Major Rivers of Harappan Civilization, Historical Significance

Major Rivers of Harappan Civilization: Harappan civilization is among the oldest civilizations in Indian history. The Harappan Civilization played an important role in the human lives of that time as it was the earliest known Urban civilization in the Indian subcontinent. It is a part of the Indus River Valley Civilization, which was considered the Bronze Age civilization.  The Harappan civilization flourished along the Indus River between 2600 and 1900 BCE. The discoveries made here gave us great insight into the lifestyle back then lived by our ancestors.

Major Rivers in the Harappan Civilization

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Significance of Rivers

• The frequent flooding of rivers contributed to the formation of fertile plains which could be used for irrigation providing a reliable source of food, this, in turn, supported larger populations and aided permanent settlements.
• The rivers also acted as natural highways which helped move around goods, hence enabling trade and cultural exchange.
• Rivers also provided a constant source of freshwater hence providing clean drinking water and helping to establish and sustain settlements. This allowed the civilizations to flourish.
• The Rivers also helped acquire resources like minerals and clay for building settlements. In Harappan civilization, there was also the role of social and religious significance of rivers for these are life-giving waterways.

Indus River in the Harappan Civilization

Historical Significance

Geography

• The name of ‘India’ comes from the ‘Indus’. It comes from a glacier called Bokhar Chu in the Tibetan Area of Mount Kailash.
• It originates in Demchok and runs northwest before joining Ladakh in India and flows between the Karakoram ranges.
• The collected water from 5 tributaries- Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Satluj- arrive at the Indus from Panchnad.

Economic and Cultural Impact

• The river provided for the deposition of fertile Soil on the banks of the Harappan civilization in large amounts which helped in getting fertile land for the cultivation of crops and hence became the reason for good food sources.
• Indus River enabled inland water Transportation which helped with trading goods around especially internationally due to the vast spread of Harappan civilization and also led to cultural exchanges introducing various cultures in the civilization.
• The Indus River was also a source of fresh water for sustaining the settlements and providing establishment over vast areas of land. It also helped get minerals and resources that the Indus River carried along with it.

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Ghaggar-Hakra River System in Harappan Civilization

Identifying the Ghaggar-Hakra River

Geography

• The Ghaggar river originates from the Siwalik Hills of Himachal Pradesh, and flows through Punjab, Haryana, and then into Rajasthan where it eventually dries up.
• The river is known as Ghaggar before the Ottu barrage and as the Hakra downstream of the barrage.
• Its tributaries are Kaushaya, Markanda, sarsuti, Tangri and Chautang.

Role in Harappan Civilization

• It is often described as the Vedic Saraswati River.
• Along the banks of the Ghaggar River, many settlements of the Harappan Civilization were excavated which shows its significance.
• It is also believed that rivers Sutlej and Yamuna flowed into the Ghaggar-Hakra River bed once.

Other Rivers in Harappan Civilization

Multifaceted Role of Rivers in Harappan Civilization

• Big pools discovered in Harappan cities might have been for special baths to connect with the holy river or wash away bad vibes.
• Harappan cities were neatly organized, and some folks think they were built around the directions of the Indus River. The river might have been a sacred guide for where to put everything.
• Fish and water symbols on Harappan settlements could be pictures of important water spirits who looked after the people and kept the rivers flowing.

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