Regarding the Indus Valley Civilization, consider the following statements: 1) It was predominantly a secular civilization and the religious element, though present, did not dominate the scene. 2) During this period, cotton was used for manufacturing textiles in India. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Both statements are correct, so the answer is C. Statement 1 reflects the standard reading of the Harappan evidence: no large temples, no royal or priestly monuments dominating the cities, and public works like the Great Bath and granaries that were not clearly religious. Religious objects such as the Pashupati seal and possible ritual bathing existed, but they did not dominate the material record. Statement 2 is also right. Cotton threads and fabric remains have been found at Mohenjo-daro and Chanhudaro, and cotton is among the earliest known in the subcontinent.

• Option A (1 only) is wrong because statement 2 is also correct.
• Option B (2 only) is wrong because statement 1 is also an accepted characterisation.
• Option D (neither) is wrong because both statements hold.

The core concept is the nature of Harappan society and its material base. For Mains, this links to debates on whether urban societies need organised religion or a state priesthood to function, and to the textile economy that later supported trade with Mesopotamia.

Trap: candidates sometimes reject statement 1 because religious seals and ritual features exist. The word 'predominantly' is the key, and the balance of evidence supports it.