All About Trade and Commerce in Indus Valley Civilization (IVC)

Introduction

• Trade and Commerce in Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) played a vital role in the prosperity and development of the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), facilitating cultural exchange, economic growth, and the establishment of extensive networks connecting distant regions.

Key Characteristics Of Trade and Commerce in Indus Valley Civilization (IVC)

• Evidence of Trade: 
  • The Harappan seals and materials have been found in Sumerian (in Oman, Bahrain, Iraq and Iran) and Mesopotamian sites, and Harappans imitated some cosmetics used by the urban people of Mesopotamia.
  • The Cuneiform Inscriptions mention:
    • Trade contact between Mesopotamia and Harappans.
    • “Meluha (land of seafarers in Mesopotamian text)”, referring to the Indus region.
  • The Mesopotamian texts mention two intermediate trading stations, Dilmun (Bahrain) and Makan (Makran coast), which lay between Mesopotamia and Meluha.
  • The discovery of a dockyard in the port city of Lothal (Gujarat) suggests the long-distance trade of the Harappans.
• Means of transport: included bullock carts and boats. 

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• No metallic money was in circulation, and trade was conducted by means of barter. 
• Import: Minerals from Iran and Afghanistan, lead and copper from parts of India, jade from China, and cedarwood from the Himalayas and Kashmir region.

• Exports: Agricultural products, cotton goods, terracotta figurines, beads from Chanhudaro, conch-shell from Lothal, ivory products, carnelian, lapis lazuli, copper, gold, and varieties of wood.

Conclusion

• The trade and commerce in the Indus Valley Civilization were instrumental in fostering economic prosperity, cultural exchange, and social cohesion. 
  • Through its vibrant trade routes and exchange of goods, the IVC left a lasting legacy of interconnectedness and innovation in the ancient world.