I will tell you the story of the Harappan.  It is an ancient story beginning in the dark days of dawn, at the creation of the world, and it echoes softly through time.  It is a mystical story of one peoples’ spiritual search, seeking divine revelations of a mysterious world.  It is a wondrous story preserving the achievements of a proud and glorious nation.  It is a story for the ages.

Civilzation IV, Vanilla, v1.61

Game characteristics: Continents, Standard Map, Temperate, Low Sea Level, Epic Speed

Special Rules: City Flipping After Conquest, Permanent Alliances Enabled

Difficulty Level: Noble

AI: 8, Random

Victory Conditions: All Enabled

Base Civ: India (begin with Mysticism and Mining)

Leader: Gandhi (Spiritual and Industrious)

Goal: To found all seven Religions and build all five Wonders of the World that generate Great Prophets (Stonehenge, Oracle, Angkor Wat,  Chichen Itza, and Spiral Minaret).

A story as old as the Harappan themselves recounts their creation, brought forth into life from the womb of the Earth through the waters of Lake Indus and into a wilderness that was as dim as it was dangerous.  In the year 4000 BC, their birth brought forth a new race unto the universe as the infant nation huddled along the lakeshores of their birthright. 

4000 BC

Marveling at the world about them, the Harappan began searching for spiritual answers to questions about their beginnings and their purpose.  One wise and charismatic monk, Mohenjo, rose to prominence and influence in these early days.  He was a profound thinker and a natural leader.  An honest man of strong morals, his ideas planted seeds in the minds of his people.  He organized this industrious tribe to build a permanent settlement, Harappa, on the shores of the sacred Lake Indus. He harnessed the intellect of this spiritual race, encouraging them to look beyond their known universe and search for divine answers to unlock the mysteries of nature.

Like the lion cub that hesitantly ventures further and further away from his mother, the Harappans explored their surroundings.  A band of warriors, called the Nomads, set out on foot to discover the land with which the spirits had given them.  They soon discovered that they were not the only creation of divine spark to inhabit the world.  In 3880 BC the Nomads happened upon a small tribal group.  The friendly villagers gave the Harappans gold – 46 pieces to be exact – a gift that might benefit them in their spiritual quest.  And it was not long before the settlement of Harappa’s influence would increase around the land as Harappan culture slowly cultivated.

3760 BC

The Age of Buddhism

Soon the leader-monk Mohenjo founded the first religion in Harappan history, a formalized faith in a set of ideas, beliefs, and standards.  With this spiritual revelation, Mohenjo started his people on the path that would consume their destiny.  In his teachings, called Buddhism, Mohenjo did not discard the idea of the mother spirit, but instead offered a philosophy of living that, if followed, would end suffering in an individual’s life.  Many people adhered to its noble path stressing Right Speech, Right Actions, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration, Right Thoughts, and Right Understanding.  In this guiding era, those of the faith sought not only to recognize what was right and what was harmful, but also endeavored to change the latter, in order to pursue the former. 

3640 BC

Buddhism and its peaceful message did not deter the Harappan from accounting for its own protection, but that faith proved a guiding principal for Mohenjo’s warriors, of which two more such bands had organized by 3250 BC.  Swift and strong with the spirit earth as their guides, the warriors uncovered more land around Harappa and inter-acted peacefully with other villages gaining experience and gold.  In 3340 BC, the Nomads had proven their might in defending themselves from a savage Lion attack. 

But still, the Harappan wondered if perhaps they were the only people blessed by the spirit earth to seek greater wonders and purpose.

After some years, the Harappan people thirsted for more answers, not content to worship an intangible spirit of little revelation and yearning for more than a philosophical code.  So their leader-monk Mohenjo posited the concept of Polytheism, the belief in many deities that each control and patronize independent aspects of nature and daily life.  Thus Hinduism began in Harappa.  The followers of this new faith maintained the elders’ traditions somewhat in the belief of one supreme spiritual being, but now believed that this one being manifested itself in many ways in the forms of numerous gods and goddesses.  The religion fragmented into numerous interpretations very quickly, despite Mohenjo’s efforts at organization.  The result was a faith of divergent beliefs, varied scriptures, and no moral standard, though still professing many of the moral codes advocated by its sister faith, Buddhism.

3220 BC

With these two creeds providing light for the Harappan, Mohenjo’s people now stressed the Right Pillars of Buddhism with the deep spiritual search for oneness with the Supreme Being and a complete realization of love, peace, and wisdom.  They continued to explore the world about them with which the Supreme Being had blessed them.

Soon, the Harappan would put their dogmatic philosophies to action.  In 3160 BC, the Supreme Being had answered their prayers regarding other civilizations.  In the remote prairie many a day’s march from Harappa, one of their warrior explorers happened upon a band of men, much like themselves.  They said they were from a land called Rome, and that their leader, Caesar, had given them the honor of exploring the world.  Mohenjo welcomed their presence, overjoyed that the Harappan were not alone in the world.  And in the peace with Rome came new questions for which to seek answers.

In 3100 BC, Mohenjo’s intrepid explorers discovered Rome’s lands to the west just as a second group met another promising tribe.  These newcomers called themselves German and were on a similar journey for their leader, Bismarck.  Their land was far to the south of Harappa, an obstacle that Mohenjo hoped would not impede the development of strong relationship between his people and Bismarck’s.

3100 BC

Hinduism next influenced the Harappan’s lives when Mohenjo discovered Hunting, a skillful art requiring the hunter to be at one with nature and attuned to its being and spirit.  Warrior parties also dealt peacefully with another minor tribe, the villagers pledging 103 gold in gifts for the Harappan’s spiritual journey.  An in these years, those brave warriors continued to defend themselves and the people, engaging in numerous lion attacks and even a vicious assault by bears.  Each time, these men proved capable, with help of the gods.

2620 BC

Having known of a source of rock just north of Harappa that was beautiful and easy to work, Mohenjo had studied years for a way to harvest the valuable resource.  In 2770 BC the wise monk finally developed Masonry, providing for the quarrying of the stone, called marble, as well as new construction methods for buildings and walls.  But to improve the land around the growing settlement, Mohenjo realized that his people required a dedicated band of laborers, eventually many, to harness the great blessings of the gods.  So in the year 2710 BC, the first group of such servants organized at Harappa and set out for the marble pits and built the civilization’s first improvement, a quarry.  For the Harappan people, it was still only one piece of a spiritual puzzle that they sought to build, and so Mohenjo continued his divine studies.

2410 BC

Perhaps it was the absence of a Supreme Being in Buddhism?  Perhaps it was the fragmented reality of Hinduism?  Perhaps it was the lack of a standard moral code in either?  Perhaps it was simply because many questions remained yet unanswered?  For these reasons, the Harappan people thirsted for more knowledge that only the spirit could quench.  In response to their fervor, in the year 2320 BC Mohenjo offered almost the complete antithesis to Polytheism: Monotheism, or the belief in one God, creator and ruler of everything and everyone and every situation.  So Judaism began in Harappa.

2320 BC

This new faith was predicated upon this omniscient and omnipotent God and rooted in His moral law as revealed through His servant Mohenjo through the Torah, essential scriptures containing histories, His greatest commandments, and His promises for the future.  Vowing to put no other gods or idols before the one, true God, Harappans of this faith devoted themselves to the strict observance and study of the Lord’s decrees.  Like Buddhism and Hinduism before it, this holy doctrine continued to stress peace, love, and respect, but now offered a book of laws to follow in those actions and source of wisdom to attain all of that.

With the new religious thought, Mohenjo reformed the Harappan government in establishing Organized Religion.  He hoped the civic would prove beneficial if Mohenjo ever decided to adopt an official state religion and to spread that faith beyond Harappa.

Meanwhile in 2110 BC, as the first band of workers continued to mine the hills around sacred Lake Indus, Mohenjo invented the Wheel, a round object that, when affixed to a common hand cart, greatly facilitated the transportation of goods from one place to another.  Soon these workers were building roads to the marble quarries to make use of the new technology, as marble had proven too heavy and cumbersome to make benefit of at first.  Now the sparkling stone flowed into Harappa.

A new nation also emerged from the darkness in these times when a party of discoverers from a race called the English happened near a warrior band in 2050 BC.  Their leader, Victoria, seemed happy to know of Harappa and welcomed peace, as did Mohenjo.

It was during this time that the Harappans completed their greatest project yet conceived, thanks to the gods’ help and Mohenjo’s dynamic leadership.  In 1960 BC, the people completed Stonehenge, a temple tribute to the Supreme Being.  Mohenjo hoped that the wonder would influence his people for years to come

1960 BC

Not long after the completion of Stonehenge, Harappan warriors discovered the land of Germany.  While desiring only peace with his neighbors Rome, Germany, and England, Mohenjo still concerned himself with his people’s protection.  So he developed Archery in 1900 BC, giving the Harappan access to a new weapon – the bow – and greater defense.

1930 BC

After some years of further exploring, planning, and religious studies, Mohenjo was pleased that his people could defend themselves well, for his explorers discovered a fourth foreign land in 1780 BC, that of the French.  Although their leader, Napoleon, proved quite friendly and he welcomed peace, Mohenjo grew concerned that if more people inhabited the land, it might prove detrimental to his desire for peace and harmony.

1780 BC

Regardless of what others did around him, Mohenjo first had to serve his people.  They asked for new ways to worship their gods, and so he developed Priesthood in 1720 BC, establishing religious leaders and scholars for the various faiths and allowing for the construction of temples in which to worship.  Then Mohenjo looked to the majestic horizon as it stretched lazily into the wilderness.  “Perhaps it is time to tame that wilderness,” he thought, “and to leave the comforts of our own hearths?”

In his great wisdom and forethought, Mohenjo knew that his people could influence the rest of the world to the benefit of the many people and nations they had discovered thus far.  So he endeavored to project Harappan culture and religion, all the while knowing that he must devote resources to his fledgling military, as well, to protect Harappan interests where ever they may be carried.  Both would require the continued use of the land and its resources with which the gods had blessed them; and the expansion of Harappa through the creation of new settlements abroad.  The next measures he undertook addressed these urgent needs while the people of Harappa itself would undertake another magnificent monument to their glory.

In 1405 BC the first band of Harappan settlers had organized under the auspices of building a new community east of Harappa, yet still pledging eternal loyalty to the mother city.  Mohenjo’s scouts had already explored the area to be settled: a sweeping plain butted by a protective lagoon to the north, rolling foothills to the east, and vast native grape fields to the southwest.  Workers had paved a road to this destination prior to the journey.  But while this all made the trek easier, the task was no less daunting for these hardy pioneers.  Building homes from scratch and carving Harappan culture out of the landscape would not prove easy, nor a guaranteed success.  It would take years of hard toil and sacrifice that only the gods and the help of loved ones and comrades could ease.  And when they reached their destination, they named the new village in honor of their wise leader.  Mohenjo-daro would be the beginning of Harappan expansion.

1420 BC

To harness the blessings of nature, Mohenjo next developed a means of domesticating many of the wild animals about them.  In the same year Mohenjo-daro was founded, the Harappan leader-monk gave his people Animal Husbandry, and a band of laborers almost immediately began to domesticate the wild cattle just northwest of Mohenjo-daro.  There were also sheep at the capital that might prove useful.  Why not use what the spirit has given them?  In 1240 BC, the workers completed a pasture for the cattle and set off to begin new improvements, a new chapter in extracting wealth from the land.

1240 BC

Harappan military power expanded during this time, as did religion.  The first archery unit, the Harappa Bows, organized in 1330 BC.  Mohenjo sent them to Mohenjo-daro, and they soon saw action against a new people and new enemy: barbarian hordes bent only on rape, pillage, and murder.  The appearance of these fierce barbarians took the peaceful leader by surprise.  He would not believe it possible for a people to be so consumed with anger, brutality, bloodlust, and death.  They would have no part of peace, nor did they even wish to discuss it.  They only wanted destruction.  So in 1090 BC, the Harappa Bows stood their ground on the Hills of Mohenjo-daro, met the enemy, and did not flinch from this new threat, completely routing the barbarian warriors and scoring their people’s first military victory.  Mohenjo, saddened by the loss of his men and the enemy’s, wondered how many more ruthless tribes would set their greedy eyes on his people’s land.

Before the victory outside that city, Judaism spread to Mohenjo-daro.  The Harappan leader now figured it was time to adopt an official faith for his people.  The spread of Judaism seemed a good omen, and as the majority of Harappan now followed that religion, it proved a natural fit.  Many of the people, encouraged by the official sanction, worked harder and happier.

Then in the year 1030 BC the Harappan completed another project of many years that would expand religion and faith: the Oracle.  Boasting a profound connection to God, it provided a revelation in rule that Mohenjo quickly introduced to his people: Monarchy.  Adopting the civic Hereditary Rule, Mohenjo became King of his people, leading them into a classical era.  But it was not an end, by any means.  Though his title changed, his devotion to the Harappan people remained vigilant and steady.  For that, he must contend with their neighbors and ensure the young empire’s safety.

1030 BC

In 970 BC, King Mohenjo developed a system of Writing for the Harappan people, greatly facilitating communication with his neighbors.  In short time, he had met and conversed with all four of the nations, signing Open Borders agreements with Bismarck, Julius Caesar, Napoleon, and Victoria, all by 805 BC.  These peaceful beginnings gave Mohenjo hope that relations with them would be greater then the barbarians.  In 880 BC, the first Jewish missionary introduced that faith to Rome with a mission in Cumae.  Trust began to build.

880 BC

Further promising events transpired in 850 BC as Caesar decreed that Judaism be his people’s state religion, too.  With the establishment of a brother nation in the faith and the education of new Jewish missionaries to spread the religion further, Mohenjo embarked upon an ambitious spiritual journey, still seeking answers to questions of God.

In that quest, another great and wise man, Moses, emerged in Harappa in 700 BC.  A devout and holy prophet, Moses commanded the construction of Solomon’s Temple, a magnificent House of God and an important shrine for those of the Jewish faith.  Tithes from Jewish communities across the land flowed into Harappa and King Mohenjo’s treasury, further projecting Harappan influence abroad.

700 BC

As always, the King did not neglect his military.  In 625 BC, his workers domesticated a colony of wild horses netting improvements in agriculture and transportation.  He hoped it would prove militarily useful, too, in the near future.  For further bands of roaming barbarians had been sighted and more blood shed.  The King’s regiments of archers continued to do their duty bravely.  But the savages began to increase in strength and number.  And King Mohenjo still desired expansion and yearned for spiritual truths.

625 BC

Attacks by savage barbarians had continued to threaten the whole of the southern countryside, especially the city of Mohenjo-daro.  While the brave units of archers protected the borders valiantly, the enemy was beginning to out-match them.  King Mohenjo ordered the formation of divisions of archers mounted on horses and began to muster his army for an assault – to take the fight to the enemy.  To help support the costly campaign, Mohenjo introduced Pottery in 190 BC which helped to begin the creation of a secondary economy based on crafted goods and expanding markets outside of the cities. 

Hoping that this boost would support the war, the King assembled troops at Mohenjo-daro and finally embarked against the southeastern barbarian stronghold held by the Chinook tribe.  With two regiments of horse archers and two regiments of standard archers, the column advanced, meeting no resistance until outside the gates of the ragged and uninspiring settlement.  The population, barely clothed, huddled into their crude and dreadful dwellings, waiting for the Harappan to strike.

With no indication that the enemy would reasonably consider peace, even with an army camped on its outskirts, King Mohenjo ordered his men to charge the defenses.  In a swift but heavy engagement, the Harappan Riders and God’s Riders stormed the enemy lines, closed with the barbarians, and routed them completely, riding down every man foolish enough to continue resistance.  The city fell and King Mohenjo vowed to transform it into a jewel of the empire, a testament that culture and progress are greater than barbarity and destruction.

25 BC

While the King’s troops healed and brought order to the former barbarian village, renamed Mehrgarh, a wise and astute spiritual scholar emerged in Harappa.  Mahavira’s great contribution to Harappan civilization would be the construction of a holy shrine to the Buddhist faith, the Mahabodhi.  His profound wisdom and ascetic lifestyle lead to the construction of this great temple that moved the Buddhist community as followers of that faith began pilgrimages to Harappa and sent in tithes and offerings to the Harappan treasury.  Indeed Harappan religion was in ascendancy.

The barbarian presence required further attention as the hostile Angle tribe mounted more raids into Harappan territory.  King Mohenjo left a brigade of archers in Mehrgarh and marched with the remainder of his army, plus reinforcements from another unit of horse.  The barbarians intercepted the column, but the King’s troops dispatched the enemy, finally reaching the town in 95 AD.  Veterans of the Chinook campaign, Harappan forces proved even more resilient at Angle, dispatching the enemy garrison swiftly and suffering fewer losses than the previous battle.  Mohenjo ordered his troops to spare the city.  Re-naming it Novsharo, he hoped the community, like Mehrgarh, would one day be a shining beacon to culture and faith.

95 AD

And in the following years, Mohenjo and the Harappan people enjoyed a renewed prosperity.  Barbarian attacks dwindled precipitously.  In 185 AD settlers trekked further south in new-won safety to found a fourth city, Kot-diji.  And Judaism spread to Mehrgarh, York, and Pisae all by 200 AD.  But while his people enjoyed peace and Harappan religion spread, King Mohenjo sought spiritual healing in the days immediately after the destruction of the barbarian wars.

Mohenjo yearned for things of the spiritual nature his entire life.  Some say the rare divine spark burned within him.  Others simply claim he used holiness to secure power.  Some accused him of seeking immortality for himself.  His legendary zeal and pursuit of truth led to the foundation of a fifth religion in 230 AD with his breakthrough in Theology and the logical discourse of religious issues.  So Christianity began in Kot-diji. 

230 AD

An odd location for the foundation of a new faith, Kot-diji stood at the edge of Harappan civilization.  The newest town in the empire, perhaps it was its unrefined nature that attracted followers of this dogma, almost an extension of the nation’s state religion – Judaism.  For the disciples of Christianity followed the teachings of Jesus, a Jewish rabbi proclaimed as the Son of God come to save humanity for its sins through faith in his atoning and sacrificial death, and subsequent victory over death through His resurrection three days later.  And so Christians shared many of the same scriptures as the Jews, and believed Jesus was the fulfillment of God’s plans as prophesied in those scriptures.  And as for right living, they believe Jesus’ life the ultimate guide to moral and ethical standard.  The rules as lived out by God.

But Judaism remained the predominant faith in the land.  It spread to Germany next in the cities of Frankfurt and Dortmund, Bismarck having adopted it as the state religion in 305 AD.  In 365 AD Victoria converted England to Judaism and the creed spread to Novsharo thirty years later.  In 425 AD the faith reached Rheims of the French empire.  It was quickly becoming the majority faith across the continent.

395 AD

Relations continued peacefully with foreign powers, while barbarian tribes posed a threat from time to time.  And Mohenjo sought to advance Harappan civilization by all means possible.  In 260 AD, he had introduced Fishing, an art that would certainly benefit the coastal community Lothal.  He engaged in negotiations with Victoria, giving her the knowledge of Horseback Riding for the English system of Mathematics.  And in 335 AD, his army destroyed another small barbarian settlement under the rule of the Etruscans.  Finally in 410 AD, his workers finished the empire’s first winery, the beginning of a love affair with the tantalizing, and potentially wealthy, luxury.

410 AD

But Mohenjo knew that military conquests, scientific knowledge, expansion, and wine were nothing without a strong moral, spiritual backbone.  So as he had done on numerous occasions, the King focused his people’s attention on the sacred and holy.