Society of IVC: Characteristic Features

Introduction

The society of the IVC was characterized by its urban structure, advanced infrastructure, and complex social organization, reflecting a highly developed and organized civilization that flourished in the ancient past.

Characteristic Features Of Society of IVC

• The society of IVC was predominantly urban, mainly comprising the middle classes. 
• Three distinct social groups were rulers, wealthy merchants, and poor labourers in the city’s lower parts.
• Burials: Fire altars have been identified at Kalibangan. 
  • They buried the dead.  
  • Burials were made elaborately and evidence of cremation is also reported. 
  • The Harappan burials have pottery, ornaments, jewelry, copper mirrors and beads. 
  • These suggest their belief in an afterlife. 
• Jewelry has been found in burials of both men and women.
• The dead were generally laid in pits. Sometimes, there were differences in how the burial pit was made in some instances, the hollowed-out spaces were lined with bricks.

Lifestyle:

• Men and women of this society of IVC wore separate attire, similar to the dhoti and shawl.
• Cinnabar was used as a cosmetic, and facepaint, lipstick, and collyrium (eyeliner) were also known to them.

Artefacts:

• Rare objects made of valuable materials are generally concentrated in large settlements like Mohenjodaro and Harappa and are rarely found in smaller settlements. 
• Miniature pots of faience, perhaps used as perfume bottles, were found mostly in Mohenjodaro and Harappa. 
• All the gold jewellery found at Harappan sites was recovered from hoards.

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Agriculture: 

It was an important source of subsistence for the Harappans. The agricultural surplus was an important stimulus for a number of developments. 

• Evidence of Agriculture: 
  • Terracotta models of ploughs were found at Cholistan and Banawali. 
  • The ploughed field at Kalibangan had two sets of furrows at right angles, suggesting that two different crops (double cropping system) were grown together.
  • Evidence of rice cultivation in Lothal (1800 BC) and Rangpur (Gujarat).
  • Bull representations on seals and terracotta sculptures indicate that they were used for ploughing. 
• Other features:
• • Main crops include wheat, barley, lentils, chickpeas, sesame, mustard, and millets.
  • Used animal-drawn wooden plough and stone sickles.
• Irrigation:  The people in the society of IVC used both canal and well irrigation.
• Cereals were received as taxes from peasants and stored in granaries for wage payments and emergencies, similar to Mesopotamia.

Animal Domestication

• Pastoralism was also practiced by the Harappans. 
• The Harappan cattle are called Zebu. It is a large breed, often represented in their seals. 
• They domesticated oxen, buffaloes, goats, sheep, fowl, pigs, dogs, cats, asses, and camels. However, humped bulls were particularly preferred. 
• Fish and birds were part of the diet.
• Evidence has been found of boar, deer, and gharial.
• Horse was not known to them.
• Elephants and Rhinoceros (from Amri) were known, but the lion was unknown.
• A Mesopotamian myth mentions the haja-bird, with some archaeologists terming it Peacock.

Conclusion

• The society of IVC represents a fascinating glimpse into the complexities of early urban life, with its advanced infrastructure, intricate social organization, and cultural diversity laying the foundation for subsequent civilizations in the region.