Although the idea of a Harappan empire or kingdom has long been with us, the reality may be different. Considering the sheer extent of Harappan distribution and comparing it to a period of later Indian ancient history, except under the Mauryas for less than 200 years, this region was never under one rule. We postulate multiple kingdoms centred around the major settlements of a region. This means that in each distribution zone there could have been more than one kingdom. It is also likely that some of them were nothing more than city states. The prevalence of a common ideology over a wide region, which one may deduce from the many common symbols, the standardization of different Harappan artefacts and the general distinction between ‘citadel’ and ordinary residential area need not necessarily mean political unity under one empire. On the other hand, in view of the fact that there were major individual settlements, each with its elite character, complete with organized civic layout, merchants and craftsmen, among other things, the idea of a local kingship and a local aristocracy does not seem remote. That such a situation was emerging and could have been a part of the mature Harappan scene is best seen at Kunal which is a comparatively small site but possesses aristocratic, possibly royal, paraphernalia of tiaras and armlets of a precious metal. As far as kingship is concerned, we do not envisage a Mesopotamian or Egyptian style kingship where the king is above the level of ordinary mortals, resplendent in his easily identifiable palaces and position in contemporary art, Indian kings were not necessarily less despotic but their value system was different and the royal power was also tempered by an ideal of duty. Archaeologically, all that we can associate with the great Mauryan king Asoka as an individual is only his inscriptions which would not have been engraved but for his wish to have a moral code engraved for his subjects in different parts of his empire. The rest is briefly told:
Priesthood is far more sharply visible in the Mohenjodaro archaeological record. The concept of a yogin, one who sits in meditation, is writ large over the famous Mohenjodaro limestone head and a few miscellaneous pieces of human sculpture from the same site. Remains, such as those of fire-altars on the tops of platforms at Kalibangan, and similar remains elsewhere, though without the association of high platforms, unmistakably imply the services of priests—priests of a type that a practising Hindu would engage for performing his household rituals even today.… Merchants must have played a major role in the social and economic life because the overwhelming evidence of raw material procurement all over the Harappan distribution area leaves no room for doubt on this score. This is true of artisans, and one need not be surprised if both the merchants and artisans had their ‘guilds’.… (Chakrabarti 1995)
The existence of a separate, enclosed residential area within the fortified ‘citadel’ complex at Kalibangan and Surkotada is remarkably intriguing. Some ritualistic and ideological sanctity must have been attached to people living in these areas. This sanctity was unlikely to have been backed by material wealth, because evidence of great disparity in material wealth between different groups of people is somewhat non-existent at Harappan sites. The conclusion which becomes inescapable is that there was a close link between the Harappan kings and priests.