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SAI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
                                                 STD VI- HISTORY
                                    CH- The Beginning of Indian Civilisation
                                                        NOTES

               Sub topic 5 -The End or a New Beginning?


               Around 1900 BCE, this Sindhu-Sarasvatī civilisation, despite all its
               achievements, began to fall apart.


               Causes of Decline of the Sindhu-Sarasvatī Civilisation:


                   1.  Climatic Change:
                          o  From around 2200 BCE, there was a global climatic shift leading
                              to reduced rainfall.

                          o  Made agriculture difficult and reduced food supply to cities.
                   2.  Drying up of the Sarasvatī River:
                          o  The Sarasvatī river dried in its central basin.
                          o  Major cities like Kalibangan and Banawali were abandoned.
                   3.  No Evidence of Warfare or Invasion:
                          o  Earlier, it was thought that warfare or invasions caused the

                              collapse.
                          o  Archaeological evidence shows no signs of war, indicating a
                              peaceful decline.
                   4.  Breakdown of Urban Administration:
                          o  The organized government and city administration disappeared.
                          o  People shifted to rural lifestyles in small settlements.
                   5.  Environmental Dependence:
                          o  The civilisation’s heavy dependence on climate and environment

                              made it vulnerable to changes.

               Despite city decline, Harappan culture and technology survived and

               influenced later Indian civilisation.
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