Mohenjo-daro as Democratic as Ancient Greece & Rome: Study

Why in the News

• A study published in Science Advances (March 2026) finds that Mohenjo-daro exhibited collective (democratic-like) governance, comparable to Athens and Republican Rome.

About Mohenjo-daro

• Part of the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC)
• Located in present-day Sindh (Pakistan)
• Known for:
  • Advanced urban planning (grid system)
  • Drainage and sanitation systems
  • Lack of clear evidence of centralized monarchy

Key Findings of the Study

1. Democracy Beyond Greece & Rome

• Democratic/collective governance was not unique to Europe
• Similar systems found in:
  • North America: Iroquois Confederacy, Zuni
  • Mesoamerica: Teotihuacan, Monte Albán, Tlaxcala
  • South Asia: Mohenjo-daro

2. Two Dimensions of Governance

Researchers used two parameters:

• Power concentration: Whether authority is centralized or dispersed
• Inclusiveness: Degree of public participation in governance

3. Indicators of Collective Governance

• Urban planning features:
  • Large open public spaces (for gatherings)
  • Absence of palaces or grand royal tombs
• Art & architecture: Limited glorification of rulers
  • It shows Shared decision-making systems

4. Indicators of Autocracy

• Monumental: Palaces, pyramids, elite tombs
• City layouts: Roads converging to ruler’s residence
• Rituals: Grand spectacles reinforcing ruler authority

5. “Autocracy Index”

• Study created a spectrum:
  • From highly autocratic → highly collective
  • Mohenjo-daro ranked towards collective governance

6. Role of Economic Structure (Key Insight)

• Autocratic societies:
  • Based on controlled resources
    (mines, trade routes, war plunder)
• More democratic societies:
  • Based on: Broad taxation and Community labour

7. Inequality Link

• Inclusive systems: Lower economic inequality
• Challenges assumption: Complexity always leads to autocracy

Broader Significance

• Democracy has deep, global historical roots
• Challenges Eurocentric view: That democracy began only in Greece & Rome
• Important for modern governance: Helps understand power concentration & inequality trends

[2013] Which of the following characterizes/characterize the people of Indus Civilization?  1. They possessed great palaces and temples. They worshipped both male and female deities.  2. They employed horse-drawn chariots in warfare.  Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 only (c) 1, 2 and 3 (d) None of the statements given above is correct