Political Organisation of the Indus Valley Civilization

Egypt and Mesopotamia left kings’ names and monuments. The Indus cities did not leave obvious ones. This lesson sorts what the evidence shows from what scholars guess.

1.1 Was there a palace?

A large building at Mohenjodaro was labelled a palace by archaeologists. No spectacular finds were linked with it. So the label is a guess.

1.2 Why is a statue called the “Priest-King”?

A stone statue is still known as the “Priest-King”. Archaeologists knew Mesopotamian history, with its priest-kings. They found parallels in the Indus region. The name comes from that comparison.

1.3 Does ritual prove rule?

Harappan ritual is not well understood. We also cannot tell whether those who performed rituals held political power. A priest need not be a king.

1.4 What did the citadels hold?

Harappa, Mohenjodaro and Kalibangan each had a citadel on a high mud-brick platform. INFLIBNET says it was possibly meant for members of the ruling class. At Mohenjodaro the citadel held the Great Bath, the Great Granary and a pillared hall that scholars call the Assembly Hall.

2.1 What was alike across the cities?

Harappan artefacts were strikingly uniform. This is true of pottery, seals, weights and bricks. A Cambridge abstract adds a common script and planned towns to the list.

2.2 How uniform were the bricks?

Bricks were made in a standard ratio. Sun-dried or baked, the length and breadth were four and two times the height. Bricks were not made in one centre. Yet the ratio held from Jammu to Gujarat.

2.3 How were weights arranged?

The lower weights were binary: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32. The higher ones followed the decimal system: 160, 200, 320, 640. Metal scale-pans have also been found. Harappa and Mohenjodaro shared a common system of weights and measures.

2.4 Who organised the work?

Labour was mobilised to make bricks and to build massive walls and platforms. At Mohenjodaro the settlement seems to have been planned first and then built. The open question is who organised all this.

2.5 How exact was the street plan?

Roads and streets in the Lower Town followed an approximate grid pattern. They met at right angles. The grid was approximate, not perfect.

3.1 What are the three views?

The textbook lists three views:

• Harappan society had no rulers, and everybody had equal status.
• There was no single ruler but several, such as one for Mohenjodaro and another for Harappa.
• There was a single state, because of the similar artefacts, planned settlements and standard brick ratio.

3.2 Who ruled, priests or merchants?

INFLIBNET says there is no clear evidence about the polity. D.D. Kosambi thought priests were the ruling class. R.S. Sharma thought merchants were. Either way, INFLIBNET sees an efficient and well-organised administrative machinery.

3.3 What happened when the uniformity ended?

Late in the civilisation, seals, the script and the standard weights disappeared. Local weights took their place. It suggests a strong unifying element, perhaps the Harappan state, came to an end.

3.4 What should you remember?

• No palace or tomb is certain; the “palace” and “Priest-King” are labels.
• Standard bricks and weights show shared rules across the region.
• Three views: no rulers, several rulers, one state.
• Evidence fits more than one answer.

Which statements about Harappan cities are correct?

The answer is (c). Both statements are correct. The street plan was only approximate, and the bricks were uniform. See NCERT.