New research suggests that Mohenjodaro followed a very different path than many other early cities. As the 4,000-year-old urban center grew larger, more productive, and more successful, its society appeared to grow more egalitarian.
Historians have often argued that inequality increased as small agricultural settlements developed into cities. Under this traditional model, kings, priests, and other powerful leaders came to control wealth and resources, widening the gap between rich and poor.
Ancient cities became more equal
A York University study of Mohenjodaro, the largest city of the Indus Valley Civilization, points to the opposite pattern. The researchers examined differences in housing size across the city and found that as Mohenjodaro matured, wealth became more evenly distributed.
The city also appears to have been more egalitarian than comparable societies in Mesopotamia and Greece. In Mohenjo-daro, we saw the difference in size between the largest and smallest homes shrink over time, rather than creating a dramatic difference between wealthy and ordinary households.
Lead author Dr Adam Green, from the School of Archeology and Environmental Geography at the University of York, said: “The heritage data for ancient cities shows that as cities matured, the gap between the largest and smallest houses narrowed. Indeed, by late times, the wealth gap in this huge urban center had fallen to levels typical of the first rural villages.”
“While the ancient Egyptians were building pyramids for their god-kings and the Greeks were building a huge palace at Knossos, the Indus peoples were building something completely different.
“Instead of gold-filled tombs and gigantic temples, Mohenjo-daro focused on polished brick-lined drains and organized street layouts. Instead of allowing the perks of society to be accumulated by a small elite, city amenities were widely distributed to common households.”
Drains and streets instead of palaces
Mohenjodaro has put a lot of effort into practical features that will benefit more people. Carefully planned streets and advanced brick drainage systems demonstrate that resources were directed toward shared infrastructure rather than monuments glorifying rulers or religious elites.
The distribution of Indus seals provides further evidence for this approach. These seals were important tools for trade and business, but archaeologists usually discover them inside ordinary homes rather than concentrating on public buildings. The city had no known palaces where rulers or ruling classes could control these means of commerce and government.
This pattern suggests that wealth and authority were not monopolized by a single powerful leader. Rather, Mohenjodaro residents may have worked together to provide households with broader access to the resources necessary for a comfortable standard of living.
Shared infrastructure and fair trade
Continued investments in drainage, road maintenance, and other public services also reflect collective support for the city’s daily needs. Rather than primarily serving a small group at the top of society, these projects improved life across Mohenjo-Daro.
Standardized systems of weights and measures used throughout the region may also support fairer trade. By providing merchants and residents with a common way to measure goods, this system helped create a more consistent exchange for everyone.
Published in a magazine ancientthis finding casts doubt on the idea that inequality should increase with economic growth. Researchers argue that Mohenjo Daro shows how technologically advanced and productive societies can spread prosperity widely, rather than accumulating it among a small elite.
Lessons from the Indus Valley Civilization
Dr Green said: “Mohenjo-daro is often said to be famous for what it doesn’t have – no royal palaces, no gold-filled tombs, no statues of rulers – but what is there is very important.
“Productivity appears to be rising during periods when inequality appears to be at its lowest. This challenges the idea that prosperity requires concentration of decision-making power in the hands of a few.
“This is a very interesting lesson for modern society, because the Indus Valley Civilization clearly shows that urban societies can be productive and inventive on a large scale, while at the same time ensuring a fair share of resources and power. In fact, doing so may even have been essential to sustaining prosperity for centuries.”
