Excavations at various sites of the Indus Valley Civilisation showcase elaborately planned cities and a thriving economy. In this context, answer the following questions:

1. State four salient features of town planning in Harappan times.
2. What do you know about agriculture in the Harappan times?
3. How were metals used by the Harappan people?
4. Write a note on trade conducted by the Harappan people.

1. Four salient features of town planning in Harappan times are:
   1. The world's earliest planned cities had well-defined sanitary and drainage systems.
   2. There were well-developed roads, houses and large public buildings.
   3. The main roads ran parallel to each other. Smaller streets intersected the main roads at right angles. The entire city was divided into rectangular blocks.
   4. The roads were wide, and the corners were rounded off for easy movement of carts. Many roads were paved with baked bricks.
2. The main occupation of the people of the Harappan Civilisation was agriculture. Wheat and barley were the main crops grown. Mustard was also cultivated, along with fruits and vegetables. The people of the Indus Valley were probably the first in the world to grow cotton.
3. The Harappan people knew the art of using some metals. The goldsmiths made jewellery, coppersmiths made utensils, and bronzesmiths made tools and weapons.
4. The people of Harappa traded within India and with Mesopotamia, Persia (present-day Iran), and Afghanistan. Mesopotamian seals were found in Harappan cities, and Indus Valley seals and pottery were found in ancient Sumerian cities. This shows trade by land and sea, using boats and ships, likely through barter. Various weights and measures were also used for trade. These have been discovered at sites in Mesopotamia.