A Comparative Historiographical Analysis of Socio-Ethical Structures in the Indus Valley Civilization and Sangam Age Keeladi

AbstractThis paper presents a comparative-historical analysis of the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC, ca. 2700–1700 BCE) and the Sangam Age urban settlement of Keeladi (ca. 6th century BCE–3rd century CE). It seeks to move beyond a simple description of archaeological finds to explore the inferred socio-ethical frameworks—encompassing business ethics, work culture, social relations, and gender dynamics—that underpinned these two seminal South Asian urban societies. The methodology is qualitative and historiographical, critically examining the nature of the archaeological evidence and the evolution of scholarly interpretations. The primary challenge addressed is the comparison between the IVC, a vast civilization with an undeciphered script, and Keeladi, a more recent but pivotal site whose significance is still being uncovered. The results indicate that while both civilizations exhibit sophisticated urbanism, economic specialization, and a focus on standardization in trade, their underlying social structures appear to diverge significantly. The IVC’s material record, characterized by uniform planning and a lack of monumental elite structures, has led to a dominant, though debated, scholarly inference of a communal, possibly egalitarian, and peaceful society. In contrast, Keeladi’s evidence, including luxury goods and specialized industrial zones, points towards a more clearly stratified society driven by mercantile interests and integrated into long-distance trade networks. The discussion synthesizes these findings, arguing that the differences in their evidentiary bases—the IVC’s enigmatic silence versus Keeladi’s anchoring in a known linguistic context—fundamentally shape our understanding. The paper concludes that these two civilizations represent distinct trajectories of urban development in ancient India, with the IVC exemplifying a unique, internally-focused communal model and Keeladi representing an emergent, globally-connected mercantile urbanism.Keywords: Indus Valley Civilization, Keeladi, Sangam Age, Historiography, Urbanism, Business Ethics, Social Stratification, Gender Archaeology.