Arable Crops of Indus Valley Civilization /Sindhu Ghati sabhyata /Harappa Civilization
History Botany in Indus Valley Civilization in in India – 2
HISTORY of BOTANY in Indian Subcontinent -12
By: Bhishma Kukreti M.Sc. {(Botany), B.Sc. (Honours in Botany), Medical Tourism Historian)}
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The contemporary civilizations of Indus Valley civilization were Nile, Tigris, Euphrates, Assyrians, Egyptians, Mesopotamian, and Chinese Culture.
The use of science or gaining knowledge of science started because of utilization reasons. R.N. Kapil (1) states rightly that the foundation of life sciences in India was, however, laid during the period of Indus Valley Civilization. As per Kapil (1) , the Indian science began around 2500 B.C..
Kapil states that there is no evidence of knowledge of *uality in plants in the Harappa /Indus Valley culture or Sindh Ghati Sabhyata
The following crops were grown in Indus valley regions across whole Indian subcontinent-
Arable Agriculture
McIntosh (2) offers following information on the crops of Indus Valley Culture-
Ravi Crops – Wheat and Barely were staple crops of winter or Ravi. Harappans cultivated various types of Wheat and they cooked three kinds of wheat bread. The common wheat was shot wheat (Triticum aestivum sphaerococcum) . Inmany sites Barely was more important than Wheat ( 2 ). Harappans used to grow three or four varieties of barely. That means those varieties were sufficient for exploiting various soil types. Oats (Avena sp.) were found in Mehrgarh site too.
The other Ravi crops were –
Lentil
Peas or field peas
Chickpeas
Linum
Grass-peas (perhaps was not grown for humans but for animals as it is poisonous if eaten in large quantity (2)) That means people were aware about poisonous and non-poisonous characteristics of plants.
Millets –
South Asian culture or Indus culture brought many cereals under cultivation during third millennium. Little Millet (Panicum sumatrense) was common in mature Harappa period .
Brown top Millet (Brachiaria ramose) was grown in Rojdi.
Small portion of Setaria sp. Was also cultivated.
Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica) was started growing in late Harappa periodand perhaps it was introduced crop ( McIntosh) .
Job’s tear (Coix lacrima –jobi) seeds were also found in a site.
Broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum) was introduced and brought under cultivation through trading medium.
During the early second in Gujarat, millennium, Indians introduced many crops of African Orgin (McIntosh) as Sorghum (Shorgum bicolor), Bajra or pearl millet ( Pennisetum typhoids), and Ragi or finger millets ( Eleusine coracana) .
Rice – rice is indigenous of Indus and Ganges Valleys regions.
Other Food Plants- McIntosh cited following other food plants grown in Indus Valley culture period in India –
Green Gram
Black gram
Horse Gram was domesticated in South India during Indus Culture period
African origin pulses were also added in the period –
Hyacinth beans (Lablab perpureus )
Cow Pea (Vigna unguiculata
There is evidence of following other plants in Indus valley sites-
Brassica
Gourds
Okaras
Grapes
Sesame
Melons
Herbs , spices-
Herbs , spices as garlic, ginger, cumin. Coriander and cinnamon either were grown or collected by the Indus valley civilization people.
Fibbers- Linseeds (Linum ) usitatissimum) , was grown for oil as well as for fibre.Cotton was grown in the regions of Indus valley culture .It is said that Indus culture was first to grow Cotton and make clothes from cotton in the world (Tyler). Perhaps Indus people used cotton for oil too.
Fruits or plants etc. collected or grown in Indus culture Period
Many fruits as dates were ether brought from other region or grew in wild . Jujube (Zizyphus jujube) , almonds, caper, mango cucumbers, pistachio , nuts were eaten by inhabitants of Indus Valley Culture .There is no surety whether those food items either were collected or cultivated . Perhaps indigo was either imported, cultivated or collected for colour. Sugarcane was also consumed by Indus valley people. There are evidences of Citrus fruits (cultivation or import) in later Harappa Indian Punjab site.
References-
1-Kapil R.N., 1970, Biology in Ancient and Medieval India, Indian Journal of History of Science Volume V, No1, pp 119- 140
2-McIntosh, Jane R.2008, The Ancient Indus Valley: the New Perspectives, ABC-Clio inc, California , pp 110- 120
3-Tyler M., The Indus Valley , Kidheaven publishing NY pp 26
Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti
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