URBAN GOVERNANCE AND WATER MANAGEMENT IN THE INDUS VALLEY: RETHINKING EARLY STATE FORMATION IN SOUTH ASIA

This study aims to reinterpret governance in the Indus Valley Civilization (c. 2600–1900 BCE) by examining how urban planning, water management, and civic order contributed to early state formation in South Asia. It seeks to move beyond traditional assumptions of centralized monarchy and explore whether authority was embedded in institutional systems and infrastructure. This research is based on a qualitative analysis of archaeological data from major Indus urban centers, including Mohenjo-daro, Harappa, and Dholavira. Material evidence such as grid-based city layouts, standardized brick proportions, drainage systems, reservoirs, and uniform weights and measures is interpreted through governance theory and comparative frameworks of early state development. The study found that the Indus Civilization demonstrated a high level of institutional coordination and civic regulation. Standardized construction practices and regulated trade systems suggest administrative oversight over vast regions. Advanced water management structures, particularly at Dholavira, indicate organized labor mobilization and long-term planning. The absence of monumental palaces or royal tombs suggests that governance operated through procedural and infrastructural authority rather than visible autocratic rule. These findings challenge conventional models of early state formation that prioritize kingship and monumental displays. The Indus case represents an alternative pathway to complex political organization, emphasizing collective governance, environmental management, and civic responsibility. This reinterpretation contributes to broader debates on early urbanism and offers a new perspective on political authority in ancient South Asia.