CH-1 HARAPPA CIVILIZATION [NOTES]

NOTE:- [NA- not applicable, out of scope of syllabus]

Multiple-Choice Questions

Question 1
The period when man used both stone and copper tools is known as:

1. Bronze Age Period

2. Chalcolithic Period
3. Mesopotamian Civilisation Period
4. Egyptian Period
Answer: Chalcolithic Period

Question 2
Name the term archaeologists use for a group of objects distinctive in style, usually found
together within a specific geographic area and period of time.
1. Civilisation 3. Period
2. Culture 4. History
Answer: Culture

Question 3
Which of the following insights about the Harappan Civilisation was provided by the
citadel?

1. There were public buildings for specific purposes.

2. There was ceremonial bathing.
3. There was overseas trade.
4. The people were literate.
Answer: There were public buildings for specific purposes.

Question 4
Which of the following is NOT a feature of the Dockyard at Lothal?

1. World's oldest dockyard

2. Presence of mud brick platform
3. Surrounded by wall of baked bricks
4. Connected by channels to Gulf of Cambay.
Answer: Presence of mud brick platform

Question 5
What made the pool at the Great Bath watertight?
1. Burnt bricks 3. Mud brick platforms
2. Mortar lined with bitumen and 4. Both (a) and (b)
gypsum
Answer: Both (a) and (b)

1
Question 6
Which of the following is a feature of the Great Bath?
1. tank in a courtyard. 3. porticos and rooms
2. tank surrounded by corridors 4. All of the above.
Answer
All of the above

Question 7
Bronze statues were made by a special process called
1. moulded clay process 3. clay wax process
2. lost wax process 4. lost clay process
Answer
lost wax process

Question 8
Features of the Indus script include
1. Alphabetical order 3. Written from left to right
2. Written from right to left 4. All of the above.
Answer
Written from right to left

Question 9
Seals were made of
1. Steatite 3. Agate
2. Terracotta 4. All of the above
Answer
All of the above

Question 10
Seals are not a source of information for
1. script 3. beliefs
2. trade 4. society
Answer
society

Question 11
Bearded man, found in Mohenjo-daro is a statue of a meditative man wearing
1. an amulet 3. a bangle
2. a Shawl 4. an elaborate headdres
Answer
a Shawl

Question 12
'The Dancing Girl' has which of the following features?
1. stone sculpture 3. half-closed eyes
2. heavily-bangled left arm 4. seated cross-legged.
Answer: heavily-bangled left arm

2
Select Correct Relationship

Question 1
(A) The period when man used both stone and copper tools is known as the Chalcolithic
Period.
(B) The Harappan Civilisation emerged in the Chalcolithic Period.

1. (B) contradicts (A)

2. (B) is the reason for (A)
3. (A) is true but (B) is false.
4. (A) and (B) are independent of each other.
Answer
(A) is true but (B) is false.
Explanation — The Harappan Civilisation, also known as the Indus Valley Civilisation,
was a Bronze Age civilisation.

Question 2
(A) The Harappan Civilisation is considered as the first civilisation that arose in the
north-western regions of the Indian subcontinent.
(B) The Harappan civilisation is also known as the Indus Valley Civilisation.

1. (B) contradicts (A)

2. (B) is the reason for (A)
3. (A) is true but (B) is false.
4. (A) and (B) are independent of each other.
Answer
(A) and (B) are independent of each other
Explanation — The Harappan Civilisation, also known as the Indus Valley Civilisation,
was a Bronze Age civilisation in the northwestern regions of South Asia.

Question 3
(A) The Harappan Civilisation is also known as the Harappan Culture.
(B) The term ‘Culture’ refers to a group of distinctive objects such as seals, weights,
stone blades and baked bricks found within a specific geographical area and time period.

1. (B) contradicts (A)

2. (B) is the reason for (A)
3. (A) is true but (B) is false.
4. (A) and (B) are independent of each other.
Answer
(B) is the reason for (A)
Explanation — The terms “Harappan Civilisation” and “Harappan Culture” are often
used interchangeably to refer to the same Bronze Age civilisation. The term ‘Culture’
refers to a group of distinctive objects such as seals, weights, stone blades and baked
bricks that were found within the Harappan civilization.

3
Question 4
(A) One of the important sources of information about the Harappan Civilisation are the
seals.
(B) The script used for the letters engraved on seals has not been deciphered.

1. (B) contradicts (A)

2. (B) is the reason for (A)
3. (A) is true but (B) is false.
4. (A) and (B) are independent of each other.
Answer
(A) and (B) are independent of each other
Explanation — The seals often featured beautifully carved animal and human figures,
along with inscriptions. Despite many attempts, the ‘script’ used in the Harappan
Civilisation, also known as the Indus script, has not yet been deciphered.

Question 5
(A) The Great Bath has a large rectangular tank in a courtyard surrounded by a corridor
on all four sides.
(B) The water for the Great Bath was provided by the Indus river.

1. (B) contradicts (A)

2. (B) is the reason for (A)
3. (A) is true but (B) is false.
4. (A) and (B) are independent of each other.
Answer: (A) is true but (B) is false
Explanation — The water for the Great Bath was provided by a well in adjacent room.

Question 6
(A) The Great Bath is one of the largest public buildings at Mohenjo-daro.
(B) The massive structure of the Great Bath indicates the existence of a ruling class.

1. (B) contradicts (A)

2. (B) is the reason for (A)
3. (A) is true but (B) is false.
4. (A) and (B) are independent of each other.
Answer: (B) is the reason for (A).
Explanation — The massive structure of the Great Bath indicates the existence of a
ruling class which could mobilise labour, collected taxes and build such a huge structure.

Question 7
(A) About 2000 Harappan seals have been discovered.
(B) The seals were mainly used for religious purposes.
1. (B) contradicts (A)
2. (B) is the reason for (A)
3. (A) is true but (B) is false.
4. (A) and (B) are independent of each other.
Answer: (A) is true but (B) is false
Explanation — The seals were mainly used by traders to stamp their goods.

4
 Question 8
(A) The Bearded Man is a three-dimensional stone sculpture discovered from Mohenjo-
daro.
(B) According to some scholars it is a statue of a common man.

1. (B) contradicts (A)

2. (B) is the reason for (A)
3. (A) is true but (B) is false.
4. (A) and (B) are independent of each other.
Answer: (A) and (B) are independent of each other
Explanation — Some scholars believe that the Bearded Man might represent a figure of
authority, possibly a priest or yogi. The sculpture is of high artistic value.

Question 9
(A) Overseas trade was carried out at Lothal.
(B) Lothal was a port with a dockyard.

1. (B) contradicts (A)

2. (B) is the reason for (A)
3. (A) is true but (B) is false.
4. (A) and (B) are independent of each other.
Answer: (B) is the reason for (A)
Explanation — Lothal was the port city of Harappan civilization and was used to carry
out overseas trade.

Question 10
(A) The lower town had the residential buildings where people lived and worked.
(B) The residential buildings were built on a high mound to protect them from floods.

1. (B) contradicts (A)

2. (B) is the reason for (A)
3. (A) is true but (B) is false.
4. (A) and (B) are independent of each other.
Answer: (A) is true but (B) is false
Explanation — The houses of ruling class were built on a high mound to protect them
from floods.

SHORT QUESTIONS:
Q.1 Name two important sources of information about the Harappan Civilisation.
1.The Great Bath which indicates the high degree of perfection of the art of the
building.
2.The Citadel which points to the planning and development of cities in Harappan
civilization.
3.
Q. 2 Name one important public building of the Indus Valley Civilisation and its
importance.
1.The Great Bath is an important public building of Indus Valley Civilisation.

5
 2.The Great Bath indicates the perfection in the art of building, religious, economic
and social development of the society and efficient planning of structures.

Q. 3 Give any two characteristic features of the citadel.

1. Citadel was built on a mud brick platform and hence it was a raised area.
2. Citadel had important buildings like the houses of the ruling class, the great bath, the
granary and the assembly hall.

Q.4 How were seals used? What information do they give about Harappan trade?
1. The seals were used by the traders to stamp their goods. The goods were packed and
tied and the knot was covered with wet clay and the seal was pressed on it.
2. The seals indicate that the Harappan trade had spread over a vast area.

Q. 5 Briefly describe granaries at Harappa.

1. The Great Granaries were founded in Harappa,Mohenjo-Daro and Lothal.
2. It consisted of two blocks with an aisle (passage) between them.
3. Each block had six halls with corridors and each hall was further divided into four
compartments.
4. It was used for storing food grains.
5. It was made on raised platform to protect it from floods.

Q. 6 Briefly describe the ornaments worn by the Harappans.

1. Ornaments were worn by both men and women.
2. The ornaments were made up of gold, silver, precious stones and ivory.
3. Some common ornaments were necklaces, finger-rings, bangles, armlets, anklets, fan-
shaped head dress and earrings.
Q. 7 Briefly describe the statue of the dancing girl.
1. The statue of a dancing girl, made up of bronze, was found at Mohenjo-daro.
2. The right hand of the dancing girl rests on the hip and the heavily bangled left arm,
holding a bowl rests on her left leg.
3. The statue is a masterpiece of art and shows the high degree of development in the
field of art of sculpture.
4. The figurine shows vigour, variety and ingenuity.

Q. 8 Mention the types of dress worn by the Indus Valley people.

1. The Indus Valley men used to wear a dhoti and a shawl was used to cover the upper
part of the body.
2. The women wore a skirt and used a cloak to cover their arms and shoulders.
3. The discovery of needles and buttons at some sites show that they wore stitched
clothes too.

Q. 9 State two features of the internal trade in the Indus Valley Civilization.
1. All exchanges carried through barter systems.
2. They traded in stone, metal, shell etc.
3. There were important centres of different products, for example Lothal, Harappa and
Mohenjodaro were centres for metallurgy;
4. Balakot and Chanhudaro were centres for bangle-making.

6
Q. 10 State any two pieces of evidence that show the Harappans also had trade relations
with foreign countries.
1. The Mesopotamian records from about 2350 BC onwards refer to trade relations with
Meluha, which is the ancient name given to the Indus region.
2. The depictions of ships and boats on seals also indicate foreign trade. Mesopotamian
texts refer to Meluha as a land of seafarers.

Q. 11 Name the four animals depicted on the Pashupati seal.

The four animals depicted on the Pashupati seal are an Elephant, a Tiger, a Buffalo and a
Rhinoceros.
Q. 12 State any two causes that led to the decline of the Harappan Civilisation. Floods
and Earthquakes
Deforestation
Q.13 What types of weights and measures did the Indus people use?
The Indus people used a set of cubical stone weights.
Q.14 State any two ways to show the value of the Indus seals as a source of historical
information.
1. The Indus script indicates that the script was pictographic as it uses signs
of birds, fishes and humans.
2. It has not been deciphered yet, the script is found inscribed on a number of
seals, copper tools, rims of jar, copper and terracotta tablets, jewellery and
on an ancient sign board.
3. This indicates that the Harappan civilisation was an advanced urban
civilisation.
Q.15 In what two respects is Harappan Civilisation our greatest heritage?
1. The Harappan way of making baked pottery, bricks, beads, jewellery, textiles,
etc. was adopted by the later civilisations. Cultivation of cotton was the biggest
achievement of Harappan civilization which was adopted by Egyptians after
several centuries.
2. In the religious sphere, the worship of Pashupati Shiva, the female deity as
Mother Goddess, sacred trees, animals, serpents, religious symbols, etc. which
were prevalent during the Harappan period, some of them have continued to
this day.
Q. 16 How did Indus pottery reflect the potter's artistic skill?
1. Harrappans produced their own characteristic pottery which was made glossy and
shining.
2. Earthen vessels and pottery, crafted on the potter's wheel, were decorated with black
geometrical designs.
3. The large jars with narrow necks and red pots with black decoration bear evidence of
the potter's artistic skill.
Q. 17 Name and briefly describe the process by which sculpture in metal was done.
1. The sculpture in metal was done through the special lost wax process.
2. In this process wax figures were covered with a coating of clay.
3. Then the wax was melted by heating and the hollow mould thus created was filled
with molten metal which took the original shape of the object.
Q. 18 Briefly describe the social classification of Harappans as pointed out by the
citadel.
1. The city of Harappans was divided into two parts- the raised area called citadel and
the lower town.
2. The Citadel had the houses of the ruling class and all important buildings like the
Great Bath, the granary, the assembly hall and the workshops.

7
 3. The lower town had the residential buildings where the people lived and worked.
This shows some sort of political organisation and social classification of Harappans.

Structured Questions
Q. 1 With reference to Harappan Culture, answer the following questions:
a) Discuss briefly the indigenous origin of the Harappan Civilisation. [Not Applicable]

b) Describe the extent of the civilization. [Not Applicable]

1. The Harappan Civilisation was the largest of all ancient civilisations covering a
triangular area of 1.3 million sq.km.
2. It extended from Suktagendor (Balochistan) in the west to Alamgirpur (U.P.) in the
east and from Manda (Jammu) in the north to Bhagatrav (Narmada Estuary) in the
south.
3. The Harappan Civilisation covered parts of Punjab, Haryana, Sindh, Balochistan,
Gujarat, Rajasthan and fringes of western Uttar Pradesh.
c) Name any four cities of the Harappan Civilisation and a significant feature of each
city.
1. Harappa - It is situated in Montgomery district of Punjab on the left bank of Ravi
river. It was the first site to be discovered in 1921. It measured around 5 km in circuit
and was an important centre of Metallurgy.
2. Mohenjo-daro- It is situated in Larkana district of Sindh on the right bank of Indus
river. It was the second site to be discovered in 1922. The main feature of this city is
its drainage system and its roads. It is linked to Harappa through the Indus river.
3. Chanhudaro - It lies about 130 km south of Mohenjo-daro. It was probably the
industrial hub with bangle and beads making industries. Copper and Bronze models of
carts with seated drivers were also found from this city.
4. Lothal- It is situated in Gujarat. A rectangular dockyard was discovered here. Lothal
was an important trading and manufacturing centre of the Indus Valley Civilisation
and was used for carrying out overseas trade.

Q. 2 With reference to the chief features of the Harappan Civilisation, answer the
following:
a) Any three characteristic features of town planning.
1. Each city was divided into two parts- the raised area (citadel) and the lower town.
2. House drains emptied all waste water into the street drains.
3. The streets crossed the main road at right angles, dividing the roads into square or
rectangular blocks.
b) Three special features of the houses of the people.
1. The buildings had a deep foundation and were constructed according to a set plan on
high mounds in order to protect them from floods.
2. The houses were made of brick and wood. Each house had doors, windows and
ventilators. Doors and windows opened on the side of the streets and not on the main
roads.
3. The size of houses varied from single room tenements to bigger houses with
courtyards, up to twelve rooms, private wells and toilets.
4. Each house had covered drains connected to street drains.

c) Mention any two common elements between Mohenjo-daro and Harappa.

Both cities are located on river banks- Mohenjo-daro on the right bank of the Indus, and
Harappa on the left bank of the Ravi. Both measured around 5.0 km in circuit.

Q. 3 Study the picture and answer the questions that follow:

8
a) Identify the structure. List any two of its characteristic features. Great bath
1. It has a large rectangular tank in a courtyard surrounded by a corridor on all four
sides.
2. There are two flights of steps one in the north and the other in the south leading into
the tank.

b) State the importance of this structure as a source of information about Harappan

Civilisation.
1. The Great Bath is an important source of information about the life of people and
their culture.
2. The design of the Great Bath reflects an efficient planning and drainage system.
3. It also suggests that there was a ruling class which could mobilise labour, collect
taxes and build such large public buildings.

c) Name another architectural structure of this period. How does this structure show
that Harappan Civilisation was highly developed?
The Citadel was the other structure of this period.
1. It was a raised area of the city on which the important buildings like the houses of
ruling class, the granary, the Great Bath and the assembly hall were made.
2. The Citadel shows that there was a classification or stratification in Harappan society.
3. It also indicates that the Harappans were developed and their civilisation was an
urban one.

Q 4 Study the picture of the seal given on the right and answer the following questions:
a) Identify the seal in the given picture. Which animal is depicted on this seal?
The seal in the given picture is the Unicorn seal.
The animal depicted on this seal is a unicorn.

b) Of what material were these seals made? Why were the seals used?
These seals were made up of terracotta, steatite, agate etc.
These seals were used by traders to stamp their goods. After a bag of goods was tied, a
layer of wet clay was applied on the knot, and the seal was pressed on it.

c) What do the seals reveal about the Harappans?

The seals provide useful information about the script, trade, religion and beliefs of
Harappans. It also shows the extent of trade in that region.

Q5) Look at the newspaper excerpt from Sir John Marshall's article about the
discovery of Harappa and Mohenjo-daro and answer the questions that follow:

a) Which Forgotten Age' is being talked about in the excerpt? Tiryns and
Mycenae long forgotten ancient cities, what are referred to as Indian "Tiryns”
and "Mycenae”?
The ‘Forgotten Age' that is being talked about in the excerpt is the Age of Harappa and
Mohenjodaro Civilisation, which was forgotten for a long period of time and have now
been discovered.
Indian "Tiryns” and "Mycenae” are refered to the Indian cities of Harappa and
Mohenjo daro.

(b) How was this 'Forgotten Age' in India revealed? [Not Applicable]

9
(c) Explain briefly the significance of this 'Forgotten Age' in terms of its unique
feature
The significance of this 'Forgotten Age' in terms of its unique features was :

Advanced Urban Planning – Cities like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were well-planned
with a grid system, drainage, and standardized brick structures.
Efficient Drainage System – One of the world's earliest sanitation systems, with covered
drains and soak pits, showcasing engineering skills.
Standardized Weights and Measures – Indicates a well-organized economy and trade
system.
Non-Deciphered Script – The Harappan script remains un-deciphered, making their
language and records a mystery.
Trade Networks – Evidence of trade with Mesopotamia, Oman, and Persia, showing
economic prosperity.
No Clear Evidence of Kings – Unlike contemporary civilizations, no grand palaces or
monarchic rule has been identified.
Art and Craftsmanship – Notable for terracotta figurines, seals, jewelry, and pottery,
reflecting artistic excellence.

10