Harappan Town Planning

Key notes

Town planning was one of the most important features of the Harappan civilisation. Harappan towns commonly followed a grid pattern, with streets crossing one another at right angles.

Main features

Grid-pattern streets.
Division into:
- Citadel.
- Lower town.
Some cities had a middle town as well.
Use of standardised burnt bricks.
Brick ratio commonly close to 1:2:4.
Covered drainage systems.
Inspection holes and soak pits.
Private and public wells.
Bathrooms connected to drains.
Fortification walls at several sites.
Public structures such as:
- Great Bath.
- Granary-like buildings.
- Assembly halls.
- Water reservoirs.
Streets were oriented broadly north–south and east–west.
Urban planning indicates strong civic organisation.

Site-specific features

Mohenjo-daro: Great Bath and advanced drainage.
Dholavira: Reservoirs and sophisticated water management.
Lothal: Dockyard and warehouse-related structures.
Kalibangan: Fortified settlement and fire altars.
Rakhigarhi: Roads, drains and large settlement infrastructure.

Interpretation

Standardisation suggests common planning principles.
Uniformity may indicate administrative control or shared cultural traditions.
The exact nature of political authority remains debated.
No unquestionable royal palace has been identified.

MCQs

Harappan streets generally followed:
- A. Grid pattern
- B. Circular pattern
- C. Random pattern
- D. Radial pattern only
  Answer: A
Harappan bricks commonly followed which ratio?
- A. 1:2:4
- B. 1:1:1
- C. 2:3:5
- D. 4:4:1
  Answer: A
The Great Bath is located at:
- A. Mohenjo-daro
- B. Dholavira
- C. Harappa
- D. Banawali
  Answer: A
Dholavira is especially known for:
- A. Water reservoirs
- B. Iron pillars
- C. Rock edicts
- D. Buddhist monasteries
  Answer: A
The lower town was generally:
- A. The residential and working area
- B. A burial ground only
- C. A royal palace only
- D. A forest zone
  Answer: A