Town Planning of Indus Valley Civilization: Decoding the Urban Marvel

The Town Planning of Indus Valley Civilization is a remarkable example of early urban development, showcasing organized city layouts, drainage systems, and public infrastructure far ahead of their time. As one of the world’s earliest civilizations, it proves that humans, even in the Bronze Age, could build structured societies beyond basic survival.

Emerging near the Indus River, this civilization developed due to agriculture and trade, forming some of the most advanced urban centers of the ancient world. Archaeological findings reveal that the Indus Valley’s town planning outshone many later civilizations regarding design and efficiency.

Indus Valley urban planning exemplifies extraordinary foresight, with its meticulous grid layouts, advanced drainage systems, and standardized brick construction. This blog explores the revolutionary features of Indus Valley town planning, why it was ahead of its time and how it continues to inspire modern urban development.

Characteristics of Indus Valley Civilization

Despite its widespread existence, little remains of the Indus Valley Civilization today. Fortunately, the remains include two key archaeological sites: Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. We deduced that the Indus Valley Civilization had grid-based systematic town planning by excavating these two sites.

Additionally, the Indus Valley Civilization had urban planned cities beyond Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, namely Chanhudaro, Kalibanga, Dholavira, Surkotada, and Lothal. These centers had towns with sophisticated urban planning, such as efficient drainage systems and right-angle street turns.

Comparative analysis of urban layouts in these sites indicates that the towns in this civilization were far more advanced for their time. Thus, the town planning of the Indus Valley Civilization is a significant characteristic that implies advanced development.

Top Features of the Indus Valley Civilization

We have inferred that settlements in the Indus civilization prevailed over modern civilizations. To consolidate this inference, we must divulge the infrastructures that made the town planning of the Indus Valley civilization ahead of its time. As with any civilization, the Indus Valley Civilization focused on maintaining the quality of life.

To ensure a better life, the town planning of the Indus Valley Civilization had public infrastructures like roads, streets, and sewers. By analyzing the urban layouts, we can also conclude the evidence for the civilization’s political and administrative regional areas.

Such regional areas include public granaries, dams, canals, and the great bath. They significantly showcase the advanced development of the Indus Valley civilisation. Let’s untangle the town planning of the Indus Valley Civilisation.

1. Drainage System of Indus Valley Civilization

Closed Drainage System:

• The drains were covered to keep the streets clean and avoid exposure to waste.
• Every house and public building had a drain connected to the street gutters.

Brick Channels in Every Street:

• The drainage channels were made of bricks and ran along all the streets.
• These channels ensured that water and waste could flow smoothly through the city.

Manholes for Maintenance:

• Manholes were added regularly to make it easy for workers to clean the drains.
• These manholes ensured proper maintenance and prevented blockages.

Brick Culverts with Corbelled Roofs:

• On the outskirts of cities, culverts were built with corbelled roofs (stones laid step-by-step).
• These culverts handled excess water and ensured the city didn’t flood during heavy rains.

2. Roads and Streets of Indus Valley Civilization

• Residents achieved economic stability through agriculture and trade, leading to the development of the earliest civilizations. Indus Valley Civilization was no exception to financial stability. For the efficient exchange of goods, the town planning of Indus Valley Civilization had roads and streets.
• In town planning, roads divide the urban settlements into rectangular blocks. The streets were straight paths that intersected each other at right angles. They were also 13 – 34 feet wide and spaced well enough to accommodate large traffic.
• Residents of the Indus Valley Civilization could easily commute because the roads and streets followed a grid-based layout. Lampposts alongside the roads suggest the existence of street lights, and dustbins on the streets indicate municipal administration as well.

3. Buildings of Indus Valley Civilization

• The Indus Valley Civilization constructed buildings with burnt bricks, distinguishing them from structures in other early civilizations that used stone. They connected the drainage system to these buildings. To prevent water leakage, builders occasionally used sunburned bricks and baked bricks to construct buildings.
• Furthermore, excavations indicated the existence of door and window frames. And wood was used to build these frames. Extensive excavation in the archaeological sites of the Indus Valley civilization even found evidence for the existence of mud mortars and gypsum cement.
• In the town planning of Indus Valley Civilization, buildings like houses, citadels, and halls were built for holding meetings and workmen’s quarters. These buildings also had efficient frameworks for water supply from public wells found by the side of the streets.

4. The Houses

• The houses built in the urban settlements of the Indus Valley Civilization were of great significance in understanding its town planning. Excavation of the Indus Valley Civilization remains indicates the existence of terraced houses built using burnt bricks.
• These excavations also found that every house consisted of two or more rooms and that there were more than one-story houses. Likewise, archaeologists found evidence that the houses were designed with pillared halls, bathrooms, paved floors, kitchens, and wells.
• A notable feature of the Indus Valley town planning is that the urban settlement had two sections. We refer to the sections as the upper and lower towns of the Indus Valley civilization. The partition was inferred due to lower houses in lower towns and citadels in the upper cities.

5. Great Bath

• The Great Bath is one of the most significant features of the Indus Valley Civilization’s town planning. Excavation evidence indicates that the Great Bath was a water tank in Dharo. It was constructed using bricks to resemble a modern-day swimming pool.
• A gypsum coating prevented the Great Bath from leaking. Water was supplied to the Great Bath from a well situated in one of the adjoining rooms. Some of the Great Baths even facilitated hot baths.
• The Great Bath’s water tank was approximately 39 feet long, 23 feet wide, and 8 feet deep, with a flight of steps at both ends. Additionally, the Great Bath was surrounded by 8-foot-thick outer walls. These walls successfully withstood and protected the Great Bath from natural ravages for 5,000 years.

6. Granaries

• The excavations claimed that the largest infrastructure built in the town planning of Indus Valley Civilization was a granary. It was approximately 149 ft long and 49 ft wide. In the archaeological site of Harappa, researchers found a series of brick platforms serving as bases for two rows of six granaries.
• Similarly, brick platforms have been discovered in the southern part of Kalibangan. These granaries stored grains collected as revenue and for emergencies. A significant drain with a corbelled roof cuts through the edge of the granary, indicating that the drain was built after the granary itself. The drain is more than 6 ft in depth.

What makes the Town Planning of Indus Valley Special?

• The Indus Civilization is widely known among archaeologists for its urban culture and town planning. The town planning of Indus Valley Civilization showcases the profound knowledge of the Indus Valley people.
• Information furnished by the excavations inferred that the upper and lower towns of the Indus Valley Civilization were well-organized. However, organized cities are not the only feature of town planning. There was evidence that contributed to the existence of the defensive measures in town planning.
• The town planning of the Indus Valley Civilization protected the civilization from natural disasters and military conflicts. The mountains in the north and the desert in the west acted as natural barriers to civilization.
• The houses, made of burnt bricks, were protected from floods. Massive walls around the city ensured urban security throughout the town planning of the Indus Valley civilization. These features make the Bronze Age Indus Valley civilisation even more special and advanced for its time.

Town Planning of Harappan Civilization

The Indus Valley civilization is also known as the Harappan civilization because distinctive evidence for its existence was first found in the ‘Harappa’ archaeological site. It had massively populated independent administrative districts called urban centers. Small communities became large urban centers during the mature Harappan phase (2600 BCE). Some famous urban centers are the Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro, and Ganeriwala, situated in modern-day Pakistan, and Kalibangan, Rakhigarhi, and Lothal, located in modern-day India.

The discovery of the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro enhanced the excavation of the Indus Valley Civilization. The ruins of these cities provide evidence of civilization houses and drainage systems, such as channels, brick culverts, and house storeys.

Archaeologists worldwide have been astonished by the evidence of urban settlements and civilization construction. These cities were well-known for their multi-tiered settlements, such as houses and buildings with more than two storeys.

Features of Town Planning of Harappan Civilization

The Harappan Civilization, flourishing around 3300-1300 BCE, is renowned for its remarkable town planning. Here are some of the hallmarks of the town planning of the Harappan Civilization:

1. Grid System: Harappan cities were laid out in a meticulous grid pattern, with streets intersecting at near-right angles. This efficient layout divided the town into well-defined rectangular blocks, fostering organization and easy navigation.
2. Advanced Drainage: Wastewater management was a priority. Underground drainage systems, meticulously crafted from bricks or stones, cleverly linked individual residences to street drains, ensuring hygiene and sanitation.
3. Imposing Citadel: A defining feature of Harappan cities was the presence of a citadel, a high platform constructed from mud bricks. This elevated area likely housed elite structures, administrative buildings, or religious complexes.
4. Widespread Brick Use: One of the most distinctive characteristics of the Harappan Civilization’s town planning is the extensive use of fired bricks. Unlike many civilizations, Harappans rarely relied on stone for construction. Buildings, from grand granaries like the one found in Dara to ordinary homes, were constructed from these durable bricks.
5. Public Bath Network: Public bathing played a significant role in Harappan society. The Great Bath at Mohenjo-Daro exemplifies this focus on public hygiene. This impressive structure, built with fired bricks, served as a communal bathing area.

Indus Civilization Map

The Indus Civilization map shows many cities in modern-day India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The Indus Valley Civilization’s town planning stands out as one of the most widespread among the four earliest civilizations.

As per the Indus civilization map, the civilization extended from Pakistan in the west to Uttar Pradesh in the east. Similarly, it expanded from Afghanistan in the north to Gujarat in the south. The states of Punjab, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, and Uttar Pradesh in India host the cities of the Indus Valley Civilization. Likewise, the ‘Harappa’ and ‘Mohenjo-daro’ are located in the Sindh region of Pakistan. Additionally, the cities in Afghanistan with Indus Valley civilization are Shortugai and Mundigak. The Rakhigarhi, the largest settlement of the Harappan site, is a key archaeological site located in the Indian State of Haryana.

Indus Valley Civilization Artefacts

The Indus Valley Civilisation people had massively excellent skills in arts and crafts. They made highly realistic human and animal figures. The artifacts of town planning of the Indus Valley Civilization became apparent during the second half of the third millennium, known as the Bronze Age.

Archaeologists document the artifacts they find using pictures with names from the Indus Valley Civilization. The artifacts include seals, pottery, sculptures, ornaments, and terracotta figures made by the people of the civilization.

How people made these artifacts establishes a connection to the daily life and culture of the Harappa Civilization. In the future, we will use pictures of the Indus Valley Civilization with names to identify the found artifacts.

Researchers discovered a jewellery-making factory at the Rakhigarhi archaeological site, for instance. This shows that the people wore complex gold jewellery daily and used metal and terracotta decorations in their houses.

Urban Planning of Indus Valley Civilization

The Indus Valley Civilization (3300-1300 BCE) astounded archaeologists with its remarkably advanced urban and town planning of this civilization. Here’s a glimpse into their sophisticated approach:

1. Grid System: Imagine a city with north-south and east-west streets intersecting at near-perfect right angles. This was a hallmark of Indus Valley cities. This meticulous grid divided the town into organized blocks, making navigation and organization a breeze.
2. Underground Drainage: Advanced for their time, the Indus Valley people prioritized hygiene. They built a network of underground drains, constructed from bricks or stones, that efficiently channelled wastewater from homes to street drains, keeping the city clean and sanitary.
3. Citadels of Power: Most Indus Valley cities were dominated by a high mud-brick platform, often referred to as a citadel. This elevated area likely housed important structures like administrative buildings, religious complexes, or residences of the elite.
4. Burnt Brick Advantage: Unlike many civilizations of their era, the Indus Valley people extensively used fired bricks for construction. This stands in contrast to their reliance on stone. From grand granaries to ordinary homes, these durable bricks formed the backbone of their buildings.

Town Planning of Indus Valley Civilisation UPSC

The town planning of the Indus Valley Civilization is an essential topic in the UPSC IAS exam. This topic covers the prominent part of the art & culture subject in the General Studies Paper-1 syllabus. It also covers a significant part of the UPSC Prelims Syllabus – General Studies Paper-1.

The key aspects of the town planning of the Indus Valley Civilization emphasised in UPSC exams include:

• Important archaeological sites
• Harrapan Architecture
• Indus Valley civilisation drainage system
• Arrangement of houses, streets, and roads
• Defensive measures of urban settlements
• Indus Valley Civilization: Pioneering Town Planners

Conclusion

The ruins of the Indus Valley Civilization town planning represent the attempts of our ancestors to develop a civilized society. One such striking attempt that showcases the brilliance of the Indus Valley urban planning. Furthermore, it represents the origin of our culture and heritage.

The Indus Valley Civilization prospered for over 4,000 years and has now evolved into metropolitan cities in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The Indus Valley Civilization’s houses and drainage systems led to the construction of sophisticated cities and the invention of sewage systems.

Additionally, using burnt bricks in houses instead of stone paved the path for modern-age constructions using bricks. Cities now incorporate well-organized establishments and regular layouts, drawing from the base concept of the town planning of the Harappan Civilization.

Read More:-

• Vedic Period: An Overview
• The Periods of History: Understanding the Evolution of Civilizations
• List of 7 Ancient Universities of India

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