How Indus Valley Planned Cities Differed from Other Early Cities

Indus Valley Features

• Grid street layout
• Wide roads, residential areas separated by open spaces
• Two–three story mud-brick houses
• Public buildings: temples, baths, granaries
• Engineered water supply (canals, reservoirs) and sewage systems

Key Differences

1. Grid Plan: Unique; not found in other early cities.
2. Sanitation: Sophisticated sewage absent elsewhere.
3. Standardization: Uniform weights, measures, script—unprecedented.
4. No Fortifications: Unlike walled contemporaries, Indus cities lacked defensive walls.

These reflect an advanced, organized civilization.