UPSC Prelims · General Studies

Ancient, medieval & culture

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History of India: ancient and medieval / Prehistory and the Indus civilisation

Harappan economy, society and decline

Bead making, spindle whorls (home spinning), standardised weights (binary and decimal) and measures
Long-distance trade with Mesopotamia (Meluhha), Shortughai lapis, steatite seals and sealings
Harappan script: pictographic, right to left, undeciphered
Mother goddess, proto-Shiva seal, worship of male and female deities; no monumental palaces or temples; no evidence of horse
Decline debates: floods, river shifts, aridity, trade collapse; Late Harappan localisation