Essay about Harappa and Aryans 1500 B.C.E - 1299 Words

All the historical cities from older times have many common features in construction as well as in society, government, religion, and culture. The uniformity among Harappan cities reveals a society that valued order, organization, and cleanliness. Administrators used the same pattern, carefully laying out the cities using a north-south grid pattern with wide streets and large rectangular city blocks. They built most buildings of sturdy baked brick molded to a standardized size. Residential and commercial districts were separated from a smaller area or public affairs. Massive brick ramparts 40 feet thick at their base partially protected it from the river waters and any potential human attackers. Large granaries provide evidence of wealth†¦show more content†¦The available evidence for an organized monarchy is thin, and there were no elaborate palaces, temples, or monuments glorifying leaders. Each city was probably Independent, perhaps governed by some powerful guild of merc hants or a council of common landowning, and religious leaders. The ruins contain few weapons, suggesting that, in contrast to Mesopotamia, war was uncommon. But some people owned beautiful objects of personal adornment, such as necklaces and beads, while others apparently lacked such valuable possessions. the ruins also contain many toys made from clay or wood, indicating a prosperous society that valued leisure for children. Harappan society had unusual gender relations for that era, different from the rigid patriarchies that characterized Mesopotamia or China as governments grew more powerful. Apparently, Harappan husbands moved into their wives’ households after marriage, a practice that suggests a matrilineal system. Yet some customs harmed women. A least some Harappans may have practiced sati, the custom of a widow killing herself by jumping onto the funeral pyre as her dead husband is being cremated. Harappan city-dwellers developed an artistic appreciation, mixing art with religion and even commerce. They made small, square, clay seals, possibly used by merchants for branding their wares; some of the seals contain brilliant portraits of indigenous animals, indulging bulls and water buffaloes as well as the tigers, elephants, andShow MoreRelatedThe Birth of Civilization18947 Words   |  76 Pagesabout 2500 B.C.E. depicts a king or a priest from Mohenjo-Daro in the Indus valley in present-day Pakistan. Does this figure seem to emphasize the features of a particular person or the attributes of a particular role? Hear the Audio for Chapter 1 at www.myhistorylab.com CRAIMC01_xxxii-031hr2.qxp 2/17/11 3:22 PM Page xxxii EARLY HUMANS AND THEIR CULTURE page 1 WHY IS â€Å"culture† considered a defining trait of human beings? EARLY CIVILIZATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST TO ABOUT 1000 B.C.E. page 5 HOW