Harappan Economy and Trade
Key notes
The Harappan economy was based on agriculture, animal husbandry, craft production and internal as well as external trade.
Agriculture
Main crops:
- Wheat.
- Barley.
- Peas.
- Sesame.
- Dates.
- Mustard.
- Cotton.
- Cotton cultivation is among the notable Harappan achievements.
- Rice was known in some regional areas, especially later or peripheral zones.
- Kalibangan provides evidence of a ploughed field.
- Irrigation and floodwater cultivation may have been used.
- Agriculture supported urban centres through surplus production.
Animal husbandry
- Cattle were important.
Other animals:
- Buffalo.
- Sheep.
- Goat.
- Pig.
- Dog.
- Camel.
- Evidence of horse remains is limited and debated.
- The humped bull appears frequently in seals and art.
Craft production
Important crafts included:
- Pottery.
- Bead-making.
- Metalworking.
- Shell-working.
- Ivory-working.
- Faience production.
- Textile production.
- Stone cutting.
Metals
- Copper and bronze were widely used.
- Gold and silver were used for ornaments.
- Iron was not a major Harappan metal.
- Tin was required for bronze production and had to be procured through trade.
Trade
Internal trade
- Raw materials were transported over long distances.
Important materials:
- Copper from Rajasthan.
- Lapis lazuli from Afghanistan.
- Carnelian from Gujarat.
- Shell from coastal areas.
- Timber from Himalayan and other forest regions.
External trade
- Harappan trade links existed with Mesopotamia.
- Mesopotamian records refer to a region called Meluhha, often identified with the Indus region.
Trade was conducted through:
- Land routes.
- River routes.
- Maritime routes.
- Lothal is associated with maritime trade.
Weights and measures
- Harappan weights were generally cubical.
- Standardisation suggests regulated exchange.
- Seals may have been used to identify merchants, goods or institutions.
MCQs
The Harappans were among the earliest known people to cultivate:
- A. Cotton
- B. Tea
- C. Coffee
- D. Tobacco
Answer: A
Kalibangan provides evidence of:
- A. Ploughed field
- B. Dockyard
- C. Rock edict
- D. Iron furnace
Answer: A
Mesopotamian texts may refer to the Harappan region as:
- A. Meluhha
- B. Magadha
- C. Aryavarta
- D. Jambudvipa
Answer: A
A major craft centre of the Harappan civilisation was:
- A. Chanhudaro
- B. Sarnath
- C. Nalanda
- D. Taxila in the Mauryan period
Answer: A
The Harappan economy was mainly based on:
- A. Agriculture, crafts and trade
- B. Hunting alone
- C. Coin-based banking only
- D. Nomadic pastoralism alone
Answer: A