[Solved] Earliest Agriculture in Indian Subcontinent | Mehrgarh

The earliest evidence of agriculture in the Indian Subcontinent has been obtained from-

[U.P.P.C.S. Mains 2010]

Detailed Solution & Historical Context

Concept

The shift from hunting-gathering to food production (Neolithic Revolution) happened earliest in the fertile Bolan Pass area.

Authentic Source Evidence

Mehrgarh (Balochistan, Pakistan) dates back to 7000 BCE and shows the cultivation of wheat and barley alongside the domestication of cattle and sheep.

Analytical Breakdown

Mehrgarh (D): Recognized as the oldest Neolithic farming village in South Asia.

Koldihwa (C): Important for early rice, but dates are slightly later or contemporaneous to Mehrgarh's established wheat culture.

Conceptual Deep Dive & Logic

"Why was the Bolan Pass significant for early agriculture?"

It served as a natural gateway between the Iranian plateau and the Indus plains, offering a diversity of ecological zones for early plant and animal experiments.

Examiner's Mindset & Pro-Tip

"Mehrgarh proves that the foundations of the Indus Valley Civilization were laid by indigenous Neolithic farmers thousands of years before the first cities rose."

Topic Clusters (click to see related topic questions)

Bolan Pass 2Pastoralism 2

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