Final answer:
The Indus River Valley civilization developed planned cities with advanced drainage and urban planning, evident in sites like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. The society likely managed its complex infrastructure through city-states or decentralized governance, without a single centralized state. Environmental degradation possibly led to the decline of this once-prosperous civilization.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Indus River Valley civilization developed planned cities such as Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro around 2600 to 1900 BCE. These cities showcased remarkable urban planning, evident in sophisticated drainage systems, orderly streets laid out in grid patterns, and standard-sized bricks made in ovens. Planning also extended to complex water management systems as seen in Dholavira, India, and integrated residential and industrial areas within cities for optimal functionality.
The inhabitants of the Indus valley thrived on an economy that supported labor specialization, agriculture, and trade, without evidence of a centralized state. Instead, it's likely that a collection of city-states, possibly with some form of collective governance or decentralised control, possibly managed by religious specialists, oversaw the impressive urban development and coordination of complex societal functions. This civilization demonstrates sophisticated levels of management in city planning, water resource systems, and trade networks even in the absence of a powerful centralized monarchy or state.
These urban advances were supported by intensive agriculture, facilitated by the fertile plains of the Indus River and the use of draft animals like water buffaloes. Urban centers, while internally well-organized, may have ultimately faced decline due to environmental degradation from deforestation, soil salinization, and possible climate changes that disrupted the monsoons and river flow patterns critical to their agriculture-based economy.