The correct option is (a).
Explanation
The history of the Indian subcontinent is marked by specific geographical regions serving as centers for the early development of agriculture and subsequent urbanization. The timeline progresses from the Neolithic agricultural settlements to the first urbanization of the Indus Valley.
Statement 1 is Correct:
The Garo hills in the north-east and the Vindhyas in central India were among the distinct areas where agriculture developed. Archaeological evidence supports early agricultural activities in these regions alongside the north-western part of the subcontinent.
Statement 2 is Incorrect:
The Sulaiman and Kirthar hills (located in the north-west) are historically significant for the early cultivation of wheat and barley, which began approximately 8,000 years ago. Rice was first grown in the regions to the north of the Vindhyas, not in the Sulaiman hills.
Statement 3 is Incorrect:
The earliest cities in the subcontinent flourished on the banks of the river Indus and its tributaries about 4,700 years ago (Indus Valley Civilization). Cities in the Ganga valley and the Vindhyan region developed much later, approximately 2,500 years ago, marking the period of the Second Urbanization.
Key Takeaway:
Wheat and Barley: Sulaiman and Kirthar Hills (North-West).
Rice: North of the Vindhyas.
Earliest Cities: Indus Valley (4700 years ago).
Later Cities: Ganga Valley (2500 years ago).