VAID'S ICS – Best UPSC Anthropology Coaching in Delhi Since 1985

Comprehensive Classroom Course · Admissions openRegister now
+91 93113 37737
  • +91-93113 37737, +91-99999 46748
  • 73(FF), Old Rajender Nagar Market, Delhi - 110060
  • MON to SUN 9.00 am - 6.00 pm
Facebook Youtube Instagram
Menu
Enquire Now
Home/Anthropology/Mains PYQ/2023/Paper II/Prehistoric Archaeology
UPSC MainsAnthropology Optional Paper II 2023 15 Marks Model Answer Available

Indus Valley as the First Settlement of the Big Civilization — 2023 Paper II

Question · 2023 · Paper II · 15 Marks

“Indus Valley was the first settlement of the big civilization.” Comment critically.

Model Answer

VAID ICS

APPROACH

  • Demand of Question: Critically examine the statement by deconstructing its inaccuracies using archaeological anthropology. Clarify the difference between "first settlement" and "mature urban civilization."
  • Structuring the Response: Introduce the prompt's premise and state its partial inaccuracy. Explain why it was not the "first settlement" (Neolithic antecedents). Explain why it was not the "first global civilization" (Mesopotamia/Egypt). Elaborate on why it qualifies as a "big civilization" (urbanism, scale). Conclude with a precise characterization.
  • Key Dimensions to Cover: Mehrgarh (Neolithic antecedent); Early vs. Mature Harappan phase; geographical expanse (Ghaggar-Hakra); comparative Bronze Age civilizations; urban markers (grid planning, script, drainage).

MODEL ANSWER

Introduction The statement "Indus Valley was the first settlement of the big civilization" is anthropologically imprecise and requires critical reformulation. While the Harappan (Indus) Civilization was indeed South Asia’s earliest large-scale urban society, archaeological evidence proves it was neither the subcontinent’s first human settlement, nor the world’s first civilization.

Critique 1: It was Not the "First Settlement" Sedentary agricultural life in South Asia predates the urban Harappan phase by millennia, demonstrating a gradual cultural evolution.

  • Neolithic Roots: Sites like Mehrgarh (Balochistan) show evidence of early farming (wheat/barley), herding, and mud-brick structures dating back to 7000 BCE.
  • Evolutionary Trajectory: The Mature Harappan phase (c. 2600–1900 BCE) did not emerge in a vacuum. It evolved gradually from Chalcolithic and Early Harappan regional cultures (e.g., Amri, Kot Diji, Kalibangan), which had already developed craft specialization, granaries, and nascent trade networks.

Critique 2: It was Not the World’s First Civilization On a global scale, the Harappan civilization is a Bronze Age contemporary of Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt. However, Mesopotamian urbanism (Sumer) and Egyptian state formation chronologically predate the Mature Harappan phase.

Why it Qualifies as a "Big Civilization" Despite not being the first settlement, it fulfills V. Gordon Childe’s criteria for an "Urban Revolution" and was unprecedented in its scale and sophistication:

  • Vast Geography: It covered an area larger than ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia combined, extending from Sutkagen Dor (west) to Alamgirpur (east), and Manda (north) to Daimabad (south). The term "Indus Valley" is itself a misnomer, as a majority of sites lie along the dried Ghaggar-Hakra river system.
  • Urban Mastery: It featured standardized baked bricks (1:2:4 ratio), grid-patterned streets, advanced drainage systems (Mohenjo-Daro), an undeciphered script, standardized weights, and long-distance trade with Dilmun (Bahrain) and Mesopotamia.

Conclusion The Harappan phenomenon should not be viewed as a sudden "first settlement," but rather as the culmination of millennia of indigenous agro-pastoral development. It is most accurately described as South Asia’s first mature, large-scale urban tradition, uniquely characterized by civic planning, standardized material culture, and vast geographic integration.

2026 Discuss with examples, how general comparative analogy has been used in ethnoarchaeological studies in India. 2026 Make a critical appraisal of the mesolithic culture of Ganga basin with reference to artifacts, faunal and human skeletal remains excavated from different sites. 2026 Ethnoarchaeology and classical archaeology. 2026 Give the distribution of Palaeolithic sites around the Himalayan and Sub-Himalayan areas, highlighting the typo-technologies of the tools.

Want feedback on your answer?

Join the Anthropology workshop or get structured answer-writing guidance from VAID ICS.

Join Workshop Contact VAID ICS

UPSC Anthropology Optional 2023 — Paper II

28 questions

5(d) Dravidian languages and their subgroups

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > 2. Demographic profile of India > Linguistic elements > Dravidian family
2023Paper IIIndian Society, Caste & CivilizationModel answer available

1(b) Interface between Purushartha and Ashrama

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > 3.1 Structure and nature of traditional Indian social system > Varnashram, Purushartha
2023Paper IIIndian Society, Caste & CivilizationModel answer available

5(e) Karma and Rebirth

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > 3.1 Structure and nature of traditional Indian social system > Karma, Rina and Rebirth
2023Paper IIIndian Society, Caste & CivilizationModel answer available

5(b) Ramapithecus-Sivapithecus debate

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > 1.2 Palaeo-anthropological evidences from India > Siwaliks
2023Paper IIPrehistoric ArchaeologyModel answer available

5(a) Scheduled areas

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > 7.1 Constitutional safeguards for Scheduled Tribes > Scheduled Areas
2023Paper IITribal Development, Policy & SafeguardsModel answer available

5(c) Village as little republic

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > 5.1 Indian Village > Indian village as a social system
2023Paper IIVillage India, Urbanisation & Social ChangeModel answer available