Economic Condition of Indus Valley Civilization

     Economic Condition of Indus Valley People

The big city of Harappa and Mohenjodaro point to good economic condition of the people.They were not only agriculturists but also had a sound knowledge of various trades and commerce.

Agriculture-People were chiefly agrarian.They took to the use agriculture implements such as,sickles etc.Their main agricultural produce was wheat ,barley,rice,cotton,vegetables etc.The land of Harappa and Mohenjodaro was quite fertile and people were prosperous.

Domestication of Animals-Bull,buffalo,cow,sheep,goat and camel were some common animals which were domesticated by them.

Industrial Achievements-The science of metallurgy was also known to the people.Their use of gold,silver,bronze,lead,tin,copper etc. for their pots indicates that the economic condition of the Indus valley people.
The discovery of many spindles and spinning wheels in the houses of the valley show that the people of that age had a fairly good knowledge of spinning and weaving of both cotton and woolen cloth.
Pottery was the most important industry of people.The discovery of a number of pottery kilns shows that their used to be a potters colony in the city.
There were two kinds of pots one is hand made and other is made on the potter's wheel.

Trade and Commerce-Trade relations not only with the people of their own country but also with the traders abroad.Gold,silver,copper and other stones,discovered in Mohenjodaro and Harappa,must have been imported while the trade of exporting cloth was carried on by the Indus valley people.For their internal trade they carved out land routes by bullock-carts while commercial relations with the countries abroad were maintained through water routes.The trade relations with many countries of western Asia,particularly with Mesopotamia are proved by different sites at Mohenjodaro.

Religious Beliefs-Though neither any temple nor any shrine has been unearthed at Mohenjodaro and Harappa yet a large number of statues and terra-cotta figurines suggest that the Indus valley people were idol worshippers.