Historical perspective of Pakistan (Indus valley, Mehrgarh,

Gandhara)
Pakistan emerged on the world map on august 1947. It has roots in the remote past. It was
thought that foundation of Pakistan was laid when Mohammad bin Qasim subdued Sindh in
711 A.D. the advent of Islam further strengthened the need for separate homeland for
Muslims. The rich history Pakistan beholds is not just a matter of years or a few centuries; the
story began with ancient civilizations. The history of Pakistan dates back to the era when
early Homo sapiens found this region as the first coastal migration route out of Africa.
The South Asian rural life, spanning over nine centuries, is traced back to Mehrgarh, a
Neolithic site in Balochistan, Pakistan. The five centuries-long history of urban life in South
Asia has its traces in Harappa, Punjab, and Mohenjo daro, Sindh, in Pakistan.
Mehrgarh, in the Kachhi plains of Balochistan, Pakistan, has witnessed the transformation of
Homo sapiens from hunter to farmer and herder.
When we say Pakistan is the cradle of ancient civilizations, it is shown in the tapestry of rich
and diverse landscapes, fascinating culture, the salubrious climate, and promising
archeological and historical sites.

Background of Indus Valley Civilization:

also called Indus civilization or Harappan civilization, originated and matured at various sites
in present-day Pakistan between 3300 and 1300 BCE. Indus valley civilization is the most
extensive among the six civilizations; the other two that originated earlier than the Indus
civilization are the Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations. Indus civilization is described
as the Bronze Age by anthropologists, based on archeological discoveries in the region.

Harappan civilization is described to have a maximum population of five million during its
extension in the region.

The first excavations of Harappan civilization accidentally took place in 1921 at Harappa,
and then another was planned in 1922 at Mohenjo Daro. The excavations revealed that Indus
civilization comprised major urban establishments, Harappa and Mohenjo daro and
Ganeriwala, in present-day Pakistan. The cities of Dholavira, Lothal, and Kalibangan are
mapped in today’s India. The rural establishment included over one hundred villages.
Mohenjo daro, developed in some 26 BC, is believed to be the earliest urban settlement that
employed town planning and engineering techniques. Harappa had a well-equipped
administrative infrastructure with religious centers as the major building block of the social
milieu.

Both these cities featured proper town management including drainage and water supply
systems, trash collection, well-planned roads, and transportation systems. Architecture
included buildings constructed with baked and sundried bricks, large citadels, furnaces,
public baths, and large granaries.

The excavations from Indus valley have implied that the civilization we are talking about was
literate and their language is identified as Dravidian. The use of standard weights and burying
the dead was practiced for the first time in Indus civilization. It is also evident that they were
adept at using the wheel to facilitate transportation, and their watercraft entailed building
boats for trade purposes.

The artifacts and scriptures collected from these sites revealed its inhabitants developed new
techniques of metallurgy to work with lead, tin, copper, and bronze.The sculptures, pottery,
jewelry, and seals feature the use of terracotta, gold, and seashells by craft workers. Harappan
famously excelled at seal carving, and the unique stamps were used for endorsements. The
seals usually had animal figures carved on them. There are shreds of evidence found that
reveal use of semi-precious gems and stones in the handicrafts.

Important features of Indus valley civilization:

1. Indus Valley Civilization Town Planning

Town planning was a distinctive feature of the Harappan society. Both Mohenjodaro and
Harappa had their own acropolis or citadel, which may have been inhabited by members of
the governing elite. Each city had a lower town with brick homes where the common people
lived beneath the citadel. The grid system was followed in the city housing arrangements,
which is exceptional.The Harappan cities included granaries as a significant component. The
usage of burnt bricks in the Harappan cities is unusual considering that dried bricks were
primarily employed in Egyptian constructions at the time. Mohenjodaro has a highly effective
drainage system. Each large or modest residence in practically all cities had its own patio and
bathroom.

2. Indus Valley Civilization Agriculture

Food grain production was adequate in the Harappan communities, which were primarily
located close to the river plains. It was possible to grow wheat, barley, rai, peas, sesame,
lentil, chickpea, and mustard. Additionally, Gujarati places have millets. While rice was only
occasionally used. Cotton was first produced by the Indus civilization. Grain findings suggest
the presence of agriculture, but it is more challenging to recreate actual agricultural
operations.Bulls have been depicted on seals and in clay art and extrapolation by
archaeologists suggest that oxen were also utilized for ploughing. The majority of Harappan
sites are found in semi-arid regions, where irrigation was probably necessary for farming.
Canal remnants have been discovered at the Afghani Harappan site at Shortughai, but not in
Punjab or Sindh. Despite engaging in agriculture, the Harappans also raised animals on a
massive scale.

3. Art and Craft:

Many different works of art from the Indus Valley culture have been discovered at excavation
sites, including sculptures, seals, ceramics, gold jewellery, and anatomically accurate
figurines made of terracotta, bronze, and soapstone. One of the many figurines made of gold,
terracotta, and stone depicted a “Priest-King” with a beard and patterned robe. Another
bronze figurine, the “Dancing Girl,” stands just 11 cm tall and depicts a female figure in a
stance that might indicate the existence of a choreographed dance style that was practiced by
people in the civilization. There were also terracotta works of cows, bears, monkeys, and
dogs. In addition to figurines, it is thought that the inhabitants of the Indus River Valley also
produced necklaces, bangles, and other decorations.

4. Indus Valley Civilization Trade & Economy

Harappan city workshops utilized raw materials imported from Iran and Afghanistan, as well
as lead and copper from other regions of India, jade from China, and cedar wood that had
been carried down rivers from the Himalayas and Kashmir. Trade was centered on acquiring
these resources. Terracotta pots, gold, silver, metals, beads, flints for creating tools, seashells,
pearls, and colored gemstones like lapis lazuli and turquoise were among the additional trade
items.

The Harappan and Mesopotamian civilizations had a robust maritime trading network in
place. At archaeological sites in Mesopotamia, which covers the majority of contemporary
Iraq, Kuwait, and parts of Syria, Harappan seals and jewellery have been discovered. The
creation of plank boats with a single central mast bearing a sail made of woven rushes or
fabric may have made long-distance sea trade over waterways like the Arabian Sea, Red Sea,
and Persian Gulf possible.

Gandhara Civilization marks the northwestern area of today’s Pakistan, binding the Indus
River and Hindukush range. The word “Gandhara” is translated as “The land of Fragrance”.
Gandhara civilization originated around 1st century BCE and existed till 10 CE, for about one
thousand years.It extended to Afghanistan (present-day Kandahar) and Sindh and Punjab,
Pakistan.

The Gandhara civilization instituted the famous art form “the Gandhara Art”, having a blend
of Greek, roman and Buddhist influences. The monasteries and stupas found in Sirkup and
Sirsukh, Taxila, exhibit the use of Kanjur stone, Schist stone, plaster, gold leaf, gems, clay,
and stucco.

Gandhara Art was solely dedicated to the propagation of Buddhism in the region, as the life
of Buddha was the primary subject of all art pieces. Images of Buddha can be seen in stupas,
monasteries, seals, and other extracted artifacts.

Many artifacts from the Gandhara civilization are still preserved not only in the museums of
Pakistan, but in the prominent museums of Europe, Japan, and the USA as well. Most of the
artifacts in European museums were recovered from the Takht-i-Bhai monastery.

Mehrgarh

is a large Neolithic and Chalcolithic site located at the foot of the Bolan pass on the Kachi
plain of Baluchistan (also spelled Balochistan), in modern day Pakistan. Continuously
occupied between about 7000 to 2600 BC, Mehrgarh is the earliest known Neolithic site in
the northwest Indian subcontinent, with early evidence of farming (wheat and barley),
herding (cattle, sheep, and goats) and metallurgy. Mehrgarh was discovered and excavated by
an international led by French archaeologist Jean-François Jarrige; the site was excavated
continuously between 1974 and 1986 by the French Archaeological Mission in collaboration
with the Department of Archaeology of Pakstan.

The site is located on the principal route between what is now Afghanistan and the Indus
Valley: this route was also undoubtedly part of a trading connection established quite early
between the Near East and the Indian subcontinent.