Cultural History of Indus Civilization: Resolved by Deciphering Indus Script

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Before 20 century, nobody knew about the Indus valley civilization. In 1920, archaeological excavation started at Harappa site and in 1922 at Mohenjodaro. In this reference, in 20 September 1924, John Marshell, then the Director General of The Archaeological Survey of India, published an article in London Daily, in which a seal was published. On the lower part of the seal was a picture of a single horn bull (unicorn) and the upper part had some written language. Only then the world came to know about the great Indus valley civilization that had written language. G.S. Possehl and L.M. Keynoer recommended that the Indus civilization language originated in about 2600 BCE Indus valley civilization was named because of the civilization developed on the banks of the Indus River. It is also called the Harappan civilization because the first archaeological excavation started in 1920 at Harappa site and later, many northwest Indian sites were excavated and their excavated material was found similar to the Harappan excavated material. When we talk of the Harappan Civilization, we are talking about the Mature Harappan civilization. In 1974, a great event came to light. Jean-Francois Jarrige started excavation on the bank of Bolan River and he explained that he found a cultural site that has Pre-Pottery Neolithic culture. It was calculated about 8,000 BCE and named it the Mehrgarh settlement which was much ealier than the Harappa settlement. The site was called the Pre-Harappan site. Mehrgarh is situated in the west of Indus river, on the bank of Bolan River in Baluchistan, Pakistan. The site of Mehrgarh was excavated by the French Archaeological Mission to Pakistan under the direction of Jean-Francois Jarrige from 1974 to 1986, and excavations have resumed again in 1996-97. It was divided into seven periods. A major contribution of these excavations is that the cultural sequence provides a fairly clear picture of the process of settling down and establishing domestic plants and animals as the major source of subsistence. The transition to food production can be seen as an indigenous event (Lorenzo Costantini 1981) that probably occurred simultaneously in the highland regions and all along the piedmont zone of Baluchistan. These early food-producing communities appear to have had trade networks extending from the highlands to the west, out into the Indus Plains to the east and south to the Makran coast (Jean-Francois Jarrige 1984). According to J.M.Keynoer, the earliest level at Mehrgarh, Period IA dates from around 6500 to 6000 BC and because no pottery has been found on this level, belongs to nonceramic or aceramic Neolithic period. An irregular scatter of mud-brick houses separated by refuse dumps and passageways made up the first village. The settlement Mehrgarh was named by people from immemorial period. The name was doubted and then we tried to prove the name right on the settlement's cultural outfit. Meha is called to the goat and so, the settlement of the goat rearing people was called Mehrgarh. The Mehras were the goat rearing cultural people. Two burials of seventh millennium BC found at Mehrgarh indicate towards no customs of all the dead buried except some very dignified. The status of the person buried with goats (Fig.1.1) can be estimated by the grave articles found during excavation. Presence of beads of turquoise, lapis lazuli and of the ornaments of sea-shell has its wide ranging economic and organizational implications. None of three materials is available in the neighbourhood of Mehrgarh. While lapis lazuli is likely to have come from Afghanistan, turquoise may have been obtained from Iran or Central Asia, although the possibility of exploiting some sources in Baluchistan may also be considered. Seashells must have been brought from a distance of at least 500 km to the south, viz. from Arabian Sea. (B.B. Lal 1997). All this would mean long distance trade, which would simultaneously envisage a fairly good organizational set-up, import of various articles from far off must have export of the some foreign needful items. Mehrgarh exported leather goods to the world outside, as accords with the stone blades and bone needle at the site during excavation, Such a tremendous approach of the international trade and international repute, a person or the king of Mehrgarh was very important and most famous personality of the world in seventh millennium BC. Therefore, Mehrgarh started from a village life, achieved a major goal of world leadership in economical, social and political sphere and this was due to the great personality (buried) gain by great wisdom and courage. The Mehra who is famous by the name of Mehrvan in the society was buried with great honour of international repute Common goat found at Mehrgarh site, a ruminant and hollow-horned mammal belonging to the genus Capra is lighter of build, has horns that arch backward, a short tail, and straighter hair. Mehrgarh goat graffiti on pottery (Fig. 1.2) found during excavation (S.G.M. Shah and Asko Parpola 1991) also accords the common goat found at Mehrgarh site. Male goat, called Meha (Indus language), usually have a beard. It is full of delicate wool that is used in making warm clothes. Its flesh also good to eat and even the adult have better taste. Male goat is called (in Indus as well as in Sanskrit language) Meha (S.H.S. Kosh by V.S. Apte p.818). Mehrgarh excavated site shows sacrifice of six goats with the human grave, reveals the name Meha for the goat sacrificed and the site approves the name by Mehrgarh on the name of Meha. Human burial with goat sacrifice found during excavation at Mehrgarh accords the deep sense of human attachment with goat. Not only burial found with goat but the site excavation provides us a satisfactory answer to the use of goat by Mehrgarh people for domestic purposes. Not only burial found with goat but the site excavation provides us a satisfactory answer to the use of goat by Mehrgarh people for domestic purposes.

Dhanpat Singh Dhania (b. 1954) got his high school education from a village school, passed Delhi BA from University, and MA from IGNOU, New Delhi. After graduation, he was deeply involved in the study of Indus Valley Civilization language decipherment. During the Indus Civilization study period, he studied Brahmi, Egyptian, Cretan, Mesopotamian, etc. languages. He is the author of several books, i.e., Harappan Mystery Deciphered (2003), Indus Valley Civilization (2005), Deciphering Indus Script: A New Approach (2008), Indus History and Culture: Mehra Dynasty 8000 BC (2014), and Unlock the Mystery of Indus Civilization History (2019). Не attended many national and international seminars and presented papers. He presented research findings on televisions, newspapers, and magazines.

The book deals with the origin of the cultures in the Indus Valley Civilization region. The Indus seals found during excavation at different Harappan sites are deciphered, and the historical background is proved. The seals from Harappa and Mohenjodaro contain inscriptions detailing the history of the Rama dynasty. Chanhudaro has Shiva's lifelong brave activities written on the seals. Dholavira is Krishna's Dvarika (capital city), and the signboard found during excavation is deciphered as "Chakradhar Chakravati Chakrin," which means king Chakradhar, the Krishna. Rakhigarhi was called Rakshigarhi, the capital of Raksas, and the Kairos ruled on the Rakhigarhi. Various cultures governed the Indus cities during different periods. The author presents a new perspective in this book, focusing on the use of words from various languages in the central region of the Harappans, along with their phonetic values. Through this approach, he attempts to decipher the script, which merits recognition for introducing a fresh methodology to the topic.