Last Class Recap: Discussed town planning, urbanization, and social life.
Today's Focus: Religious beliefs and burial practices in the IVC.
Religious Beliefs in IVC
Origins of Religious Beliefs
Stone Age Context:
Paleolithic Period: No fixed religious beliefs; nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle.
Mesolithic Period: Emergence of burial practices indicates the start of religious beliefs.
Burial Practices: Introduction of pit burials.
Burial Practices Through Ages
Paleolithic Period:
Abandonment of dead bodies; no burial practices observed.
Mesolithic Period:
Pit Burial System: Bodies buried in dug pits, covered with soil.
Grave Goods: Tools, equipment, and cattle buried with the deceased, indicating a belief in life after death.
Neolithic Period:
Houses constructed; burials took place under floors of homes.
Grave Goods: Similar practice of including personal items and pets.
Burial Practices in Indus Valley Civilization
Pit Burial: Common practice of burial in pits.
Pot Burial: Used for children; bodies placed in pots with goods and buried.
Earn Burial: Bodies burned, ashes collected in pots and buried.
Double Burial: Evidence of two skeletons in one grave, raising questions about practices like Sati.
Objects of Worship in IVC
Mother Goddesses: Terracotta figurines of female deities found in homes.
Pashupati Seal:
Found at Mohenjo-Daro.
Features a three-headed figure in meditation surrounded by animals, interpreted as Proto-Shiva.
Additional Religious Practices
Fallace Worship: Worship of objects resembling male and female sex organs, believed to promote fertility.
Decline of Indus Valley Civilization
Timeline: Flourished from 2600 BC to 1750 BC; began declining after 1750 BC.
Proposed Reasons for Decline
Major Earthquake: Destruction of towns and cities.
Decline in Trade: Loss of trade partners like Egypt and Mesopotamia affected economy.
Arian Invasion: Theories suggest invasions; however, timeline discrepancies challenge this.
Change in Monsoon Pattern: Shift leading to desertification in the Northwest, causing water shortage.
Nomenclature of Indus Valley Civilization
Harappan Civilization: Named after the first site excavated (Harappa).
Indus Valley Civilization: Named for its geographical location along the Indus River.
Saraswati Civilization: Reference to the Saraswati River mentioned in Vedic texts.
Gagar-Hakra Civilization: Acknowledging the presence of the Gagar-Hakra river channel, a remnant of the ancient Saraswati.
Summary
The lecture covered the religious beliefs, burial practices, and decline of the Indus Valley Civilization, highlighting its significant features and ongoing debates among historians.
Next class will transition to discussing further topics in ancient India.