Q1.
Why are the inhabitants of this civilisation called ‘Harappans’ today?
Answer
Because the city of Harappa was the first site of this civilisation to be excavated — “way back in 1920–21, over a century ago”. Harappa is today in Pakistan's Punjab. In archaeology, a whole culture is usually named after the place where it was first recognised, whether or not that place was the most important one.
| Name | Where it comes from | What it suggests — and where it misleads |
|---|---|---|
| Harappan | Harappa, the first site excavated (1920–21) | Safe and neutral. It says nothing about geography — which is why the book prefers it |
| Indus | The Indus (Sindhu) River | True for Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, but half the sites are not on the Indus |
| Indus Valley | The same river, plus ‘valley’ | Obsolete. The civilisation spread far beyond the Indus region — see the THINK ABOUT IT on page 91 |
| Indus-Sarasvatī / Sindhu-Sarasvatī | Both river systems together | The most accurate, because the Sarasvatī basin holds two major cities (Rakhigarhi, Ganweriwala) and a very high density of sites |
Why the name matters: a name quietly makes a claim. Call it ‘Indus Valley’ and you have told your reader the civilisation lived in one river valley — and then the map on page 89 contradicts you. This is a good habit to carry into all of history: ask what a familiar name is assuming, and check it against the evidence.
Did you know? Harappa and Mohenjo-daro were the first two cities discovered, and their identification as one civilisation goes back to 1924 — three or four years after the digging at Harappa began. Discovery and identification are two different moments, and the book gives both dates.