Decline of Indus Valley Civilization

The decline of the Indus Valley Civilization, also known as the Harappan Civilization, was caused by both environmental and cultural factors. Spanning across the Indian subcontinent, the Indus River Valley Civilization was a strong society. There was a good agricultural system that allowed the cultivation of wheat, rye, and vegetables. There was also a prominent cultural and religious presence. The civilization also had a strong government that was ruled by priests from each city. Unfortunately, like many other ancient civilizations, the traits that made the Indus Valley Civilization strong were also the reasons for its decline. The civilization relied on the river to sustain them. Monsoon rains would replenish the river and ground every year allowing them to have an efficient agricultural system. However, the monsoon rains declined and this adversely affected the culture. Due to the lack of replenishment the river system was weakened and there was no longer any flooding to irrigate the land. This event was a major contributor to the collapse of the civilization because they could no longer sustain themselves. Another factor of the civilization’s decline, which was also caused by the drought, was the decrease in trade between Mesopotamia and Egypt. As the river system weakened they were not able to trade as easily with the other civilizations. Additional reasons that lead to the decline were temperature and climate changes, geographical changes caused by movement in the tectonic plates, and other natural disasters. Although some people stayed, it is also evident that many people began migrating out of this area—probably with the intention of seeking out fertile land. As the Indus Valley Civilization slowly declined, a group of warlike nomadic people from central Asia, called the Aryans, began invading and settling into the land. This led to the creation of the Indo-Aryan culture. The Indo-Aryans had a warrior culture that