Agriculture and Domestication of Animals in the Harappan Civilisation
Ancient History › Indus Valley Civilisation · Topic 3.3
The Harappan economy rested on flood-plain agriculture: seeds were sown in November after the Indus flood receded and harvested in April. They grew two types of wheat and barley, peas, sesamum, mustard, rai, cotton (the earliest in the world) and, at Lothal, rice. They kept humped bulls (zebu), buffaloes, sheep, goats, pigs, dogs and cats, and used asses and camels as beasts of burden, but the horse was not part of the mature culture.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Indus Valley Civilisation
At a Glance
- Sowing November, after the flood
- Harvest April
- Crops Wheat, barley, peas, sesamum, mustard, cotton
- Rice Lothal, about 1800 BC
- Favoured animal Humped bull (zebu)
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Ancient History: Indus Valley Civilisation
Where Does It Fit?
This is the third topic of the category on the Indus Valley Civilisation. The previous topic covered town planning, and this one covers the farming and herding that fed the cities. The next topic covers technology and crafts. Previous topic: Town Planning and Structures of the Harappan Civilisation.
How Did the Harappans Farm?
In short: annual floods of the Indus watered and fertilised the plains, giving harvests that supported the cities.
Today the Indus region has only about 15 cm of rain and is not very fertile, but in the fourth century BC one of Alexander’s historians said Sindh was a fertile part of India. In earlier times the region had more vegetation, which contributed to rainfall and supplied timber for baking bricks; over time farming, grazing and fuel needs destroyed it. A more important reason for fertility was the annual inundation of the Indus, the longest Himalayan river. Burnt-brick walls raised for protection show floods were an annual event. As the Nile created Egypt, the Indus created Sindh. The Indus people sowed in the flood plains in November and reaped wheat and barley in April, before the next flood.
| Aspect | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Implements | No hoe or ploughshare has been found, but furrows from the pre-Harappan phase at Kalibangan show ploughing in Rajasthan; probably a wooden plough drawn by oxen, with camels perhaps used; stone sickles probably for harvest |
| Water management | Gabarbands or nalas enclosed by dams for storing water in parts of Baluchistan and Afghanistan; canal irrigation probably not practised according to one view, while another text mentions canal and well irrigation |
| Surplus | Villages near the flood plains produced enough grain for their inhabitants and the townspeople, artisans and merchants |
| Storage | Huge granaries at Mohenjo-daro and Harappa and possibly Kalibangan; grain was probably received as tax and stored for wages and emergencies, as in Mesopotamia |
Which Crops Did They Grow?
They produced wheat, barley, rai and peas. Two types of wheat and barley were grown, and a substantial quantity of barley was found at Banawali. Sesamum and mustard were grown. At Lothal rice remains have been found from about 1800 BC. The Indus people were the earliest to produce cotton, and the Greeks called the area Sindon, derived from Sindh. Other sources add lentil, chickpea and various millets and a double-cropping system. Ragi is not known at any Harappan site in the north. Cotton is also inferred from cloth impressions on pottery at Alamgirpur. Details of how crops and animals fed Harappan trade are in Trade and Commerce of the Harappan Civilisation.
What Was the Link Between Farming and the Cities?
The rise of towns in the Indus zone rested on agricultural surplus, bronze making, other crafts and widespread trade, and this is called the first urbanisation in India. Harappan villages, mostly near the flood plains, had to work hard to meet their own needs and those of the artisans, merchants and others in the cities who did not produce food. The granaries at Harappa, Mohenjo-daro and Lothal, the seals, the uniform script and regulated weights and measures all point to a system that collected, stored and redistributed produce. Another accountbook adds that agricultural surplus was an important stimulus to many developments and that the Harappans adopted a double cropping system.
Which Animals Did They Domesticate?
| Animal | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Cattle | Oxen and humped bulls (zebu), the favoured breed, often shown on seals |
| Others | Buffaloes, goats, sheep, pigs, fowl, dogs and cats from the outset |
| Beasts of burden | Asses and camels; camels may also have been used for ploughing |
| Wild animals known | Elephants, rhinoceros, boar, deer, gharial; fish and birds eaten |
| Horse | Not known to the early and mature Harappan culture: a bone from a superficial level at Mohenjo-daro, a doubtful terracotta figurine from Lothal and doubtful remains at Surkotada (c. 2000 BC); the Harappan culture was not horse-centred |
The contemporary Sumerian cities produced nearly the same grains and kept the same animals, but Harappans in Gujarat grew rice and domesticated elephants, which the Mesopotamians did not. As an analytical point, the absence of the horse and the importance of the zebu are among the reasons the Harappan economy is distinguished from the cattle-and-horse world of the early Vedic people, as discussed in Identity of Aryan Culture and the Debate on Aryan Origins. The craft side of the economy is in Technology and Crafts of the Harappan Civilisation.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Economic base Crops and animals are common Prelims questions
- Horse debate Key to the Aryan question
- Cotton Earliest evidence
What Came Next?
The next topic describes technology and crafts of the Harappan civilisation. Next topic: Technology and Crafts of the Harappan Civilisation.
Key People and Terms
- Inundation Annual flooding of the river
- Gabarband Dam-enclosed water store
- Zebu Humped cattle
- Sindon Greek name for Sindh, linked to cotton
- Rai Mustard-family crop
- Furrow Plough mark in a field
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Sow in November, harvest in April.
- Earliest cotton; Greeks said Sindon.
- Rice at Lothal about 1800 BC.
- Plough furrows at Kalibangan.
- Horse not part of the mature culture.
Do Not Confuse With
- Zebu and horse Favoured humped bull versus doubtful horse remains
- Wheat and rice Main Indus staple versus Lothal’s early rice
- Sindon and Sindh Greek word for cotton cloth versus the region
Memory Hook
Flood in, sow in November, reap in April; wheat, barley, cotton; zebu yes, horse no.
Mains Angle
Questions on the Harappan economy ask for the agrarian basis of the cities. These points add depth.
- Method Flood-plain farming
- Crops Wheat, barley, cotton, rice
- Animals Zebu, buffalo, no horse
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Describe the agriculture and animal husbandry of the Harappan civilisation and its role in urbanisation.”
How to Answer
- Environment Indus floods.
- Farming Crops and tools.
- Herding Animals kept.
- Role Surplus and granaries.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
How did the Harappans grow food in a dry region?
They depended on the annual flooding of the Indus, which watered and fertilised the plains. They sowed seeds in the flood plains in November and harvested wheat and barley in April, before the next flood arrived, and villages produced a surplus for towns.
Which crops did the Harappans grow?
They grew two types of wheat and barley, peas, rai, sesamum and mustard, and the earliest known cotton. Rice was grown at Lothal about 1800 BC, and other accounts add lentil, chickpea and various millets.
Did the Harappans use ploughs?
No hoe or ploughshare has been found, but furrows from the pre-Harappan phase at Kalibangan show that fields were ploughed. The Harappans probably used a wooden plough drawn by oxen, and camels may have been used too.
Which animals did the Harappans domesticate?
They kept oxen, humped bulls (zebu), buffaloes, goats, sheep and pigs, and dogs and cats from the outset. Asses and camels served as beasts of burden, and elephants and the rhinoceros were known, but horse remains are doubtful.
Why was cotton important in the Harappan civilisation?
The Indus people were the earliest to produce cotton, and spindle whorls and a piece of woven cotton from Mohenjo-daro show spinning and weaving. The Greeks called the area Sindon, a word derived from Sindh.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 The Harappans sowed seeds in the flood plains in November.
They reaped in April.
2 Horse remains are firmly established in the mature Harappan culture.
The evidence is doubtful.
3 Rice remains from about 1800 BC were found at Lothal.
Gujarat Harappans grew rice.
4 Furrows at Kalibangan indicate ploughing.
They belong to the pre-Harappan phase.
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