🛕 Indian History · Topic 2 of 9
Start with the study notes on Indus Valley Civilization (definitions, examples and a quick revision), then work through 70 practice questions, each with the correct answer and a clear explanation of why it is right. When you are ready, take this topic as an interactive quiz to test yourself.
Topic overview
The Indus Valley Civilization is also called the Harappan Civilization, after Harappa, the first site found.
Mature Harappan phase: c. 2600 – 1900 BCE
Remember: The Harappans used bronze but not iron, so this is a Bronze Age civilization. It covered a larger area than Egypt and Mesopotamia combined.
Harappan cities were carefully planned:
Examples:
Example: Limits: Manda (Jammu) in the north, Daimabad (Maharashtra) in the south, Sutkagendor (Baluchistan) in the west, and Alamgirpur (Uttar Pradesh) in the east.
Trade was by barter, because coins had not yet been invented.
Examples:
The Harappan script has not yet been deciphered. It was mostly written from right to left.
There are no clear temples or palaces, but the remains suggest:
The dead were usually buried, often with pottery and ornaments.
The cities declined slowly after c. 1900 BCE. Scholars today point to:
Remember: The old theory of a sudden Aryan invasion destroying the cities is now rejected.
Example: After the decline came smaller, rural Late Harappan cultures, such as Cemetery H at Harappa.
| Misconception | Correct understanding |
|---|---|
| The Harappans used iron. | They used copper and bronze; iron was unknown to them. |
| The Harappan script has been read. | It is still undeciphered. |
| Harappans traded using coins. | Trade was by barter; coins came over a thousand years later. |
| Aryan invaders destroyed the Harappan cities. | This theory is rejected; the decline was gradual, from climate and river changes. |
| Large temples and palaces have been found. | No clear temples or palaces have been found. |
Who excavated Harappa, and in which year?
Daya Ram Sahni, in 1921.
Which site has the Great Bath?
Mohenjodaro.
Which site had a dockyard?
Lothal, in Gujarat.
Where was the earliest ploughed field found?
Kalibangan, in Rajasthan.
What is the most striking feature of Harappan towns?
Their planning and covered drainage system.
How was the Dancing Girl made?
In bronze, by the lost-wax method.
Why is it called a Bronze Age civilization?
The Harappans used bronze but not iron.
What do most scholars think caused the decline?
Climate change, drying rivers, floods and the collapse of trade.
Key takeaway: The Harappans built planned cities with covered drains, traded as far as Mesopotamia and left an unread script, then declined slowly as their rivers and climate changed.
Notes written by Velnov for students and exam aspirants, following the topics of the NCERT ancient Indian history syllabus. Dates marked c. (circa) are approximate.
Q1. easy
The Indus Valley Civilization is also known as the:
Answer: A — Harappan Civilization
It is called the Harappan Civilization after Harappa, the first site to be discovered (1921). It is also called the Indus-Saraswati Civilization.
Q9. easy
The famous 'Great Bath' was found at which Harappan site?
Answer: A — Mohenjodaro
The Great Bath, a large public water tank made watertight with bitumen, was found on the Citadel of Mohenjodaro - likely used for ritual bathing.
Q14. easy
Lothal, an important Harappan port site with a dockyard, is in present-day:
Answer: A — Gujarat
Lothal in Gujarat had an artificial dockyard (tidal harbour), showing the Harappans engaged in maritime trade. It was a major manufacturing and trading centre.
Q23. easy
The famous bronze statue of the 'Dancing Girl' was found at:
Answer: A — Mohenjodaro
The 'Dancing Girl', a small bronze figurine made by the lost-wax (cire perdue) technique, was found at Mohenjodaro - a masterpiece of Harappan art.
Q2. medium
In which year was Harappa first excavated, marking the discovery of the civilization?
Answer: A — 1921
Harappa was excavated in 1921 by Daya Ram Sahni under the ASI. Mohenjodaro followed in 1922 under R. D. Banerji.
Q3. medium
Who discovered Mohenjodaro in 1922?
Answer: A — R. D. Banerji
R. D. Banerji discovered Mohenjodaro (Sindh) in 1922. John Marshall, then ASI Director-General, announced the civilization's discovery to the world in 1924.
Q5. medium
The Harappan Civilization is generally dated (mature phase) to approximately:
Answer: A — 2600 BCE - 1900 BCE
The Mature Harappan phase is dated c. 2600-1900 BCE. The early phase began around 3300 BCE, and decline set in after c. 1900 BCE.
Q7. medium
The Harappan cities are famous for their remarkable:
Answer: A — Town planning and drainage system
Harappan cities had a planned grid layout, baked-brick houses, and an advanced covered drainage system - the most striking feature of the civilization.
Q8. medium
Harappan towns were typically divided into which two parts?
Answer: A — A raised Citadel (west) and a Lower Town (east)
Most Harappan cities had a fortified Citadel to the west (public/administrative buildings) on a higher mound, and a larger Lower Town to the east where common people lived.
Q12. medium
Harappan houses and structures were mostly built of:
Answer: A — Standardised baked (burnt) bricks
The Harappans used kiln-baked bricks of standard sizes (often in a 1:2:4 ratio), reflecting standardisation and centralised control across the civilization.
Q15. medium
The world's earliest known artificial DOCKYARD was found at:
Answer: A — Lothal
Lothal's dockyard connected to a river channel and the sea, enabling boats to dock - unique evidence of Harappan overseas trade.
Q18. medium
Dholavira, famous for water conservation and a stadium, is located in:
Answer: A — Gujarat (Kutch)
Dholavira in the Rann of Kutch, Gujarat, is famous for its sophisticated water-harvesting reservoirs, three-part town division, and a large signboard with Harappan script.
Q20. medium
Chanhudaro, the only Harappan city WITHOUT a citadel, was a centre for:
Answer: A — Bead-making and craft production
Chanhudaro (Sindh) specialised in manufacturing beads, bangles and seals. It is notable for lacking a citadel.
Q22. medium
Rakhigarhi, one of the largest Harappan sites, is located in:
Answer: A — Haryana
Rakhigarhi in Haryana is among the largest Harappan sites (possibly larger than Mohenjodaro) and important for ancient DNA studies of Harappan people.
Q24. medium
The 'Dancing Girl' figurine was made using which metal-casting technique?
Answer: A — Lost-wax (cire perdue) technique
The Harappans mastered the lost-wax technique, in which a wax model is coated in clay, melted out, and replaced by molten metal - producing detailed bronze figures.
Q25. medium
The stone sculpture of a bearded man, believed to be a 'Priest-King', was found at:
Answer: A — Mohenjodaro
The steatite 'Priest-King' bust, wearing a trefoil-patterned robe, was found at Mohenjodaro. Its exact identity is unknown - the name is a modern guess.
Q28. medium
What was the purpose of Harappan seals?
Answer: A — Mainly for trade - stamping goods/bundles and marking ownership
Seals were pressed onto clay to seal bundles of trade goods, indicating ownership. They also likely had ritual or identity functions. Coins did not yet exist.
Q30. medium
Which crop was NOT commonly grown by the Harappans?
Answer: A — Rice was rare; wheat, barley, peas and cotton were common
The Harappans grew wheat, barley, peas, sesame and were the first in the world to cultivate cotton (called 'Sindon' by the Greeks). Rice was known only in a few sites like Lothal/Rangpur.
Q32. medium
Which domesticated animal was notably ABSENT (or very rare) in Harappan evidence?
Answer: A — The horse
There is little firm evidence of the horse in the mature Harappan phase - an important point in debates about the civilization's identity. Bulls, buffaloes and elephants are well attested.
Q34. medium
Harappan trade contacts with Mesopotamia are shown by references to 'Meluhha', which likely meant:
Answer: A — The Indus (Harappan) region
Mesopotamian texts mention trade with 'Meluhha', generally identified with the Harappan region. Harappan seals found in Mesopotamia confirm this maritime trade.
Q36. medium
Harappan weights and measures were based on which system?
Answer: A — A binary system in lower denominations (1, 2, 4, 8, 16...)
Harappan weights (made of chert) followed a binary system for smaller units (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32...) and decimal multiples for larger ones - reflecting standardised trade.
Q38. medium
Which of the following suggests the Harappans had NO large temples or palaces?
Answer: A — No monumental religious or royal buildings have been clearly identified
Unlike Egypt or Mesopotamia, no clear temples, palaces or royal tombs have been found. This makes the nature of Harappan political and religious authority a matter of debate.
Q40. medium
How did the Harappans generally dispose of their dead?
Answer: A — Burial (often with grave goods), usually in a north-south orientation
The common practice was extended burial in pits, often with pottery and ornaments as grave goods. At Lothal, some double burials were found; practices varied by site.
Q42. medium
Ropar (Rupnagar), the first Harappan site excavated after Independence, is in:
Answer: A — Punjab
Ropar in Punjab (on the Sutlej) was the first Harappan site excavated in independent India. It shows a continuous sequence from Harappan to later cultures.
Q44. medium
The Harappan Civilization covered an area larger than which contemporary civilizations combined?
Answer: A — Egypt and Mesopotamia
Spanning parts of modern Pakistan and north-west India, the Harappan Civilization covered a larger area than contemporary Egypt and Mesopotamia put together.
Q47. medium
The Harappan drainage system is remarkable because:
Answer: A — Covered drains ran along streets with manholes for cleaning, connected to house drains
Every house had drains connecting to covered street drains fitted with manholes for maintenance - a public sanitation system unmatched in the ancient world.
Q49. medium
Which of the following was a major CRAFT industry of the Harappans?
Answer: A — Bead-making, shell-working, seal-making and pottery
The Harappans excelled in bead-making (carnelian, agate), shell and ivory work, seal engraving, metallurgy and pottery. Chanhudaro and Lothal were craft centres.
Q52. medium
Which factor is most commonly cited by modern scholars for the Harappan decline?
Answer: A — Climatic change and the drying up of rivers (like the Saraswati/Ghaggar)
Increasing aridity, the drying of the Ghaggar-Hakra, tectonic shifts and repeated floods disrupted agriculture and trade, leading to gradual urban decline around 1900 BCE.
Q54. medium
The Harappan Civilization is called 'urban' because it had:
Answer: A — Planned cities, craft specialisation, trade and a writing system
The Harappans built India's first cities with planning, public buildings, specialised crafts, long-distance trade and a script - the defining features of an urban civilization.
Q56. medium
A large stone 'signboard' with big Harappan script characters (possibly the world's oldest signboard) was found at:
Answer: A — Dholavira
At Dholavira, a wooden board inlaid with ten large gypsum letters of the Harappan script was found near the citadel gateway - possibly the world's earliest signboard.
Q58. medium
Terracotta figurines of women with elaborate headdresses from Harappan sites likely represent:
Answer: A — A Mother Goddess (fertility cult)
Numerous terracotta female figurines suggest widespread worship of a Mother Goddess associated with fertility - a common feature of early agricultural societies.
Q60. medium
Which of the following is TRUE about Harappan society based on archaeological evidence?
Answer: A — It was largely egalitarian in housing, with a strong urban middle class and no clear warrior aristocracy
House sizes vary but there is no evidence of extreme inequality, huge armies, or a documented caste/warrior elite. Weapons are few, suggesting a relatively peaceful, trade-oriented society.
Q62. medium
The Harappan practice of using standardised weights, bricks and script across a huge area indicates:
Answer: A — A high degree of cultural uniformity and possibly centralised control
Remarkable uniformity in material culture across hundreds of kilometres points to shared standards and strong economic/administrative integration - a hallmark of the civilization.
Q64. medium
Why is the Harappan Civilization important in world history?
Answer: A — It was one of the earliest urban civilizations, contemporary with Egypt and Mesopotamia
The Harappan Civilization was one of the world's three earliest urban civilizations (with Egypt and Mesopotamia), notable for planning, sanitation and trade - the foundation of Indian urbanism.
Q66. medium
Which statement about Harappan trade is correct?
Answer: A — It was based on barter (exchange of goods), as coinage had not yet been invented
The Harappans traded by barter, using standardised weights to measure goods. Metal coins were invented much later (around the 6th century BCE in the Mahajanapada period).
Q67. medium
The largest Harappan building, a granary about 45 x 45 metres, was found at:
Answer: A — Mohenjodaro
The Great Granary of Mohenjodaro is the largest structure of that city, reflecting the collection and storage of a large agricultural surplus.
Q69. medium
The Harappan seals most often show writing along with an animal. The script was written mainly:
Answer: A — From right to left
The undeciphered Harappan script was generally written from right to left, as shown by the crowding of signs on the left and the boustrophedon style in longer texts.
Q4. hard
The Harappan Civilization belongs to which age based on the metals used?
Answer: A — Bronze Age
The Harappans used bronze (copper + tin) but NOT iron - iron was unknown to them. Hence it is a Bronze Age civilization.
Q6. hard
Which river was the Harappan city of Mohenjodaro located on?
Answer: A — Indus
Mohenjodaro ('Mound of the Dead') was on the Indus in Sindh. Harappa was on the Ravi; Kalibangan on the Ghaggar; Lothal on the Bhogava.
Q10. hard
The Great Bath at Mohenjodaro was made watertight using:
Answer: A — A layer of natural bitumen (tar)
The tank's floor and walls were sealed with gypsum mortar and a thick layer of bitumen (natural tar) to prevent water seepage - showing advanced engineering.
Q11. hard
The large structure identified as a 'Granary' was found at which site (on the Citadel)?
Answer: A — Both Harappa and Mohenjodaro had granaries
Large granaries (storehouses for grain) were identified at both Mohenjodaro and Harappa, indicating collection and storage of agricultural surplus by the state.
Q13. hard
Harappan bricks typically followed a standard length:breadth:thickness ratio of:
Answer: A — 4:2:1
Bricks across Harappan sites maintained a uniform 4:2:1 ratio, remarkable evidence of standardisation over a vast area without modern communication.
Q16. hard
Kalibangan, known for evidence of ploughed fields and fire altars, is located in:
Answer: A — Rajasthan
Kalibangan ('black bangles') in Rajasthan yielded a ploughed field (earliest evidence of ploughing) and rows of fire altars suggesting ritual practices.
Q17. hard
The earliest evidence of a ploughed agricultural field was found at which Harappan site?
Answer: A — Kalibangan
A pre-Harappan ploughed field with a criss-cross furrow pattern was found at Kalibangan - the earliest such evidence in the world.
Q19. hard
Dholavira is unique among Harappan cities because it was divided into:
Answer: A — Three parts (Citadel, Middle Town, Lower Town)
Unlike the usual two-part layout, Dholavira had a three-fold division and elaborate stone architecture and reservoirs, making it distinctive. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Q21. hard
Banawali, a Harappan site, is located in which present-day state?
Answer: A — Haryana
Banawali in Haryana (Ghaggar valley) yielded high-quality barley, a toy plough, and lacked the usual systematic drainage, unlike other Harappan sites.
Q26. hard
The most common Harappan seals were made of which material and typically show which animal?
Answer: A — Steatite; the humped bull and the 'unicorn'
Most seals were square steatite (soapstone) tablets engraved with animals - the one-horned 'unicorn' being the most common, along with bulls, buffaloes and elephants.
Q27. hard
The famous 'Pashupati' seal shows a seated figure surrounded by animals. It was found at:
Answer: A — Mohenjodaro
The Pashupati (proto-Shiva) seal from Mohenjodaro depicts a three-faced figure seated in a yogic posture, surrounded by a tiger, elephant, rhino and buffalo - suggesting early religious ideas.
Q29. hard
The Harappan script is best described as:
Answer: A — Undeciphered, and written mostly in Boustrophedon (right-to-left then left-to-right) style
The Harappan (Indus) script remains undeciphered. It was pictographic/logo-syllabic and generally written right to left; some long inscriptions used the boustrophedon style.
Q31. hard
The Harappans were the FIRST people in the world to produce:
Answer: A — Cotton (textiles)
The Harappans were the earliest to grow cotton and weave it into cloth. The Greeks later called cotton 'Sindon', derived from Sindh.
Q33. hard
The Harappans imported gold from Karnataka and lapis lazuli from:
Answer: A — Afghanistan (Badakshan)
The Harappans traded widely: lapis lazuli came from Afghanistan, copper from Rajasthan/Oman, and gold from Karnataka - showing an extensive raw-material network.
Q35. hard
Dilmun and Magan, trade intermediaries mentioned in Mesopotamian texts, are identified with:
Answer: A — Bahrain (Dilmun) and the Oman/Makran coast (Magan)
Dilmun (Bahrain) and Magan (Oman region) were trading stations linking the Harappans (Meluhha) with Mesopotamia via the Persian Gulf.
Q37. hard
The reddish pottery of the Harappans painted with black designs is called:
Answer: A — Red and Black pottery (Red ware with black painting)
Harappan pottery was typically wheel-made red ware decorated with black-painted designs of trees, birds, animals and geometric patterns. (PGW and NBPW belong to later periods.)
Q39. hard
Harappan religion likely included the worship of:
Answer: A — A Mother Goddess, the Pashupati/proto-Shiva figure, trees and animals
Terracotta female figurines suggest a Mother Goddess cult; the Pashupati seal hints at proto-Shiva worship; and trees (like the peepal) and animals were venerated.
Q41. hard
The site of Surkotada is notable for possible evidence of:
Answer: A — Horse bones
Surkotada (Gujarat) yielded bones claimed to be of the horse - a debated find, since the horse is generally considered absent from the mature Harappan phase.
Q43. hard
The largest number of Harappan sites have been found along which (now mostly dried) river system?
Answer: A — The Ghaggar-Hakra (identified by some with the Saraswati)
A large concentration of Harappan settlements lay along the Ghaggar-Hakra river system, which some scholars identify with the Vedic Saraswati - hence 'Indus-Saraswati Civilization'.
Q45. hard
The northernmost Harappan site is Manda; the southernmost is Daimabad. Manda is located in:
Answer: A — Jammu (on the Chenab)
Manda (Jammu, on the Chenab) is the northernmost site; Daimabad (Maharashtra) the southernmost; Sutkagendor (Baluchistan) the westernmost; and Alamgirpur (UP) the easternmost.
Q46. hard
The easternmost Harappan site, Alamgirpur, is located in:
Answer: A — Uttar Pradesh
Alamgirpur in Uttar Pradesh (Hindon river) marks the eastern limit of the Harappan Civilization.
Q48. hard
Which of these best describes the likely nature of Harappan political organisation?
Answer: A — Uncertain - possibly a centralised authority or a merchant/priestly elite, given standardisation but no clear kings
The strong standardisation of bricks, weights and town planning suggests central control, but the absence of palaces, royal tombs or named rulers leaves Harappan polity uncertain and debated.
Q50. hard
Long, barrel-shaped carnelian beads found at Harappan sites were often decorated using which technique?
Answer: A — Etching/bleaching with an alkali to create white designs
Harappan artisans etched carnelian beads with alkali to produce white patterns - a specialised technique. Such beads were prized trade items reaching Mesopotamia.
Q51. hard
Which theory about the DECLINE of the Harappan Civilization is NOT generally supported today?
Answer: A — A single, sudden Aryan invasion massacre destroyed all cities
The old 'Aryan invasion massacre' theory (based on skeletons at Mohenjodaro) is now largely rejected. Most scholars favour gradual decline from climate change, river shifts, floods, and trade collapse.
Q53. hard
The skeletons found in the streets of Mohenjodaro were once cited (wrongly) as evidence of:
Answer: A — A massacre / Aryan invasion
Mortimer Wheeler linked scattered skeletons to a massacre by invading Aryans. This 'invasion' theory is now discredited; the skeletons belong to different periods and causes.
Q55. hard
John Marshall used which term when he formally announced the civilization in 1924?
Answer: A — The 'Indus Civilization'
In a 1924 article, ASI Director-General John Marshall announced the discovery of the 'Indus Civilization', bringing it to world attention.
Q57. hard
The Harappan site of Sutkagendor, the westernmost, is located near which coast?
Answer: A — The Makran coast (Baluchistan)
Sutkagendor on the Makran coast was a port linking the Harappans with Persian Gulf trade routes, marking the western frontier of the civilization.
Q59. hard
The bronze 'Dancing Girl' and stone 'Priest-King' both illustrate that Harappan art was:
Answer: A — Small-scale and realistic, focused on figurines and seals rather than monuments
Harappan art favoured small, finely made objects - bronze figurines, steatite seals, terracotta toys and beads - rather than the colossal monuments of Egypt or Mesopotamia.
Q61. hard
Which pair is correctly matched (Harappan site - distinctive feature)?
Answer: A — Lothal - dockyard; Kalibangan - ploughed field; Dholavira - water reservoirs
Lothal is famous for its dockyard, Kalibangan for the earliest ploughed field and fire altars, and Dholavira for advanced water reservoirs and stone architecture.
Q63. hard
After the decline of Harappan cities, the region saw a shift toward:
Answer: A — Smaller, rural post-urban (Late Harappan) settlements and cultures like Cemetery H
The mature urban phase gave way to Late Harappan / post-urban cultures (e.g. Cemetery H at Harappa, Jhukar in Sindh, Rangpur in Gujarat) - smaller, rural and de-urbanised.
Q65. hard
The presence of fire altars at Kalibangan and Lothal is significant because it suggests:
Answer: A — Some form of fire ritual or sacrifice among the Harappans
Rows of fire altars (with ash and animal bones) at Kalibangan and Lothal indicate ritual use of fire - a debated but intriguing hint of religious practice.
Q68. hard
Which Harappan site has yielded evidence of a possible 'stadium' or ceremonial ground?
Answer: A — Dholavira
Dholavira had a large open ground between the citadel and the middle town, interpreted as a stadium or ceremonial arena for public gatherings and events.
Q70. hard
Which of the following metals was UNKNOWN to the Harappans?
Answer: A — Iron
The Harappans knew copper, bronze, gold, silver and lead - but NOT iron. Iron came to India only later, in the Vedic period, making the Harappan a Bronze Age civilization.