In the Earliest Cities — Social Studies STD 6 — Question
CBSE BoardEnglish MediumSTD 6Social StudiesIn the Earliest Cities5 Marks
Question
Describe the architectural features of Indus Valley Civilisation.
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Answer
Harappan cities were well-planned. This is proved by the excavations at Mohenjodaro and Harappa. The architecture consisted of the following features:
Dwelling Houses: Residential houses of Mohenjodaro were of different sizes varying from a small house of two rooms to a palatial building. All houses were built of bricks which were usually well burnt and of good quality.
The Great Bath at Mohenjodaro: Perhaps the most imposing construction of the Indus Valley was the Great Bath at Mohenjodaro. It consisted of a large open quadrangle in the centre with verandahs, galleries and rooms on all the sides.
The Citadels: The Harappan settlements had small citadels. The settlement had a small but higher western part and the lower eastern section. It was in citadels that structures were built for special public purposes.
Assembly Hall: A big hall had been unearthed at Mohenjodaro which had been named as ‘Collegiate Building’. It had 20 massive pillars made of kiln-burnt bricks arranged in rows of five each.
Great Granary at Harappa: The most remarkable and the largest building excavated at Harappa was the Great Granary. In all, there were six such granaries and may have been used as government storehouses.
Drainage System: One of the most striking features of the town was the well-planned drainage system. The drains were made of mortar, lime and gypsum. They were covered with big bricks and stones which could be lifted easily to clean the drains. Smaller drains from houses on both sides of the streets came and joined a brick-laid main channel. For sewage from the houses, pits were provided at either side of the street. It showed skill in town planning and sanitation.
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