Why is cotton important in the history of the Indus civilization?

Cotton is significant in the history of the Indus civilization because it provides some of the earliest known evidence of the cultivation of the cotton plant and the development of a sophisticated textile industry.12

Archaeological findings at sites such as Mohenjo-daro include fragments of dyed and woven cotton fabric, which attest to the antiquity of this craft. It is believed that raw cotton was transported to cities in bales to be spun, woven, and dyed, as evidenced by the presence of dyers' vats. This early mastery of cotton production established a foundation for the textile industry for which India would eventually become world-renowned.12