Blog Entry #1: Telling the Story of the Indus Valley Civilization

 

Indus Civilization

In this blog entry there will be a compare and contrast between the text Awakening by Patrick S. Bresnan and the video, Indus: An Unvoiced Civilization. In these two sources it goes over the topic of the Indus Civilization with various subjects at hand. With subjects varying from elements that make up the civilization to the writing system of the Indus, we get to explore how these two sources differentiate in covering the same topic.  

Something that I learned in the text that was not in the video was the structure of the Caste System. The Caste System portrayed discrimination towards the color of ones skin in the thought that having lighter skin is better. Although, the caste system "guaranteed a very stable social order" it was also a horrific and cruel one divided into 4 classes (Bresnan 17). This changed my perspective on the peacefulness of the Indus Valley Civilization built upon the fact stated in the video that there were simple weapons found in the Indus Valley (Indus: 35:05). This signify that there would be mutual peace amongst the civilization but the Caste System is contradicting to the point. 

Caste System (Varna)

For the subject of the Caste System also known as Varna, it is apparent that the two sources treated the topic differently. In the video it did not go over the spiteful Caste System but it instead talked about how the "organization was not so much hierarchical but heterarchical" (Indus: 35:40). In the text, it proved this statement false by stating, "during the Vedic Age, Indian society came to be divided into four great "caste"" (Bresnan 14). In the video it seems to ignore the cruel reality of the Caste System and the effects it had on the people within the civilization especially the people at the bottom classes. Using the argument that simple weapons were found creates a false narrative that there might have been peace in the Indus Valley but it is apparent that peace was only amongst the higher ups. Furthermore, as expressed in the text it is evident that the system forced unruly laws against the bottom classes known as the Shudras and the Untouchables. Keeping this in mind, the only people who would know of the writing system would be the people in the upper classes such as the priests and merchants as they would have prevented the people at the bottom from knowing such important information. For example, the seals that were found were used by merchants showing that they did know some sort of writing (Indus: 6:45). Having no knowledge of writing or the religion there was no peace nor justice for the lower class people. 

Works Cited 

“Aryans and the Caste System.” Civilization in the Ancient Indus River Valley, indusrivervalleyciv.weebly.com/aryans-and-the-caste-system.html. 

BRESNAN, PATRICK S. Awakening: An Introduction to the History of Eastern Thought. ROUTLEDGE, 2018. 

Indus: An Unvoiced Civilization.