How did the decline of Indus civilization cities affect writing and specialized crafts?

The decline of the Indus civilization urban system, which occurred in stages between approximately 2000 and 1750 BCE, led to the disappearance of several distinctively urban traits. As the organized social and political control that supported these cities collapsed, the use of writing and the production of seals ceased.12

Similarly, many specialized urban crafts associated with the mature Harappan period vanished in the northwest region of the Indian subcontinent. While the collapse of the urban system did not necessarily mean a total breakdown of lifestyle for all populations, the era that followed—often termed the Post-Urban period—was characterized by a shift toward poverty-stricken cultures and a loss of the standardized, large-scale manufacturing that had previously defined the civilization. In some areas, such as the south, there was evidence of cultural continuity, but the sophisticated, integrated urban infrastructure that facilitated these specialized crafts and administrative tools was no longer maintained.12