ABSTRACT
The ancient Indus Valley civilization, also known as the Harappan civilization, is, to quote Winston Churchill, a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. At the time of the Mature Harappan civilization (ca. 2500-1900 bce), arts and crafts were traded far and wide, a sophisticated writing system was fully developed, and vast cities were surrounded by towns and villages. And yet other major traits usually associated with complexity appear missing from the Harappan world, including a standing army, major palaces and temples, celebrations of individual rulers and their accomplishments, and significant social stratification. Recent scholarship, however, defends the designation of “archaic state” for the ancient Harappan world but with a caveat: it may have been a state-level society but with elements peculiar to south Asia. This chapter examines current evidence that helps to reveal the emergence and structure of the ancient Harappan state.
