Upper town and lower town
Also called: Citadel and lower town · Topic: Harappan (Sindhu-Sarasvati) Civilisation · NCERT: Class 6, Ch 6 "The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation"
Meaning
Most Harappan cities were split into two parts. The upper town, or citadel, was raised on platforms, and important public buildings stood there. The elite (the most powerful people) probably lived there too. The lower town was larger and lower down, and most of the people lived there. This two-part plan is a mark of Harappan town planning.
Example
At Mohenjo-daro, the raised western citadel held the Great Bath and a warehouse. The eastern lower town held the houses. Dholavira in Gujarat was different. It had three zones, with a middle town between the upper and lower towns, and it used stone foundations.
Don't confuse with
- Lothal's layout: At Lothal the citadel was raised but not walled off from the rest of the town. At most other cities, a wall separated the two parts.
Related concepts
- Harappan town planning
- Citadel
- Lower Town
- Harappan bricks
- Harappan domestic architecture
- Harappan drainage system
- Mohenjo-daro
- Great Bath of Mohenjo-daro
- Warehouse of Mohenjo-daro
- Dholavira reservoirs