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The ancient residents of Indus
Valley Civilization of
Pakistan
were knows as Malahha (Malaha
or Meluha or Meluhha or Mehluha)
to the Sumerians and Babylonians
of Mesopotamia, modern Iraq.
The Aryan tribes that invaded
South Asia around 1900 BCE
from the Eurasian steppe called
the local non-Aryan people
as ''Mlecchas" a term
derived from Meluhha. The
word 'Mal-lah' means 'sailor'
in all languages of Pakistan.
This clearly establishes the
continuity of culture, language
and ethnicity going back to
the 5,000 year old Indus Valley
Civilization.
The Indus Valley people were skillfull
sailors and , there are archaeological
remains of their dock at Lothal
and their seals show impressions
of boats. When the Indus script
is satisfactorily deciphered,
we will certainly learn more
of this. But, for the moment,
we must rely on collateral
sources like the Sumerian
cuneiform texts of the times
of the Akkadian king Sargon
( 2334 - 2279 BCE) from the
archaelogical remains in Iraq.
These cuneiform records, boast of extensive
trade of Akkad (Agade, Babylon
) with their neighbour countries.
It speaks of merchants coming
to Akkad, from Asia Minor,
ships from Dilmun( probably
Bahrain), Magan(near Muscat
on the Omani coast) and Meluha
(Indus Valley) riding at anchor
along its quays. That Sargon's
boast of trade with Meluha
(Indus Valley ) was not an
empty one can be seen from
the discovery in Akkadian
houses at Tell Asmar of an
Indus type seal together with
pottery, etched carmelian
beads and bone inlay of the
Harappan, Indus Valley, type.
Meluha exported luxury items, novelties,and
raw materials coveted by Sumer's
elite classes: rare woods,copper,
inlaid tables, ivory articles,
pearls, carnelian, lapis lazuli,
birds and monkeys. All of
these were obtainable in the
Indus Valley, the Harrappan
region. The lapis lazuli was
obtained by the Harappans
from their own mining outposts
at Sortugai in the Afghan
mountains.
Similar oblique references can be found
in the Bible (Old Testament
) of King Solomon's ( about
1000 BC ) trade ventures with
the lands of Ophir, the presents
to him of the Queen of Sheba
of gold, precious stones and
a great store of spices and
the expedition of Queen Hasteyphut
( about 1500 BC ) of Egypt
to the land of Punt for cinnamon
used by the Egyptians, for
embalming their mummies. The
trade goods in all these ventures,
spices, cinnamon, apes, peacocks,
monkeys, ivorys etc.,all were
traded by the people of the
Indus region either directly
or thru intermediaries in
entrepots like Dilmun, (Oman
) or Arabia Eudemon (Aden
) and a lively trade was carried
out by the Malaha to these
outposts of the Indian Ocean,
the Arabian sea.
Meluha, on a difficult journey to Akkad,
Dilmun or Eudemon. Imagine
the boat and the malaha caught
in a storm and their struggle
with the sea. The waves breaking
over their pilot, as he
struggles to ride the boat
thru the looming mountains
of toppling water. Steadying
his boat to stay on top of
the foaming white, his arms
in the rigging, his hand on
the rudder feeling the wind
blow stinging salt into his
brimming eyes. There is a
sharp veer, a near capsize
and a cry, nay a crescendo,
of these hapless sailors,
the malaha, going out to the
Lord of the Seas, the Master
Boatman.In an ancient language,
probably different from today's,
but the evocation would convey
the same sentiments and passion
as in today's Sindhi:
The archaeological site of Chanhu Daro
is a Jhukar culture site located
in Sindh it was established
between about 4000-1700 BCE,
Chanhu Daro is part of the
Late Urban Harappan or Indus
Valley civilizations. Chanhu
Daro is about 130 kilometers
south of Mohenjo
Daro, and is thought to
have been a center for the
manufacture of carnelian beads.
It was excavated in the mid-1930s
by the American School of
Indic and Iranian Studies
and the Boston Museum of Fine
Arts.
The Indus Valley peoples were farmers,
fishers,and herders, subsisting
primarily on barley and wheat,
but with a wide variety of
domesticate and gathered crops
such as dates, chickpea, field
pea, grapes, and jujube. They
also herded cattle, water
buffalo, sheep, goats, and
pigs. Chickens and dogs were
domesticated in the cities.
Writing was used in Mehluha, and was
perhaps invented in the Indus
Valley. Cylinder and stamp
seals with identifying marks
have been recovered from both
Indus Valley sites and from
Ur and other cities in Mesopotamia.
Some scholars suggest the
markings represent the roots
of the Dravidian language;
unless a Rosetta Stone is
found it is unlikely that
the precise meaning of the
seals will ever be discovered.
The extensive trade network included
such goods as copper, gold,
ivory, chert, silver, steatite,
chalcedony, lapis lazuli,
turquoise, amethyst, timber,
and shell. Art work identified
with the Harappan peoples
include wheel-turned pottery,
copper-based metallurgy, and
a wide variety of beads of
carnelian, lapis, and other
semi-precious materials.
What happened to the Mehluha peoples?
The persistence of ceramic
and other artifact styles
suggest that people elsewhere
in the Indus Valley remained
where they were, and the culture
evolved over time.
Page last updated:
Friday, February 03, 2006 21:24:44 -0500
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