Economic Life of Harappan Civilization

The Harappan Civilization is considered one of the world’s oldest civilizations. It was a center for art, culture, and architecture. The unearthed ancient sites have provided us with a wealth of information about our forefathers’ lives and habits. Harappa is a 4700-year-old city on the Indian subcontinent founded in the 1920s. Cities like Lothal, Mohenjodaro, and Kalibangan were discovered soon after and were known as Harappan cities. In this article, we have covered all the information related to  Harappan Civilization, Harappan cities, and some other important information related to that.

Economic Life of Indus Valley Civilization:

The Indus Valley civilization’s economy was centered on animal farming and agriculture, with wheat, barley, pulses, and other plants grown. They made a living by making ceramics, weaving, and hunting. Financing was done with metals like gold, silver, and copper. Domesticated animals such as goats, cows, and sheep were prevalent.

A. Farming:

Harappan farmers practiced what is now known as rabi cultivation, which involves sowing crops in the flood plains in November. Farmers harvested their crops before the spring floods hit in April.

The Harappan farmers and herders used the following farming and raising methods:

• Harappans grew grains, barley, lentils, green beans, rice, sunflower seeds, flaxseed, and mustard. 
• They also created a plough tool for sowing seeds and soil rotation. Due to the lack of rain, a ploughing irrigation method was used.
• Buffaloes, cattle, sheep, and goats were among the animals raised by the Harappans. Wild game was hunted, and fruits were harvested.

B. Plows and Carts:

• The people of the Indus Valley had modern technology and travelled by carts and ships. This allowed them to trade various products with the people of the Indus Valley and from other parts of the world. Consequently, the Indus relied on newer work methods, while traditional methods became obsolete. Animals were also domesticated by the Indus Valley Civilization and employed to support agricultural output.
• The Indus farmers’ carts and ploughs were drawn by oxen, while cows produced milk. For food, the people of the Indus Valley Civilization relied extensively on both types of cattle. The most prevalent animals employed were oxen.
• The Indus Valley region receives less rainfall today than it did in ancient times; it is not as fruitful as it was during the Indus Valley Civilization. More significant rain and the Indus River’s yearly floods resulted in great regional fecundity. According to archaeological remnants, floods were an annual phenomenon, providing the Indus Valley Civilization’s inhabitants with the nutrient-rich soil needed for cultivation.
• In addition to the other primary crops, cotton, dates, jujube, grape, and melons were also grown during the Indus Valley Civilization.  The discovery of grains at various sites of civilization provides evidence that agriculture was prevalent in those areas. At the sight of seals, archaeologists have discovered evidence of a field that has been tilled, and clay sculpture suggests that people were familiar with bulls and that oxen were employed for ploughing. Two different crops were cultivated side by side. The need for irrigation led to the construction of canals and wells. The whole Harappan site of Shortughai, located in Afghanistan, has yielded evidence of channels, while the area of Dholavira has shown proof of water reservoirs.
• Cotton was also utilized for weaving, while the other crops complemented the Indus people’s central nutrition. The Indus Civilization supported overall agricultural development by developing the plough, while the domestication of the zebu cow supplied oxen to move the plough in the field. Due to the high cost of copper or bronze instruments, the Indus people typically employed stone sickles to harvest their crops after the growing season.