Society and Religion of the Harappan Civilization

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UNIT Eight SOCIETY AND RELIGION

Eight point zero OBJECTIVES

After reading this Unit, you will be able to understand the different aspects of society and religious practices of the Harappan people. Particularly you will be able to:

· know about their dresses and food habits

· discuss the controversy about their script and language

· list their main occupations

· understand the nature of the ruling classes

· recall their religious practices and prominent gods and.

· know about their burial practices.

Eight point one INTRODUCTION

In the earlier Units of this Block you studied some significant features of Harappan Civilization. In this Unit we will discuss the society and religion of the Harappans.

One might ask what the Harappans looked like? Did they wear clothes of the same kind as we do? What did they read and write? What kinds of jobs did the townsfolk do? What language did they speak? What food did they eat? Did they have cups of tea with chips of potato? Did they play games and did they fight? Who ruled over them? What were their temples and gods like? Were they like us?

These are some very simple questions which the scholars find difficult to answer. This is because of the nature of sources available for knowing about that period. The main sources available are in the form of archaeological findings excavated from different sites.

Answers to many of the questions related to the realm of ideas and feelings are difficult to provide with our present knowledge about this civilization. Even an innocuous question like whether a Harappan was feeling a sense of pleasure while making a carnelian bead cannot be answered. In this Unit we will try to derive some answers from silent objects lying abandoned for thousands of years.

Eight point two SOCIETY

Eight point two point one Dress Styles

Fifteen. Jewellery of Gold and some precious stone

Eight point two point three Language and Script

Sixteen. Northern half of Kalibangan citadel

Eight point two point five Main Crafts

Eight point three. Who Ruled Them?

Harappan Civilization

Eight point four. Religion and Religious Practices

Eight point four point one. The Places of Worship

Eight point four point two. Objects of Worship

One. Mother Goddess

Two. Tree Spirits

Three. Some Mythical Heroes

Four. Animal Worship

Five. Mythical Beasts

Eight point four point three The Burial of the Dead

Check Your Progress Three

Eight point five LET US SUM UP

Harappan Civilization

Eight point seven ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS EXERCISES

Check Your Progress two

Check Your Progress three

Overview

The document analyzes various aspects of the Harappan Civilization, emphasizing their social organization and religious practices. It discusses how archaeological evidence helps reconstruct their culture, including dress, food, and occupation.

Key Points

1The Harappans had diverse food habits, primarily consuming crops like wheat and barley
2Their dress styles included wrapped garments and ornaments, resembling modern sarees
3The Harappan script remains undeciphered, indicating possible limited literacy
4Warfare evidence suggests conflicts occurred, likely over resources and territory
5The society was structured with a ruling class, traders, and priests, reflecting organized governance

Details

Category: Social Sciences

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