Economic Life & Trade - Indus Valley Civilization Notes PDF

Indus Valley Civilization - Economic Life Salient Features For All Competitive Exams #Blog-11

Nov 30, 2021 By Careericons

This article will provide you with more important and interesting facts about "Economic Life of Indus Valley Civilisation Society" that will helpful for all Govt & Private competitive exams.

Aspirants can also learn further topics on Indian History with Practice MCQ Quiz & exclusive study notes PDF from the link provided below on this page.

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BASIC FEATURES OF INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION

Economic Life (Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Trade and Commerce, Trade Mechanism, Crafts & Industries, Transport & Communications) of IVC Society

Harappan civilisation people were comfortable in living and prosperous life. Their richness was due to surplus in agriculture, cattle rearing, proficiency in various crafts and trades.

Agriculture

• Agriculture was the backbone of the Harappan people. Sindh was a fertile part of the country.
• The Indus people sowed seeds in the flood plains in November when the flood water receded, and reaped their harvests of wheat and barley in April, before the advent of the next flood.
• They produced wheat, barley, peas, kodon, Sanwa, jowar, ragi, etc.
• Two types of wheat – the club wheat campactum and the Indian dwarf wheat (Ttriticum sphaerococcum) were grown.
• Barley (Hordeum vulgare, probably of a small-seeded six-rowed variety, was also sound at Kalibangan. Barley and wheat have been the most important crops at all Harappan sites.
• Other crops including dates, seasam and mustard were also grown.
• It seems that as early as 180 B.C. the people of Lothal used rice whose remains have been found.
• The evidence of the sugarcane has not been found yet. Though its presence is to be expected. At Lothal and Rangpur, rice husks and spikelets were found embedded in clay and pottery.
• A fragment of woven cotton cloth has been found at Mohenjodaro. The Indus people were the earliest people to produce cotton.
• The Harappans used the wooden plough with wooden or copper ploughshare.
• Stone and Copper sickles may have been used for harvesting the crops.
• Gabar bands or nalas enclosed by dams were used for storing the water which is found in Baluchistan and Afghanistan.
• No pieces of evidence of channel or canal irrigation have been discovered from the sites of this civilization.

Animal Husbandry

• Animals were kept on a large scale and oxen, buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis), goats (Sus cristatus), sheep, and pigs were domesticated.
• Dogs and cats were also domesticated. The humped bulls were favoured by the Harappans.
• Asses and Camels were used as beasts of burden. Camel's bones are reported at Kalibangan.
• The only plausible evidence of the horse comes from Surkotada belonging to around 2000 B.C.
• Elephants were well known to the Harappans. They were also acquainted with the rhinoceros, spotted dear, hog deer, wild pig, etc.

Trade and Commerce

• The cities like Mohenjodaro, Harappa and Lothal were the important centres for metallurgy, producing tools and weapons as well as kitchenware.
• Rice seems to have been imported to Punjab from Gujarat.
• Lothal and Surkotada filled a large gap in the growing demands for cotton.
• Sea shells were exported from Balakot and Lothal to Baluchistan as well as the Indus.
• Dates, Shilajeet were found at Mohenjodaro.
• The Harappans imported metals and semi-precious stones, ornaments of gold and silver from the subcontinental areas like Lapis Lazuli from Kashmir and Afghanistan
• Turquoise and jade from Central Asia or gran, amethyst from Maharashtra and agate, Chalcedony and Carnelian from Saurashtra.
• Gold, silver, Tin and Lead were imported from Iran and Afghanistan. Precious stones were imported from Badakhanshan and copper from Khetri (Rajasthan).
• The Products of Indus have been found in Mesopotamia. Its seals and products were also discovered at Sumer.
• The chief merchandise cotton was exported from Lothal Harbour. The Harappan had trading relations with the West and Central Asian sites.

Trade Mechanism

• A copper scale has been found from Harappa. This scale is divided into many parts. All the parts are the same in size measuring 0.3676 inches. At that time one foot is equal to 13.2 inches.
• The sexagesimal and decimal systems were known to the Harappans.
• The weights were made of stone and they were cubical and spherical in shape. They followed the series in doubling from 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 and then 160, 320, 640 and so forth. The smallest weights are found at 13.64 grams.
• The unit of ratio was 16 equivalent to 13.64 grams. 16 chhatank made a ser and 16 annas made one rupee.

Crafts and Industries

• Weaving was the chief industry at Mohenjodaro.
• Pottery was an important industry. They were also acquainted with the art of dying and the art of smelting metals.
• Balakot and Chanhudaro were for shell working and Bangle making Charnnudaro was the centre for the manufacture of beads of carnelian.
• Bronze Smiths produced images, utensils, tools and weapons.
• Brick-laying was an important craft of that time.
• The Harappans had the knowledge of boat-making, seal making and terracotta manufacturing.
• The Harappans had expert beadmakers and Goldsmiths

Transport and Communications

• Harappans had a good transporting system for trade.
• They used bullock carts and rarely horse carts for onland journeys.
• They practised navigation on the coast of the Arabian sea. Representation of ships and boats are found on seals or graffiti at Harappa, Mohenjodaro, etc. and a terracotta model of a ship comes from Lothal.
• Caravans of pack-oxen were the chief means of transport for longer journeys through the rougher and wooded country.

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5. Buddhism Jainism & Religious Movement,
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7. Gupta & Post Gupta Period,
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17. East India Company And Nawab Of Bengal,
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19. Governor, Governor General And Viceroy Of INDIA,
20. Impact Of British Rule On Indian Economy,
21. British Period,
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23. Indian Freedom Struggle I (1857–1917), and
24. Indian Freedom Struggle II (1917–1947), etc.

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