Cholistan
Topic: Harappan (Sindhu-Sarasvati) Civilisation · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 1 "Bricks, Beads and Bones"
Meaning
Cholistan is a desert region in Pakistan. It lies along the dry Hakra river, which is the same river channel as the Ghaggar in India. It has many Harappan sites, including Ganweriwala, one of the five major cities. It matters for two reasons: what it tells us about Harappan farming, and what it tells us about the civilisation's decline.
Example
Clay (terracotta) models of ploughs were found at Cholistan sites, and also at Banawali in Haryana. They show that ploughs were used. By c. 1800 BCE most Cholistan sites had been abandoned. People moved into Gujarat, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. This movement is part of the story of the Harappan decline.
Don't confuse with
- Chanhudaro: Chanhudaro is a small craft town in Sindh, known for making beads, seals and weights. It is not a desert region full of settlements.
Related concepts
- Harappan subsistence
- Harappan agriculture
- Harappan cotton
- Rangpur
- Terracotta plough
- Ploughed field at Kalibangan
- Harappan irrigation