Indus Valley Civilization was one of the world's oldest and greatest civilizations which took shape around 3000 BC to 2500 BC in the valley of the Indus River. Remains of more than 100 cities, towns, and villages of the Indus Valley civilization have now been found from north of the Hindu Kush down the entire length of the Indus and beyond into peninsular India. Harappa and Mohenjo Daro are the two urban centers of Indus Valley civilization and the excavation of these sites reveal standardization and ordered society and ten centuries of relatively stable conditions.

The city was amazingly well planned with broad main streets and good secondary streets. The houses of these cities were solidly built of bricks and many were

The invasions of the White Huns signalled the end of this era of history, although at first, they were defeated by the Guptas. After the decline of the Gupta empire, north India broke into a number of separate Hindu kingdoms and was not really unified again until the coming of the Muslims.

The Aryan tribes failed to unite against non-Aryan due to lack of strong political foundation and the unstable nature due to their internal caste system. The weak character of the empire came from the rigid caste system that divided people and created unstable feelings among them. These were some of the reasons that formed the Vedic empire far less organized than the Indus Valley Civilization.

Following Ashoka's death in 232 BC, the Mauryan empire started disintegrating. This was an open invitation to invaders from Central Asia to seek their fortunes in India. This period saw the rise of several smaller kingdoms that did not last very long. The last ruler of the Mauryan dynasty was Brithadratha. He was killed by his own commander-in-chief Pushyamitra Sunga in 185 BC. Pushyamitra Sunga became the ruler of the Magadha and neighboring territories. With the fall of Mauryas, India lost its political unity. The northwestern regions comprising Rajputana, Malwa and Punjab passed into the hands of the foreign rulers. The descendants of Pushyamitra Sunga were not able to maintain the stability of their empire. The power of the Sungas gradually weakened and the regions were absorbed within the dominions of the conqueror.

multi-storied and equipped with bathrooms and lavatories. The high quality of the pottery, along with hoards of gold and silver found at Indus Valley sites, suggest great accumulation of wealth. Each city was laid out on a grid plan with a high citadel and a lower city of domestic dwellings. Urban planning is evident in the neat arrangement of major buildings contained in the citadel, including the placement of a large granary and water tank or bath at right angles to one another. The lower city, which was tightly packed with residential units, was also constructed on a grid pattern consisting of a number of blocks separated by major cross streets. The cities had an elaborate public drainage system. Sanitation was provided through an extensive system of covered drains running through the length of the main streets and connected by chutes with most residences.

This period also saw the peaceful coexistence of Brahmins and Buddhists and visits by Chinese travellers like Fa Hsien. The exquisite Ajanta and Ellora caves were created in this period. This age registered considerable progress in literature and science, particularly in astronomy and mathematics. The most outstanding literary figure of the Gupta period was Kalidasa who

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1859
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)