Economy(agriculture)

Question 1

Prosperity rooted in

Answer 1

One thing is certain – that there was prosperity, which was rooted in the agricultural surplus.

Question 2

Intensive agriculture

Answer 2

Intensive agriculture to maximize production and generate surplus

Question 3

Great ecological variety and food crops

Answer 3

Great ecological variety (alluvial plains, mountains, plateau, sea-coast) led to regionally
diverse crops and farming techniques.
o Major food crops – wheat, barley, lentils, mustard, sesame etc.
▪ Rice seems less, and there is no evidence of
maize.
▪ Millets: Jowar and Bajra: two major crops
came from Africa – Late Harappan era.
o Non-food crops like cotton are also present.

Question 4

Techniques

Answer 4

2 growing seasons: both summer and winter crops
are found.
o Ploughing
▪ Kalibangan: Only site with
crisscross plough marks.
▪ Banawali: terracotta plough toy
model.

o Irrigation
▪ Farmers must have built bunds
(embankments) of mud or stone
to divert river water, as they do today in areas like Baluchistan.
▪ Flood irrigation was more prominent. Irrigation canals have been found at
Shortughai, a trading outpost. But it was rare and exceptional.

Question 5

Animal food – hunting and fishing too.

Answer 5

Bones of wild animals – Deer, pig, boar, sheep, goat, ass.

• Remains of domesticated animals – humped and humpless cattle, buffalo, sheep, and
goat. Rakhigarhi has given abundant data for cattle bones, which implies importance of
animal husbandry.

Question 6

Sowing

Answer 6

Sowing was done either by stick digging made by stick/wooden ploughshare(seals depicting ploughshare are found and terracotta models of ploughshare also found)

Question 7

Main tool of harvest

Answer 7

Copper sickle