India’s glorious past had many facets. The Indus-valley civilization which developed six to seven thousand years ago represents the splendor and glory of such past.

The Indus-valley civilization was discovered in nineteen twenties by Sir John Marshall who himself was responsible for the excavation of two buried cities - one at Mohenjo-daro in Sindh and another at Harappa in western Punjab. It was a sheer chance that these two cities were discovered while many such ruined cities lie buried at many places all over Indian subcontinent especially north-western India and Gangetic valley. Besides Mohenjo-daro and Harappa impressive remains of civilizations have also been found at Kathiawar in Gujarat and Ambala in East Punjab and at many other places. Thus Mahenjo-daro & Harappa portray a part of many facets of India’s past. Indian civilization is something much more than Indus-valley civilization.

The discovery of Indus-valley civilization recognized the fact that India along with Persia, Mesopotamia and Egypt was one of the places where human civilization got initiated and thrived to its best. Even historians have proved that Indus-valley civilization was superior to its contemporary civilizations in many ways. The people of Indus-valley civilization had made contacts with Sumerian civilization and even established colonies there. The markets of Mesopotamia and Persia were supplied with Indian goods and manufactures. Trade was not simply confined to raw materials only but luxury articles too. A few Sumerian articles of art and Mesopotamian toilet sets have been discovered from Indus-valley civilization to prove the point.

The Indus-valley civilization was highly developed civilization and it must have taken thousands of years to achieve such perfection. It is unbelievable that cotton was used for textiles in India six thousand years back. No where in the world it was used for textile purposes at that time. The western world learnt to use cotton for clothing 2000 or 3000 years later than Indians. The well built houses, bathrooms, commodity houses, community halls, well planned roads and drainage were incomparable with any other civilization. In no other civilization two storied buildings made of baked bricks with bathrooms, toilets, tenements and servant’s lodge were found.

Indus-valley civilization was basically an urban civilization. The development of a merchant culture was well evident. The merchant class was wealthy and influential. The streets were straight and lined with stalls which were used as shops. The craftsmen of Indus-valley were producing goods for the market besides their own use. The merchant class possessed wealthy ornaments of gold, silver, precious stones and artistic vessels of different metals. Metal weapons and implements were also collected from these cities. This speaks of the high standard of life Indus people were leading at that time.

Indus-valley civilization is distinguished from any other civilization on ethical ground too. In Mesopotamia or Persia money and efforts were spent to build magnificent temples for Gods and to construct huge palaces and tombs for kings while the common people were left with their common fate. But in Indus-valley finest structures were established for the convenience of the common man. The public and private baths and big community halls and excellent roads and drainage system are first of their kind and not discovered anywhere else.

The Indus civilization was under the vigilant administration of a regular municipal government. The authority of administration was strong enough to secure observance of civic and town planning laws.

The Indus civilization was predominantly a secular civilization. The religious elements although present didn’t dominate the day-to-day life of the people as did civic life and trade. Secular objects like trees, sun, bull, dog, fire and rain were worshiped but it was not characteristically religious like modern days.

The traditions and habits, art and crafts, trade & commerce, dress and ornaments, rituals and fashions all were of high quality and caliber in Indus civilization. It is therefore rightly treated superior to many of its contemporaries.