Class 6 Social Studies Notes Chapter 4 (In The Earliest Cities) – History - Our Past Book

Alright class, let's delve into Chapter 4, 'In The Earliest Cities'. This chapter is crucial as it introduces us to the Indus Valley Civilization, also known as the Harappan Civilization, one of the world's earliest urban cultures. Pay close attention, as questions from this topic frequently appear in government exams.

Chapter 4: In The Earliest Cities - Detailed Notes for Exam Preparation

1. The Story of Harappa:

• Discovery: Around 150 years ago, railway lines were being laid in Punjab. Engineers stumbled upon the site of Harappa. They used the high-quality bricks from the ruins for railway construction, unknowingly damaging a significant historical site.
• Recognition: About 80 years ago, archaeologists realized this was not just any ruin but belonged to one of the oldest cities in the subcontinent. As Harappa was the first site discovered, all other similar sites found later were described as part of the Harappan Civilization.
• Timeline: These cities developed around 4700 years ago.

2. What was Special about these Cities?

• Urban Planning: Harappan cities were generally divided into two or more parts:
  • The Citadel (West): Smaller but higher. Often contained special buildings. Built on raised platforms.
  • The Lower Town (East): Larger but lower. Where most people likely lived.
• Fortification: Both parts were often surrounded by walls made of baked bricks. The bricks were so well-made they have lasted thousands of years. They were laid in an interlocking pattern, which made the walls strong.
• Streets and Drains:
  • Cities had a planned network of streets, often laid out in a grid pattern, intersecting at right angles.
  • Remarkable drainage system. Drains in houses connected to street drains, which led into bigger ones.
  • Drains were often covered and had inspection holes for cleaning. This indicates a high concern for sanitation and hygiene.
• Houses:
  • Generally one or two storeys high.
  • Built around a courtyard.
  • Many houses had a separate bathing area and some had wells to supply water.
  • Materials: Primarily baked bricks.

3. Special Buildings:

• The Great Bath (Mohenjo-daro):
  • Located in the citadel area.
  • A large, rectangular tank, resembling a swimming pool.
  • Lined with bricks, coated with plaster, and made water-tight with a layer of natural tar.
  • Steps leading down from two sides.
  • Rooms on all sides.
  • Water was probably brought in from a well and drained out after use.
  • Likely used for special religious baths by important people.
• Fire Altars: Found in sites like Kalibangan (Rajasthan) and Lothal (Gujarat). Suggests sacrifices may have been performed.
• Storehouses/Granaries: Found in several cities like Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, and Lothal. Used for storing surplus grain, indicating organized agriculture and administration.

4. Life in the City:

• Busy Place: Cities were hubs of activity.
• Rulers: Planned the construction, possibly sent people to distant lands for resources (metal, precious stones), and kept valuable objects (ornaments, seals).
• Scribes: People who knew how to write. Prepared seals and perhaps wrote on other materials (which haven't survived).
• Craftspeople: Men and women making various things either in their homes or special workshops. Included potters, weavers, tool makers, seal makers, bead makers, etc.
• Trade: People travelled to distant lands or brought raw materials. Terracotta toys found suggest children played.

5. New Crafts in the City:

• Materials: Stone, shell, metals (copper, bronze, gold, silver).
  • Copper and Bronze: Used for tools, weapons, ornaments, vessels. (Bronze = Copper + Tin)
  • Gold and Silver: Used for ornaments and vessels.
• Seals:
  • Most striking finds. Generally rectangular, made of steatite (a type of soft stone).
  • Usually have an animal carved on them and signs from a script (which remains undeciphered).
  • Used for stamping bags/packets (sealings) to guarantee authenticity or identify the sender.
• Pottery: Beautiful black painted designs on red clay pottery.
• Beads: Made from carnelian (a red stone), jasper, crystal, quartz, steatite, metals, shell, faience, terracotta. Often part of jewellery. Weights were made of chert (a type of stone), precisely shaped.
• Tools: Stone blades, copper/bronze tools.
• Cloth: Actual pieces preserved attached to objects. Spindle whorls (terracotta and faience) found, indicating thread spinning. Evidence of cotton cultivation found at Mehrgarh (around 7000 years ago). Statues show draped cloth.
• Faience: An artificial material produced from ground sand or quartz mixed with a gum and colour, then glazed. Used to make beads, bangles, earrings, tiny vessels. Usually blue or sea green.
• Specialists: Archaeologists believe items were produced by specialists (trained to do only one kind of work, e.g., cutting stone, polishing beads).

6. In Search of Raw Materials:

• Raw Materials: Substances found naturally (wood, ores) or produced by farmers/herders, then processed.
• Local Availability: Some materials like clay were locally available.
• Imports: Many items required materials brought from distant places:
  • Copper: Possibly from present-day Rajasthan and Oman (West Asia).
  • Tin: Possibly from present-day Afghanistan and Iran. (Mixed with copper to produce bronze).
  • Gold: Possibly from present-day Karnataka.
  • Precious Stones: Possibly from present-day Gujarat, Iran, and Afghanistan.
• Transport: Bullock carts used for land transport; boats and ships for riverine and sea routes.

7. Food for People in the Cities:

• Agriculture: People living in the countryside grew crops and reared animals, supplying food to city dwellers.
  • Crops: Wheat, barley, pulses, peas, rice, sesame, linseed, mustard.
  • Tools: The plough was used for turning soil and planting seeds (wooden ploughs haven't survived, but toy models have).
  • Irrigation: This region doesn't receive heavy rainfall, so some form of irrigation (storing water, supplying fields) was likely used.
• Herding: Rearing cattle, sheep, goat, and buffalo. Water and pastures were available around settlements. People also collected fruits (like ber), fished, and hunted wild animals (like antelope).

8. A Closer Look – Harappan Towns in Gujarat:

• Dholavira:
  • Located on Khadir Bet in the Rann of Kutch.
  • Had fresh water and fertile soil.
  • Unlike other cities divided into two parts, Dholavira was divided into three parts.
  • Each part surrounded by massive stone walls with entrances through gateways.
  • Large open area for public ceremonies.
  • Unique find: Large letters of the Harappan script carved out of white stone and inlaid in wood (perhaps a signboard). This is unique as Harappan writing is usually found on small objects like seals.
• Lothal:
  • Located beside a tributary of the Sabarmati River, close to the Gulf of Khambat.
  • Situated near areas rich in raw materials like semi-precious stones.
  • Important centre for making objects of stone, shell, and metal.
  • Had a storehouse. Many seals and sealings (impressions of seals on clay) found here.
  • Dockyard: A large structure identified by archaeologists as a dockyard, where boats and ships likely came in from the sea and through the river channel. Goods were probably loaded/unloaded here. Suggests significant maritime trade.
  • A workshop for making beads was also found.

9. The Mystery of the End:

• Decline: Around 3900 years ago, signs of decline emerged. People stopped living in many cities. Writing, seals, and weights fell out of use. Raw material imports became rare. House construction deteriorated. Drainage systems broke down.
• Reasons (Theories, No single confirmed cause):
  • Rivers drying up: Changes in river courses (Indus, Ghaggar-Hakra).
  • Deforestation: Fuel required for baking bricks, smelting ores; grazing by large herds might have destroyed green cover.
  • Floods: Evidence of flooding in some areas like Mohenjo-daro.
  • Climate Change: Shift towards drier conditions.
  • Loss of control by Rulers: Administrative breakdown.
  • External Aggression/Invasion: Less supported theory now.
• Outcome: Cities abandoned. People moved into newer, smaller settlements to the east and south.

Key Terms/Facts for Quick Revision:

• Civilization: Indus Valley Civilization / Harappan Civilization
• Timeline: c. 4700 years ago (developed) - c. 3900 years ago (began declining)
• Key Sites: Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, Lothal, Kalibangan, Dholavira, Chanhudaro, Sutkagendor
• City Structure: Citadel (West, higher), Lower Town (East, lower)
• Materials: Baked brick, Stone (Steatite, Chert, Carnelian), Metals (Copper, Bronze, Gold, Silver), Shell, Faience, Cotton, Terracotta
• Key Features: Planned cities, Grid pattern streets, Covered drainage system, Great Bath (Mohenjo-daro), Granaries/Storehouses, Dockyard (Lothal), Fire Altars (Kalibangan, Lothal), Seals (Steatite, animal motifs, script), Weights (Chert), Beads, Pottery (Red with black designs)
• Economy: Agriculture (Wheat, Barley, Cotton etc.), Animal Husbandry, Crafts, Trade (internal & external - Oman, Mesopotamia inferred)
• Writing: Undeciphered script, found mainly on seals.
• Decline: Multiple possible factors (environmental, administrative).

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

1. The Harappan Civilization flourished approximately how many years ago?
   a) 2500 years ago
   b) 3500 years ago
   c) 4700 years ago
   d) 6000 years ago

2. In most Harappan cities, the western part was smaller but higher and is referred to by archaeologists as the:
   a) Lower Town
   b) Great Bath
   c) Citadel
   d) Dockyard

3. The Great Bath, a significant structure of the Harappan Civilization, was discovered at which site?
   a) Harappa
   b) Lothal
   c) Mohenjo-daro
   d) Kalibangan

4. Which of the following materials was commonly used to make Harappan seals?
   a) Terracotta
   b) Steatite
   c) Bronze
   d) Faience

5. Evidence of a dockyard, suggesting maritime trade, has been found at the Harappan site of:
   a) Dholavira
   b) Kalibangan
   c) Harappa
   d) Lothal

6. Which metal was mixed with copper to produce bronze by the Harappans?
   a) Iron
   b) Tin
   c) Silver
   d) Gold

7. The Harappan site of Dholavira is unique because it was divided into:
   a) One part
   b) Two parts
   c) Three parts
   d) Four parts

8. Which of the following crops were grown by the Harappans?
   a) Wheat, Barley, and Maize
   b) Rice, Pulses, and Sugarcane
   c) Wheat, Barley, Pulses, and Cotton
   d) Millets, Jowar, and Bajra

9. What artificial material, often blue or sea green, was used by Harappans to make beads, bangles, and tiny vessels?
   a) Terracotta
   b) Faience
   c) Steatite
   d) Chert

10. Which of the following is considered a possible reason for the decline of the Harappan Civilization around 3900 years ago?
    a) Rivers drying up or flooding
    b) Deforestation
    c) Climate change
    d) All of the above

Answer Key for MCQs:

1. c) 4700 years ago
2. c) Citadel
3. c) Mohenjo-daro
4. b) Steatite
5. d) Lothal
6. b) Tin
7. c) Three parts
8. c) Wheat, Barley, Pulses, and Cotton (Note: Cotton evidence from Mehrgarh applies to the broader region/period, and Harappans used cotton cloth)
9. b) Faience
10. d) All of the above

Study these notes thoroughly. Remember the specific features of different sites, the materials used, and the possible reasons for the civilization's decline. Good luck with your preparation!