CBSE Class 6 History Chapter 3 Notes — In the Earliest Cities
Complete notes for CBSE Class 6 History Chapter 3: the Harappan Civilisation, planned cities, houses, drains, seals, crafts, trade and the Great Bath.
Updated 17 June 20264 min read
The Harappan Civilisation
The Harappan (or Indus Valley) Civilisation developed about 4700 years ago.
It grew along the river Indus and its tributaries.
It is one of the earliest city civilisations of the world.
Important Cities
City
Where it is today
Harappa
Punjab, Pakistan
Mohenjodaro
Sindh, Pakistan
Lothal
Gujarat (had a dockyard)
Dholavira
Gujarat
Kalibangan
Rajasthan
Special Features of Harappan Cities
1. Planning — streets ran in a grid (crossing at right angles), so the city was well planned. 2. Citadel and Lower Town — many cities had a raised, fortified part (the citadel) and a lower town where people lived. 3. Baked bricks — houses were built of baked bricks of a standard size. 4. Drainage — houses had bathrooms and drains connected to covered street drains — a very advanced system.
Houses
Built of baked bricks, with one or two storeys.
Houses had rooms, a courtyard, a well and a bathroom.
Drains from bathrooms ran into covered street drains.
The Great Bath
Mohenjodaro had a special tank called the Great Bath, built of baked bricks and made waterproof with a lining.
It was probably used for special baths, maybe for religious purposes.
People of the Cities
Group
Work
Rulers
Planned the city and sent people to distant lands for raw materials
Scribes
Did the writing on seals (the script is still undeciphered)
Craftspeople
Made beads, seals, pottery, shells, cloth and metal objects
Traders
Traded goods within and outside the civilisation
Seals and Trade
The Harappans made square seals of stone, showing animals (like the unicorn/one-horned bull) and a script that cannot yet be read.
Seals were used to stamp goods and mark ownership — a sign of organised trade.
Lothal had a dockyard, showing trade by river/sea.
What They Traded
Brought in: copper, tin, gold, silver and precious stones from distant places.
Sent out: beads, pottery, ornaments and cotton cloth.
Farming and Food
They ploughed the fields and used irrigation.
Crops: wheat, barley, peas, sesame and cotton (the first to grow it).
They stored grain in granaries.
Decline
The civilisation slowly declined about 3900 years ago.
Possible reasons: rivers dried up or changed course, less rainfall, flooding, or the soil became less fertile.
Key Vocabulary
Term
Meaning
Civilisation
An advanced stage of human society with cities, writing and organised life
Citadel
The raised, fortified part of a Harappan city
Lower town
The part of the city where ordinary people lived
Grid
Streets laid out in straight crossing lines
Seal
A stamped object used to mark goods in trade
Great Bath
A large waterproof tank at Mohenjodaro
Granary
A storehouse for grain
Dockyard
A place for loading and unloading boats (Lothal)
Exam Tips
The Harappan Civilisation is about 4700 years old, along the Indus — a common 1-mark question.
The planned cities with grid streets, baked-brick houses and covered drains are its signature features.
Mohenjodaro = Great Bath; Lothal = dockyard; Harappa and Mohenjodaro are in present-day Pakistan — map facts often asked.
The Harappan script is still undeciphered — a standard fact.
Harappans were the first to grow cotton (Sindon) — a favourite 1-mark point.
Frequently Asked Questions
About 4700 years ago, in the flood plains of the river Indus and its tributaries. Major cities were Harappa and Mohenjodaro (now in Pakistan) and Lothal and Dholavira (in Gujarat).
