Indus Valley Civilisation

Indus Valley Civilisation

1. Intro

   • JAMISON : "most scholars would agree that if we are going to look for the origins of Hinduism, our search must start in the IVC"
   • approximately 2500 - 1500 BCE
   • located in North India/Pakistan on the Indus River
   • major sites were Harappa and Mohenjo Dharo
   • Sir John Marshall first excavated it & Wheeler continued the search in the 1920's & the site that was excavated was about the size of Egypt
   • the 'Pre-Aryans' or 'Dravidaryans' lived an advanced way of life, e.g. well planned streets & buildings - bricks & drainage system, it was an urban town involved in trade. scholars disagree on a clear class divide as only houses suggest this
     • JAMISON : "sophisticated urban culture"

2. Religious Features

   • the Great Bath
     • found in middle of town at Mohenjo Dharo
     • large square hole in the ground, which measures as tweleve by seven metres & it has steps descending into it & rooms & corridors coming off all sides
     • scholars believe it was used for holy/purification rituals and not for washing as there were water & washing facilities in the homes, the rooms are suspected to be rooms for holy men
       • JAMISON : "the centre of a fertility religion that practised hierogamy"
   • Yogic Horned Gods
     • found on the "pashupati seals" they had two curved horns, three faces, sitting in the yogic position, surrounded by animals; elephants, tigers and water buffaloes. depicted with an erect phallus
       • ZAEHNER : "this god is seated with his legs drawn up to the body"
     • thought to be predominantly worshipped by the upper class as found in the larger homes and is seen as a 'prototype shiva', phallic symbol represents fertility
       • BASHAM : "boldly called this god 'prototype shiva'"
   • Mother Goddesses
     • women figurines which were either ceramic or terracotta with female characteristics and were usually pregnant with big breasts, eyes, hips. surrounded by vegetation
       • ZAEHNER : "among the Harrapa finds are...figurines of women"
       • LING : "vegetation is shown... indicating the idea of a mother-earth goddess"
     • usually found in smaller home so seen to be worshipped by lower class, worshipped as mother or fertility goddesses and was believed that they would make you fertile if you worshipped them
   • Domestic worship
     • Hindu's had two fireplaces in home, one for cooking but what was other used for? maybe fire sacrifice? clearly important in Vedic Period so maybe stemmed from there?

3. Key Themes

   • ritual ablution - then go into detail about the great bath
   • fertility - yogic horned gods & mother goddesses
   • female goddess worship - mother goddesses
   • fire sacrifice - domestic worship

4. Links to Hinduism Today

   • Great Bath & water ablution
     • the river ganges is now seen as a holy bath and resembles that of the great bath as there are steps descending into it & they purify themselves in it. there are also water tanks in the temples and Hindus must wash before entering, Kumb Mela is a water festival - shows imp of water. many begin day by ritually bathing & mothers wash before worship
     • JAMISON : "many Hindus being their day with ritual cleansing"
   • Yogic horned gods
     • seen as a prototype shiva as it sits in the yogic position which symbolises Shiva as the Maha yogi and worship of shiva and yoga in general, also represents fertility which shiva is still worshipped for in his form as the creator
       • MARSHALL : "the figure is in a typical yoga attitude, and shiva is regarded as a mahayogi"
   • Mother Goddess
     • represents the female goddesses worshipped today e.g. Kali & Shakti, shows continuation and beginning of the importance of female goddess worship
       • FLOOD: "Hinduism is the only world religion to worship female goddesses"
   • Domestic worship
     • could be seen as a shrine which are in most houses today where sacrifice to the gods is made
       • VOIELS : "in every Hindu home there will be a place set aside for a small shrine"

5. Problems with evidence

   • Jamison explains how there is no rosetta stone to help crack the code yet- script is undeciphered
   • guess work & assumptions
     • JAMISON : "we have to rely upon guess work"
   • vedas are unreliable as they are biased against pre-aryans, believed they were uncivilised
     • VEDAS : "dark skinned, snub nosed, phallic worshippers
   • pre-suppositions - some archeologists suggest the great bath was used for hierogamy - cleaning of body after having sexual intercourse with prostitues at the temple - b/c believe sex is a way of reaching out to god