The Land of Two Rivers
The civilisation flourished in the vast plains of the northwest Indian Subcontinent, watered by two major river systems:
- The Indus (Sindhu): And its tributaries (Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej).
- The Sarasvatī: A river that once flowed parallel to the Indus through Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat but is now seasonal (known as Ghaggar-Hakra).
Geographical Extent
The civilisation covered a massive area, much larger than contemporary Egypt or Mesopotamia.
- West: Sutkagen-dor (near Iran border)
- North: Shortugai (Afghanistan) / Manda (J&K)
- East: Alamgirpur (Uttar Pradesh)
- South: Daimabad (Maharashtra)
Schematic Map of Major Sites
The following diagram illustrates the relative locations of key rivers and cities.
Origins and Transition
- 3500 BCE: Early villages began growing into towns.
- 2600 BCE: Transition to full-fledged cities (Mature Harappan Phase). This is often called the ‘First Urbanisation of India’.
Note
Why “Sarasvatī”? While Harappa and Mohenjo-daro are famous, a high density of sites (like Rakhigarhi, Kalibangan, Banawali) were found in the basin of the Sarasvatī river. The Rig Veda mentions the Sarasvatī as a mighty river flowing from “mountain to sea”, though it later dried up.