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Exploring India

The Indus Valley Civilization T he first, and greatest,

City Planning The Indus cities were built along careful plans. A city was divided into two parts—the lower town, where most people lived, and a fortified citadel, built on a raised brick platform. The streets of the lower town were laid out in a grid pattern, with wide main roads intersected by narrower side streets. Houses were built of mud bricks and many had courtyards. Each house had a bathroom and an efficient drainage system. The citadel was protected by a massive brick wall. It is thought to have been the city’s religious and administrative center. In Mohenjo-Daro, the citadel also housed the Great Bath (see 1), used for religious rituals. Each city also had huge granaries (see 2) for storing precious supplies of grain.

civilization in Ancient India developed around the valley of the River Indus (now

in Pakistan) in about 3000 bce . By 2500 bce it had reached the height of its power. The Indus Valley Civilization was larger than any other ancient empire, including those of Egypt and Mesopotamia . Its two great centers were the cities of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa.

A n artist’s reconstruction of the city of Mohenjo-Daro.

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