Harappan Civilization Essay

Kingship of society from Harappa to Maurya Empire

Ideas:

Kingship means a position or authority of a king. The word Maharaja means a ruler with absolute authority and immense wealth. The Indus Valley Civilization was one of the world's first great urban civilizations. It grew to a huge extent in the river plains and alongside regions.

In the 3500 BC, Urban culture began to emerge from the tribes. The great cities of the Harappan period was Moenjodaro and Harappa. Both were unearthed in the 1920’s. Ancient Indians gathered up in towns and villages. They eventually became the kingships and ruled by their own council members. Thousands or hundreds of families formed each kingships and performed similar functions of the society. Overall, each Jati had a different specific economic role within its system.

Argument:

The Harappan civilization fell into decline from the beginning of the second millennium BC.

Harappan’s agricultural base was destroyed by the floods or drought. It is difficult to follow the growth of Harappan society in detail for several reasons. Earliest physical Harappan remains are inaccessible. The earliest Harappan’s remain lie below the water table. This took place as the silt deposits raised the level of the land and water table simultaneously. This is why the archaeologists cannot uncover or study them. Few remains were only accessible from 2500BC. Scholars at that point learned something about Harappa. However they have learned little about the reasons which brought it into conditions of life during its earliest days.

There was also another problem that caused problems for the scholars. There was lack of deciphered written records. Archaeologists have discovered thousands of clay seals, copper tablets and a...

... middle of paper ...

...ian by the end of his reign. His empire extended massively from Bengal and Assam in the east, to Afghanistan and Balochistan , eastern and south-east Iran in the west, to Kashmir in the north and to the Deccan Plateau in the south. Bindusara, who was the son of Chandragupta Maurya governed for over 28 years. Bindusara extended the Mauryan Empire southwards. He had defeated and seized 16 small kingdoms. Ashoka lived from 304 to 232 BCE. He was the third ruler of the Indian Mauryan Empire. It was the largest ever in the Indian subcontinent and one of the world's largest empires at its time. He became an exemplary of kingship in the Buddhist tradition. India had an estimated population of 30 million which was much higher than any of the contemporary Hellenistic kingdoms under Ashoka Rule. The Mauryan dynasty came to an end and its empire dissolved after Ashoka Death.