Main Crops : Wheat and Barely; Evidence of
cultivation of rice in Lothal and
Rangpur ( Gujarat) only . Other Crops :
Dates, mustard , sesamum, cotton etc.
Indus people were the first to produce
cotton in the world.
Animals : Sheep, goat, humped and
humpless bull , buffalo, boar, dog, cat,
pig, fowl, dee5r, tortoise , elephant ,camel, rhinoceros, tiger etc.
Lion was not known to Indus people . From
Amari, a single instance of the Indian rhinoceros has been
reported.
There was extensive inland and foreign
trade. Foreign trade with Mesopotamia or
Sumeria (Modern Iraq,) Bahrain etc flourished.
Imports
|
From
|
Gold
|
Kolar
(Karnataka) , Afghanistan, Persia, (Iran)
|
Silver
|
Afghanistan, Persia (Iran), South India
|
Copper
|
Khetri ( Rajasthan), Baluchistan, Arabia
|
Tin
|
Afghanistan, Bihar
|
Lapis Lazuli and Sapphire
|
Badak- shan (Afghanistan)
|
Jade
|
Central Asia
|
Steatite
|
Shaher –i-Sokhta (Iran) , Kirther Hills (Pakistan)
|
Amethyst
|
Maharasthtra
|
Agate
|
Chalcedonies and Saurashtra and West India Carnelians.
|
Exports : Agricultural products , cotton
goods , terracotta figurines, pottery ,certain beads (from Chanhudaro), conch- shell ( from Lothal),
ivory products , copper etc.
A very interesting feature of this civilization
was that Iron was not known to the people.
The Sumerian texts refer to trade relations
with ‘Meluha’ which was the name given
to the Indus region.
Shatughai and Mundigaq were the Indus sites found in Afghanistan.
The Sumerian texts also refer to two intermediate stations _ Dilmun (
BAHRAIN) and Makan ( Makran coast). Susa
and Ur are Mesopotamian places where
Harappan seals were found.
The Harappans were the earliest people to
produce cotton (It was called ‘Sindon ‘ by the Greeks).
As there is no evidence of coins , barter
is assumed to have been the normal
method of exchange of goods.
Lothal was an ancient port of Indus
civilization.
The Indus Civilization was primarily urban.
There is no clear –cut evidence of the
nature of polity, but it seems that the ruling authority of Indus Civilization
was a class of merchants.
The
Harappan people didn’t worship their gods in temple . Not temple in fact has
been unearthed. An idea of their religion is formed from
the statues and figurines found.