The Indus Flood-Plain and the 'Indus' Civilization

IN the past few years increasing attention has been attracted to the problem: what caused the apparently sudden decline and extinction of the prehistoric Harappa or 'Indus' civilization in its southern sphere, viz., the province of Sind? One theory ascribes the ruin of Mohenjo-daro to drastic geomorphological occurrences in the Lower Indus plain. The evidence hitherto adduced in support of the alleged occurrence of these particular physical changes seems to me utterly in? adequate. Moreover, had such changes taken place as and when suggested, there would inevitably have been consequences other than, or additional to, those assumed by the protagonists and supporters of this theory. The absence of traces left by these other consequential processes must east doubt on the occurrence of those events thought to be reflected in the phenomena actually noticed. The whole conception clearly requires to be reviewed in the light of the ascertained behaviour of the river Indus, and of the physical nature of the Lower Indus plain; and this paper repre? sents an attempt to apply those tests, and to show that other serious objections deserve to be taken into account.