History Notes Chapter 3 Class 6 Maharashtra Board

Notes For All Chapters – History Class 6

The Harappan Civilization

1. Harappan Civilization

• Started around 1921 CE when archaeologists found remains in Harappa (Punjab, Pakistan).
• It is also called Indus Civilization because it was in the Indus Valley.
• Other important sites: Mohenjo-Daro, Dholavira, Lothal, Kalibangan, Daimabad.
• Common features: Town planning, roads, drainage system, seals, pottery, toys, burial customs.

2. Housing and Town Planning

• Houses were made of baked bricks (some used unbaked bricks and stones).
• They had rooms around a central courtyard, wells, bathrooms, and toilets.
• Excellent drainage system: Covered drains were made of bricks.
• Wide streets in a grid pattern, with houses built in rectangular blocks.
• Cities were divided into sections with fortifications for protection.

3. Seals and Pots

• Seals were square-shaped and made of steatite (a type of stone).
• Seals had pictures of animals (bulls, buffaloes, elephants, tigers, unicorns) and human figures.
  Seals were used as stamps.
• Harappan people made earthen pots with black designs of fish scales, circles, and pipal leaves.
  They buried their dead with earthen pots.

4. The Great Bath

• Found in Mohenjo-Daro.
• Large water tank (12m long, 7m wide, 2.5m deep).
• Lined with baked bricks to stop water leakage.
• Had steps to go inside.
• Water was drained, cleaned, and refilled regularly.

5. Life in the Harappan Civilization

• Agriculture: They grew wheat, barley, peas, sesame, lentils. Cotton was also grown.
• Clothing: Men and women wore knee-length cloth and an upper garment.
• Ornaments: Made of gold, copper, stones, shells, seeds.
• Men and women wore necklaces, rings, armlets, bangles up to the upper arm.
• Art: A famous statue of a man wearing a cloak with a trefoil design was found.

6. Trade

• Trade happened inside India and with foreign countries.
• Harappans exported cotton and muslin cloth to Egypt, West Asia, Southern Europe.
• Imported silver, gemstones, deodar wood, zinc from Kashmir, South India, Iran, Afghanistan.
• Trade happened via land and sea.
• A dockyard was found at Lothal, showing they used ships for trade.

7. Reasons for Decline

• Floods, foreign invasions, and decline in trade.
• Climate change: Weak monsoon, drying rivers, earthquakes, sea level changes.
• People migrated to other places, leading to the decline of the cities.