THE SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS LIFE OF THE PEOPLE OF HARAPPA

Introduction

More than 4000 years ago there flourished a civilization in the north-western parts of the Indian
sub-continent. It derived its name from the main river of the region and is known as the Indus
Valley Civilization. A culture is also named after the site from where it came to be known for the
first time. Since it was at Harappa that the relics of this civilization were first discovered it is also
known as the Harappan civilization. With the discoveries in the Indus Valley we have to revise
our ideas of the antiquity of the Indian civilization. As early as 3000 BC, India was superior to
the western civilization in city organisation. As a matter of fact the Harappan culture was urban
in nature with exceptional skill in building and town-planning in their civic life. Major
excavations undertaken at the Indus sites have given us a fair idea about other aspects of
civilization including society, economy, religion, technology etc.

I. SOCIAL LIFE

The ruins and various evidences of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro along with other sites reveal a
great deal about the socio-cultural life of the people of Indus valley. An analysis of the findings
gives us sufficient information about their highly developed social life. The civilization itself was
a glorious conglomeration of people of various origins. As the civilization centred on city culture
the social life of the people bore touches of an urban influence. These town-dwellers lived a life
of ease, peace and prosperity. Their civic life was highly disciplined and quite scientific. The
chief characteristics of their social organisations are given below.

Food

The diet of the Harappan people consisted of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Wheat
was their staple food grain. Barley, date-palm, maize and rice were also popular foodstuff. Fish
was commonly used. Non-vegetarian food also included mutton, poultry, chicken, pork, turtles
etc. Milk was a favorite drink. Different types of vegetables and fruits seemed to have been
known to the people of Harappan culture.
Dress and Ornament

Their dress habits were simple. One statue shows the use of two pieces of cloth one for the upper
portion and the other for the lower portion of the body. The upper garment was like a modern
shawl that was drawn over the left shoulder and under the right so as to leave the right arm free
and in the sitting posture it came down up to the feet. The lower garment was like a modern
dhoti. There was very little difference in the garments worn by males and females. Both men and
women of the Harappan society were fond of wearing ornaments. There were some common
ornaments that were used by both. They included necklaces, fillets, armlets, rings and bangles.
Ladies used some specific ornaments like girdles, nose-studs, ear-rings and anklets. There was a
great variety in the shape and design of these ornaments.

Attire

The Harappan people were fond of luxury and comfort. The discovery of ivory combs, bronze
mirrors and razors shows the interest of people in the use of their own attire. Both men and
women liked stylish combing of hair. Various toilet jars made of ivory, metal, pottery and stone
have been discovered at Harappan sites. It appears that they knew the use of collyrium, powder,
cream and possibly lipstick too. Harappans were quite conscious of their own beauty.

Amusement and Recreation

They entertained themselves by playing indoor games like dicing, dancing and singing. Further
hunting, fishing, arranging animal and bird fights formed other sources of amusement. Clay-
modeling was another major pastime of the Harappans. The Harappans used to engage
themselves through these constructive hobbies.

Household items

A number of household items used by the Harappans have been unearthed at different sites.
These items were made of gold, silver, copper and bronze. One interesting thing to be noted is
that these people did not know the use of iron. Among the earthen pots the commonly used
articles included plates, dish with stand, bowls, goblets, pans, saucers, jars, pitchers, jars with
covers etc. Many tools of practical utility like needle, axe, saw, sickle, knife, fishing hook, bed-
stead, stool and chair have been found. This shows that they used cots, mats and reeds.
Weapons of War

Although the Harappans were a peace loving people they used various weapons for self-defence.
These weapons included axes, spears, daggers, bows and arrows. Swords, shields, helmets or any
such protective gears were not used. These weapons were made of copper or bronze. Their
inferior quality suggests that the Harappan soldiers were not quite sophisticated in warfare.

Medicines

We have little knowledge about the drugs and medicines used by the Harappan people. The
horns of deer and antelope were used as medicines. The use of ‘neem’ as an anti-psoric medicine
was also known to them. Their limited medical knowledge helped them to cure themselves to
some extent.

Domestication of animals

The Harappan people knew the art of domesticating animals for their personal use. These
animals were bulls, buffaloes, sheep, pigs, dogs, elephants and camels. They used carts drawn by
bullocks. It is doubtful whether horse was domesticated. It is evident that they were familiar with
wild animals like tigers, bears, rhinoceros, squirrels and monkeys. The idea of domesticating
animals for human use speaks of the Harappans’ advanced thinking in this regard.

Disposal of the Dead

Different methods of disposing the dead were practiced by the people of Harappan culture. The
common method of disposing the dead body was burning the corpse. The second method was to
leave the dead in dense jungles or other inaccessible places to be eaten up by birds and animals.
The bones were collected afterwards. Another method was to bury the dead.

Social Stratification

The Harappan society seems to have been divided into three sections:

(a) The elite class associated with the citadel, (b) A well-to-do middle class and (c) A relatively
weaker class occupying the lower towns that were generally fortified.

The different aspects of Harappan society discussed above show that the people led a highly

II. RELIGIOUS BELIEF

The Harappan society was deeply religious in nature. In the absence of ruins of any temple, altar
or statue of gods, we have to rely only on figurines and seals of religious significance to have an
idea regarding their religious belief. Generally, there are two aspects of a religion. They are: (a)
The conceptual or philosophical aspect and (b) The practical or ritualistic aspect.

From the available sources we can form an idea about their religion:

Worship of Mother Goddess

One of the most important aspects of Harappan religion was worship of Mother Goddess. A large
number of terracotta figurines in various postures have been unearthed from the ruins. These
statues are believed to be of Mother Goddess. Most of these images are shown wearing saree,
necklace and waist band. Scholars say that she symbolizes the Goddess of Fertility or Plant
Goddess and she was believed to be the source of creation and energy.

Worship of a male god

Another prominent religious belief among the Harappans was the worship of a male god. In one
particular seal we find a male figure meditating with a headgear adorned with horns of a buffalo
being surrounded by animals like elephants, tigers, deer etc. This explains to a certain extent the
later concept of the master of animals known as “Pasupatin”. The images of bulls or oxen on the
Harappan seals also prove the point that they were worshippers of Shiva. All these findings
clearly point towards the concept of later Shiva worship in Hindu religion.

Animism

Animal worship was another typical feature of Harappan religious belief. Worship of certain
common animals like elephants, rhinoceros, tigers and bulls was quite prevalent. Worship of the
Naga deity or serpent worship was equally in vogue. But among all animals, bull worship was
most prominent. All these animals were worshipped with reverence by the Harappan people.
Worship of trees and plants

Harappan people followed the practice of the worship of stones, trees and animals because they
believed that these were the abode of various spirits, good or bad. Pictures of trees on the seals,
in some cases horned animals and human beings standing under trees, a deity standing between
two branches of a peepal tree, are clear evidences of tree-worship. There are stray references
with regard to the worship of Neem and Banyan trees. The Harappans had great regard for water.
They regarded water to be very sacred and purifying.

Worship of stones or other objects

Another peculiarity of Harappan religious belief was the worship of stones in the form of linga
and yoni as sources of potency. Most probably such seals were worshipped by the Harappans.

Practice of Yoga

The last aspect of Harappan religion attached much importance to the practice of Yoga. A large
number of terracotta figurines show individuals in various yogic postures or asanas. The
Harappans practised yoga for both physical exercise and as religious rites.

Conclusion

Indus Civilisation represents a very perfect adjustment of human life to a specific environment
that can only have resulted from years of patient effort. And it forms the basis of modern Indian
culture. To conclude, the Indus Valley Civilisation has been mainly an independent and
indigenous growth, a product of the Indian soil marked by certain specifically Indian features not
present in any other early civilization. Indeed the Indus Valley civilisation is no less individual
and national than other great river valley civilizations of antiquity.