What are the various theories given to explain the decline of the Indus Valley Civilisation? long answer or plz answer if you know plz plz plz
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Answer:
1. Aryan Invasion Theory:
Generation of Archaeologists have come out from the schooling of an Aryan invasion theory’ to explain the decline of Indus civilization. It was believed that the ‘Aryans’ coming by way of Afghanistan invaded north-west India and overthrew the walled cities. Based on several Indian literary sources this event was believed to have taken place around 1500 BC.
Indirect evidences of sorts found in the two sites at that time (Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa) were linked with incidents and characters described in the Rig-Veda. Thus, Indra who is described as the destroyer of forts (Purandara) is shown as having destroyed the fortified Harappan cities in order to earn that name
Answer:
. Aryan Invasion Theory:
Generation of Archaeologists have come out from the schooling of an Aryan invasion theory’ to explain the decline of Indus civilization. It was believed that the ‘Aryans’ coming by way of Afghanistan invaded north-west India and overthrew the walled cities. Based on several Indian literary sources this event was believed to have taken place around 1500 BC.
Indirect evidences of sorts found in the two sites at that time (Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa) were linked with incidents and characters described in the Rig-Veda. Thus, Indra who is described as the destroyer of forts (Purandara) is shown as having destroyed the fortified Harappan cities in order to earn that name.Layers of ash and evidence of fire were likened to the description of Indras destroying Dravidian castles by putting them ablaze.
If by the term ‘Aryan’ one were to understand the culture which has harnessed horses to chariots and those who spoke Indo-European language besides having fire worship, etc. we can scarcely hope to demonstrate these characters from archaeological ruins, (with the exception of few claims made recently).
It is true that the earliest reference of war chariots is known from Samsi-Adad (1800 BC) in north Syria but, for the harappan sites, we are yet to demonstrate the presence of horse conclusively.In the Boghaz keui tablets dated to 1380 BC referring to a war treaty of the Hittites one can see the mention of such Rig-Veda gods’ names as Mitra Varuna and Indra. But again this is nearly 400 years later than the date of the end of Indus Civilization.
Under the circumstances as above an “Aryan Invasion” as a direct causative force for the decline would not seem very tenable. This would mean that the arrival of the Indo-European speakers and the cause of the decline of Indus Valley have to be treated as mutually exclusive phenomena separated by time.. Foreign Invasion Theory:
Wheeler (1947), Piggott (1950) and Gordon (1958) and have separately supported a foreign invasion theory to explain the rather abrupt decline of Indus culture. The invasion model is sought to be supported by the fact that the defence wall was periodically reinforced at the urban sites and also the ancient texts, particularly (Rig-Veda) mentions of similar invasions and conquering of cities and towns by the Indo-Europeans. Bronze weapons and other kinds of Indo-European associated traditional weapons have been found on the surface of Urban Harappan levels.
The invasion theory seeks support from these archaeological evidences. It was difficult to support this theory primarily because almost all scholars agree that a decline starts much before the accepted date of Rig-Veda.Climatic Change:
In early 1950s, both Wheeler and Piggott also supported this theory. As early as 1930s Marshall and Aurel Stein had opined that the climate of this region during the Harappan period was better than today and it was the slowly increasing aridity which caused a failure of the economy and hence the civilization.
They collected several archaeological evidences to support their theory but these were not conclusive because these evidences could be explained with alternative causes as well. Recently, Gurdeep Singh studied the palynological spectrum of the Rajasthan salt lakes and opined that a causal relationship exists between increased rain fall and the development and reduced rainfall and decline in the Harappan civilization. Singh could not get a large support from the archaeologists.Tactonic Phenomena Theory:This theory is basically derived to explain the water deposited layers encountered at Mohenjo-Daro city area. Amri and Chanhudaro also produced similar evidence. It was argued that the river Indus was flooded suddenly because of tectonic phenomena. But Kalibangan or for that matter the Saurashtra sites show no such evidence.
In 1952, M. R. Sahani, a geologist and paleontologist studied the silty deposits of Indus plain and suggested that flood in this region was not a case of mere overflow of the river but was probably an event more than that.
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