A History of Agriculture in India v2.c53.s4.2

v2.c53.s4.2

The camel is essentially a desert-dweller and came into its own only when the Afrasian steppe land had dried up. The figure of a camel has been found in a First Dynasty tomb in Egypt. The camel appeared in Mesopotamia about 1000 B.C. However, it was many centuries later that the camel achieved any importance. It was about the fourth century that the camel began to be used as a ship of the desert. The peculiar structure of its stomach with devices for storing water and gobbled-up food enables the camel to pass many days without food and water. With the use of the camel the deserts no longer remained a barrier against human intercourse. The mastery over the camel stimulated intercourse between China, Iran, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Arabia and Europe, and promoted trade. Trade has played a great role in the diffusion of culture and interchange of ideas. A trader acquires a broader outlook and sheds local prejudices by meeting people with different customs. Trade sharpens the critical faculty and thus opens the gates of knowledge and progress.