Critically discuss that India had trade relations with certain outside countries or areas of the world such as Oman and Mesopotamia etc.

There are many evidences tha shows that Harappans did have certain trade relations with the outside countries or areas of the world. For example:

(i) Recent archaeological finds suggest that copper was probably brought from Oman, on the south eastern tip of the Arabian peninsula. As Chemical analyses have shown that both the Omani copper and Harappan artefacts’ have traces of nickel, suggesting a common origin.

(ii) There are other traces of contact. A distinctive type of vessel, a large Harappan jar coated with a thick black layer of clay called a slip, was found at Omani sites. Such thick coating prevent the percolation of liquids. What was carried in these vessels? We are not sure. May be the Harappans exchanged the contents of these vessels for Omani copper.

(iii) Harappan seals, weights, dice and beads have been found from a number of Mesopotamian sites. 

(iv) Mesopotamian texts mention a place named Meluhha, possibly the Harappan region. They mention the produce from Meluhha: carnelian, lapis lazuli, varities of wood, copper, gold. 

(v) Certain seals show that there was a sharing of ideas as well. This is a cylinder seal of the type commonly made and used in Mesopotamia, but the design, with a humped bull, appears to be derived from the Indus region.

(vi) Mesopotamian texts refer to Meluhha as a land of seafarers. Besides, we find depictions of ships and boats on seals in large from Harappan sites, it could be possible this is how they travelled to other places.