Invitation to World Religions

The History of Hinduism  127

CHINA

AFGHANISTAN

KASHMIR

Harappa

TIBET

Yamuna

INDUS CIVILIZATION

PAKISTAN

IRAN

Brahmaputra

Indus

Mt. Kailasha

BHUTAN

Vrindavana

Mohenjo-Daro

NEPAL

Ganges

ASSAM Kamakhya

Varanasi (Benares) Ayodhya

BANGLADESH

BENGAL

Kolkata (Calcutta)

GUJARAT

Narmada

BURMA

LAOS

INDIA

Mahanadi

Ajanta

Puri

B a y o f B e n g a l

Godavari

Arabian Sea

THAILAND

Krishna

KARNATAKA

Sringeri

Chennai (Madras) Mamallapuram

Cauvery Mysore Tiruvannamalai Sri Rangam

INDIAN OCEAN

TAMIL NADU

0 km

200 400

200

400

0 miles

SRI LANKA

Significant sites in the history of Hinduism.

enjoyed a high standard of living. Archaeological excavations at Indus Valley sites have yielded evidence of trade with regions as far away as Mesopotamia and The Proto-Shiva seal. The male figure, sometimes called the “Lord of the Animals,” is surrounded by vari- ous totemic animals, such as an elephant, a tiger, a rhinoceros, a water buffalo, and two antelopes or deer. PROPERTY OF OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS impressive skill in metallurgy, handicrafts, and urban planning. The archaeological finds include a vast number of stone seals that were perhaps used to stamp prod- ucts for trade. These are decorated with depictions of animals and people and with a script that has not yet been deciphered. Some scholars believe that in the Indus Valley seals we can detect very early elements of Hinduism. For example, the most famous seal has been called the Proto-Shiva seal because its central image may