Palaces and Kings

Archaeological evidence from sites like Mohenjodaro suggests that determining a center of power or identifying individuals in positions of authority in Harappan society is challenging. While structures like the large building dubbed as a palace and the stone statue known as the “priest-king” have been discovered, they do not provide definitive answers about political power. The term “priest-king” was applied based on parallels with Mesopotamian history, but the exact role of individuals depicted in such artifacts remains unclear.

Scholars hold various perspectives regarding governance in Harappan society. Some believe in the absence of rulers, suggesting that everyone enjoyed equal status. Others propose the presence of multiple rulers across different regions, while some argue for a single state due to the uniformity of artefacts and planned settlements. The latter theory appears more plausible currently, considering the complexity of decision-making processes and the standardized features observed across Harappan sites.

There are three major views that exist about the Ancient Authority Of the Harappan Civilization or the Indus Valley Civilization as mentioned below.

No Rulers Theory

Some archaeologists believe that there was no ruling system or any central ruling system in the Harappan or Indus Valley Society. Everybody holds an equal status in the society.

Several Rulers Theory

Some archaeologists and historians believe that multiple rulers governed the Harappan or Indus Valley Society. They also say that Harappa and Mohenjodaro were two separate societies. Each of them was governed by the individual rulers.

Single State Theory

It is the most believed and accepted theory about the Indus Valley Society. It is believed that the Indus Valley Civilization was a whole state that was made of Harappa and Mohenjodaro. Due to the recovered similar components from the both cities like the different artifacts and the city ruins, this theory became more reliable than others.

Ancient Authority is a subpart of the Class 12 history that falls under the chapter “Bricks, Beads, and Bones” It gives us an idea of the ancient Harappa society which probably did not have any particular ruler or was governed by multiple rulers. Based on the different facts, planned city structure, and major archaeological evidence, we can say that everyone had equal status in the ancient Harappan society or Indus Valley Civilization.

In this article, we are going to discuss the Class 12 History: Ancient Authority of the Harappan Civilization or the Indus Valley Civilization in detail.