Harappan Script, Seals, Weights and Measures
Ancient History › Indus Valley Civilisation · Topic 3.8
The Harappan script, found since 1853 and complete by 1923, is a mainly pictographic script of about 250 to 400 signs on some 4000 to 5000 inscribed objects, mostly short texts on seals, written right to left and still undeciphered. About 2000 steatite seals, showing the unicorn, bull and other animals, marked ownership. Weights followed a binary system with multiples of 16, and measuring rods show a unit of about 1.75 cm.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Indus Valley Civilisation
At a Glance
- Script Pictographic, undeciphered
- Signs About 250 to 400
- Seals About 2000; mostly steatite
- Weights Multiples of 16; cubical chert
- Inch About 1.75 cm
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Ancient History: Indus Valley Civilisation
Where Does It Fit?
This is the eighth topic of the category on the Indus Valley Civilisation. The previous topic covered religion, and this one covers writing and standards. The next topic covers pottery, images and other art. Previous topic: Religious Practices of the Harappan Civilisation.
What Is Known About the Script?
In short: the Harappans invented writing, but the script remains undeciphered, so their ideas are known only indirectly.
The Harappans invented the art of writing like the people of Mesopotamia. The earliest specimen was found in 1853 and the complete script by 1923, but it has not been deciphered. Some scholars connect it with Dravidian or proto-Dravidian, others with Sanskrit and others with Sumerian, but none of these readings is satisfactory. As a result we can neither judge the Harappan contribution to literature nor say much about their ideas and beliefs. Nearly 4000 specimens exist on stone seals and other objects, and another account puts the figure at about 5000 texts, the longest with about twenty-six signs. Unlike the Egyptians and Mesopotamians, the Harappans did not write long inscriptions; most are short, on seals, and contain a few words. There are about 250 to 400 pictographs, each a picture standing for a sound, idea or object, so the script is not alphabetical but largely pictographic. Compared with the scripts of Mesopotamia and Egypt, it is an indigenous product of the Indus region and shows no connection with western Asian scripts. It was written from right to left.
What Were the Seals?
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Number | About 2000 seals found |
| Material | Steatite or faience mostly; the other text lists steatite, copper, terracotta and ivory |
| Motifs | Mostly short inscriptions with pictures of one-horned animals (unicorns), buffaloes, tigers, rhinoceroses, goats, elephants, antelopes and crocodiles |
| Use | Symbols of authority, used for stamping; marks of private property and goods in transit; amulets |
| Sealings | Few stamped objects survive, unlike in Egypt and Mesopotamia |
Seals are the greatest artistic creations of the Harappan culture, and they are also useful for trade, as shown in Trade and Commerce of the Harappan Civilisation. Some seal figures are discussed under religion in Religious Practices of the Harappan Civilisation.
Why Does the Undeciphered Script Matter?
| Question | What the script could tell us |
|---|---|
| Language | Whether the Harappans spoke a proto-Dravidian, Indo-Aryan, Munda or another tongue |
| Polity | Who ruled and how the cities were governed |
| Religion | What the seal figures and symbols meant |
| Trade | What the seals recorded about goods and owners |
| Continuity | Whether later Indian culture grew from Harappan roots |
Because texts are so short and no bilingual inscription has been found, the script has resisted decipherment, and every reading offered so far has remained a hypothesis. Until it is read, claims about the language and religion of the Harappans must be treated with caution.
How Were Weights and Measures Standardised?
The urban people needed weights and measures for trade and other transactions, and a knowledge of script helped record property and keep accounts. Numerous weights have been found. In weighing, 16 or its multiples were largely used, such as 16, 64, 160, 320 and 640, a tradition that continued in India up to modern times, when 16 annas made one rupee. Another account describes a binary system with ratios 1:2:4:8:16:32, in which the 16th ratio weighs 13.63 grams, and cubical chert weights probably used for weighing jewellery and metal. The Harappans also knew measurement: sticks inscribed with measure marks have been found, one of bronze, and the measuring scale shows one inch of about 1.75 cm. As an analytical point, uniform weights, seals and a common script across a vast area reflect a shared system of regulation by merchants or a central authority, whichever it was, as discussed in Social Organisation and Polity of the Harappan Civilisation. The later history of writing in India is in Inscriptions as a Source of Ancient Indian History.
| Standard | Detail |
|---|---|
| Weights | Multiples of 16 |
| Shape | Cubical, of chert |
| Length | Marked sticks, one of bronze; inch of about 1.75 cm |
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Unsolved problem Script decipherment is a standing question
- Standardisation Evidence of organised commerce
- Art Seals as the finest artefacts
What Came Next?
The next topic describes Harappan pottery, images, terracotta figurines and stone work. Next topic: Harappan Pottery, Images, Terracotta Figurines and Stone Work.
Key People and Terms
- Pictograph Sign standing for an object or idea
- Steatite Soft stone for seals
- Sealing Impression of a seal
- Faience Glazed ceramic paste
- Decipherment Reading an unknown script
- Binary weight system Weights doubling each step
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Script found 1853; complete by 1923.
- 250 to 400 signs; pictographic.
- About 2000 seals.
- Weights in multiples of 16.
- Script written right to left.
Do Not Confuse With
- Seal and sealing Stamp versus its impression
- Pictographic and alphabetical Signs for objects versus signs for sounds
- Harappan and Brahmi script Right to left versus left to right
Memory Hook
Signs on stone, short and unread; seals for ownership, weights by sixteen, an inch of 1.75 cm.
Mains Angle
Questions on the script ask what it shows and why it matters. These points add depth.
- Script Features and failed readings
- Seals Use and motifs
- Standards Weights and measures
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Discuss the features of the Harappan script, seals and weights and what they reveal about the civilisation.”
How to Answer
- Script Pictographic and undeciphered.
- Seals Steatite, motifs, use.
- Weights Multiples of 16.
- Meaning Trade and regulation.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
Has the Harappan script been deciphered?
No. Although the first specimen was found in 1853 and the full script by 1923, the Harappan script has not been deciphered. Readings linking it to Dravidian, Sanskrit or Sumerian have not been satisfactory, so Harappan ideas and literature remain unknown.
What are the features of the Harappan script?
The script is largely pictographic, not alphabetical, with about 250 to 400 signs, each standing for a sound, idea or object. It was written from right to left, mostly in short texts on seals, and is an indigenous Indus product.
What were Harappan seals used for?
Seals were made mostly of steatite and carried short inscriptions with animal pictures such as the unicorn, buffalo, tiger and elephant. They served as symbols of authority and ownership, marked goods in transit, were used for stamping and also as amulets.
What weights did the Harappans use?
They used cubical chert weights, largely in 16 or its multiples such as 16, 64, 160, 320 and 640. Another accountbook describes a binary system in which the 16th unit weighs about 13.63 grams, and weights probably served for jewellery and metal.
How did the Harappans measure length?
They knew measurement and used sticks inscribed with measure marks, one of which is made of bronze. The measuring scale indicates one inch of about 1.75 cm, showing a standard unit of length that was used across different cities.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 The Harappan script is largely pictographic.
It has 250 to 400 signs.
2 The Harappan script has been conclusively deciphered.
It has not.
3 Harappan weights largely used 16 or its multiples.
The tradition lasted until 16 annas to a rupee.
4 Most Harappan seals were made of iron.
They were mostly steatite.
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