Question

Do you think that the life of farmers and herders who supplied food to the Harappan cities was different from that of the farmers and herders you read about in chapter 3? Give reasons for your answer.

Answer 1

Some points of difference between the lives of farmers and herders who supplied food to the Harappan cities, and those of the previous chapter:
(i) Tools: Harappan farmers and herders used a wooden tool called plough which was used for turning the soil and planting seeds. The earlier farmers and herder used mortars and pestle for grinding grain. Their tools were also made of bone.
(ii) Irrigation: Harappan farmers and herders used irrigation for better produce while the earlier ones did not.
(iii) Storage: The Harappan farmers stored food in well-built granaries and not in clay pots, baskets, etc.
(iv) Residence: Harappan farmers lived on the outskirts of cities, whereas there were no settled cities in the time of the farmers and herders in Chapter 3.