Which of the following statements about the Indus Valley Civilization is incorrect and therefore should be excluded from a factual description of that culture?

Introduction / Context:
The Indus Valley Civilization is one of the earliest urban civilisations in the world, known for its planned cities, drainage systems, and craft specialisation. General knowledge questions often ask learners to distinguish correct facts from incorrect claims about this civilisation. This question requires identification of the statement that clearly contradicts archaeological evidence and therefore must be considered wrong.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Four statements about the Indus Valley Civilization are provided.
• Three of them are historically accurate, while one is incorrect.
• We must identify the single incorrect statement.

Concept / Approach:
Archaeological excavations at sites like Harappa, Mohenjo daro, and others have revealed not only urban planning but also clear evidence of agriculture, such as granaries, sickles, and seeds. It is also well established that iron came into widespread use in India much later, so the Indus people did not use iron. Determining the wrong statement involves checking each claim against these known facts and selecting the one that clearly contradicts them.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Evaluate the statement that the Indus Valley Civilization was an advanced urban civilisation. This is correct, as cities had streets, drainage, and standardised bricks. Step 2: Consider the claim that iron was not known. This is also correct because the Indus period belongs to the Bronze Age, and iron usage appears later. Step 3: Examine the statement that it is difficult to determine the exact racial affiliation of the Indus people. This is broadly true since their script is undeciphered and physical anthropology remains debated. Step 4: Now look at the statement that the people knew nothing about agriculture. This is clearly wrong because there is strong evidence of wheat, barley, and other crops, along with agricultural tools. Step 5: Therefore, identify this last statement as the incorrect one.

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard history sources confirm that the Indus economy combined agriculture, animal husbandry, and trade. Presence of large granaries, irrigation hints, and crop remains invalidates any claim that they were ignorant of agriculture.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The other three options are factually correct and thus cannot be the incorrect statement. The civilisation was urban and advanced, iron was absent, and racial classification of the population remains uncertain due to limited direct evidence.

Common Pitfalls:
Sometimes students misread the question and look for a true statement rather than the false one. Another mistake is to confuse the Bronze Age Indus culture with later Iron Age developments, but in this case, the agriculture claim is the obvious error.

Final Answer:
The incorrect statement is that the people knew nothing about agriculture.