Britannica
Sources used in this answer
- India - Extent and chronology of Early Harappan culture
- Indus civilization - Decline of the urban system and the end of the Indus civilization
- India - Chronology
- Indus civilization - The recovery and study of the Indus civilization
- India - The rise of urbanism in the Indus valley
- Indus civilization: Top Questions
When did the Indus civilization flourish?
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The Indus civilization flourished as a mature urban society between approximately 2600 and 2000 BCE.1
Prior to this peak, the region saw the development of the Early Harappan culture, which emerged in the mid-4th millennium BCE and served as a transitional phase toward full urbanization. Following the civilization's height, the urban system began to decline, with the late stage of the culture likely continuing until about 1700 BCE. By 1750 BCE, many distinctively urban traits—such as the use of writing and specialized crafts—had largely disappeared, marking the transition into the Post-Urban or Post-Harappan stage.2314