainage system of Harappa clearly indicates that the people paid -great attention to health and sanitation a feature unparallel in other civilizations.
Houses
While planning and building the houses, more stress was laid on making them comfortable rather than on their astistic outlook. The dwelling houses varied in size from palatial buildings with 30 rooms or so to two rooms.
Houses in general were very spacious having a well, a bathrom and a good system of covered drainage connected with the street. The entrances to the houses were in narrow lanes. The walls were pretty thick. Roofs were formed by placing reed-matting on beams and covering them with mud.
Bath Room
Practically every house had a bathroom which was on the street side of the building for the convenient disposal of water. The bathroom was small square or rectangular with a carefully laid brick pavement sloping towards one corner. There was an outlet for the water to run outside. The walls of the bathroom were invarially linked with bricks, closely set, so that there could have hardly been any leakage of water.
The citadel and granaries
The cities were divided into two parts. The part on high ground was called the ‘Citadel’. This part contained public buildings such as store houses for grain, important factories, workshops and the Great Bath.
In the citadel of Harappa, there were six granaries, each granary measuring 15-23 metres x 6.09 metres. In Mohenjo-daro, the largest granary measured about 46 metres x 15 metres. The grain was brought in boats and stored in the granaries. Near these granaries are large brick-floored thrashing platforms showing that the farm produce was brought there for thrashing from the fields.
Workmen’s Quarters
Near the granaries, there were workmen’s quarters of the city. Two lines of small dwellings have been found in which there were 16 quarters, each with two rooms. It is evident that there was a uniform scheme of providing quarters.
College Building and Assembly Hall
Included in the citadel at Mohenjo-daro is a College Building-residence of the ‘High Priest’ or ‘College of Priests’ and an assembly hall.
The Great Bath
The most striking feature of Mohenjo-daro is the Great Bath. It is housed in a building measuring 65 metres by 40 metres. The tank is 12 metres long. 7 metres wide and about 2½ metres deep. It is entered at either end by a flight of steps. The sides and bottom had been made watertight with gypsum plaster. The tank had a broad platform attached with galleries and side rooms for changing clothes. The Great Bath was filled from a large well situated in one of the rooms. It had an outlet drain too, to remove water. Provision was made for draining the Bath when needed.
To ensure privacy in the rooms the doorways were so disposed that none opened opposite to any other. Each room contained a brick stair case leading to the upper storey.
It appears that the Great Bath was related to the religious life of the people. However, no temple near the Bath has been discovered so far.
Water Supply
Mohenjo-daro could boast of an excellent water supply. Almost every house had its own brick-lined wells. These wells were excellent sources of fresh sweet water. Ordinarily the well was one metre in diameter.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Harappan civilization demonstrated a highly advanced level of urban planning, with a focus on systematic city layout, sanitation, water management, and standardized construction. These features not only highlight their technological and architectural expertise but also indicate a well-organized society with a sophisticated approach to civic life.