Question

(A) Statement – Among the other contemporary civilizations of the Harappan Civilization, there were extensive trade relations.
(B) Reason – Bronze Age civilizations were sustained by extensive exchange networks.

• A. Both A and B are correct and B is the correct explanation of A.
• B. Both A and B are correct, but B is not the correct explanation of A.
• C. A is correct, but B is wrong.
• D. A is wrong, but B is correct.

Hint:

Ask whether the Bronze-Age need for exchange networks (B) is the cause of the trade relations described in (A).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Verify Statement A: Harappan sites have yielded Mesopotamian seals, and Mesopotamian texts mention trade with 'Meluhha' (identified with the Indus region) — confirming extensive trade with contemporary Bronze Age civilizations.

Step 2: Verify Statement B and the link: Bronze Age civilizations (Harappa, Mesopotamia, Egypt) all depended on long-distance exchange for tin, copper, lapis lazuli, carnelian, etc., since these raw materials were not locally available everywhere — this exchange dependency is exactly why extensive trade networks existed, so B correctly explains A.

Final Answer: Option (i) — both correct, B correctly explains A.