Most of the mature Harappan sites in the region of Cholistan had been

Most of the mature Harappan sites in the region of Cholistan had been abandoned during

C. 2250 BCE
C. 2000 BCE
C. 1800 BCE
C. 1700 BCE
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UPSC CAPF – 2021
Archaeological evidence from the Cholistan desert region, which contains a large number of Harappan sites, indicates a significant decline and abandonment of most mature Harappan settlements during the Late Harappan phase. Studies place the peak of the Mature Harappan period in Cholistan between 2600 and 1900 BCE, followed by a drastic reduction in sites and a shift towards smaller, less complex settlements. By around 1800 BCE, the mature urban centers in Cholistan were largely abandoned.
– Cholistan is located in Pakistan, south of Punjab and east of Sindh.
– It was a core area of the Mature Harappan civilization.
– The decline of the Harappan civilization varied regionally, but the period from around 1900 BCE onwards is generally considered the Late Harappan phase or Post-Urban Harappan.
– Factors like climatic change, changes in river courses (e.g., the Ghaggar-Hakra river), and potentially other socio-political factors contributed to the decline and abandonment of sites.
The overall decline of the Harappan civilization across its vast extent is a complex process that occurred over several centuries, typically dated from around 1900 BCE to 1300 BCE, with regional variations in timing and nature of decline or transformation. The abandonment of core regions like Cholistan by 1800 BCE is a significant event within this broader process.