Chapter 6: The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation
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40 MCQs with answers
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20 Short Questions with answers
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20 Long Questions with answers
🟩 A. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
(Choose the correct option)
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The earliest civilisation of India is known as the —
a) Mesopotamian Civilisation
b) Harappan Civilisation
c) Chinese Civilisation
d) Greek Civilisation
👉 Answer: b) Harappan Civilisation -
Harappa was discovered in —
a) 1820–21
b) 1920–21
c) 1950–51
d) 2000–01
👉 Answer: b) 1920–21 -
The Indus–Sarasvatī Civilisation began around —
a) 4000 BCE
b) 3500 BCE
c) 2600 BCE
d) 1000 BCE
👉 Answer: c) 2600 BCE -
The Indus River flows mainly through —
a) India
b) Pakistan
c) Nepal
d) Bangladesh
👉 Answer: b) Pakistan -
The Sarasvatī River is known today as —
a) Yamuna
b) Ghaggar–Hakra
c) Sutlej
d) Ganga
👉 Answer: b) Ghaggar–Hakra -
Harappan cities were divided into —
a) One part
b) Two parts
c) Three parts
d) Four parts
👉 Answer: b) Two parts -
The “upper town” was meant for —
a) Farmers
b) Traders
c) Common people
d) Local elite
👉 Answer: d) Local elite -
The Great Bath was found in —
a) Dholavira
b) Harappa
c) Mohenjo-daro
d) Lothal
👉 Answer: c) Mohenjo-daro -
Harappan houses were built with —
a) Stone
b) Wood
c) Sun-dried bricks
d) Baked bricks
👉 Answer: d) Baked bricks -
The Harappans used which system for waste water?
a) Open drains
b) Covered underground drains
c) Rivers
d) Wells
👉 Answer: b) Covered underground drains -
The largest water reservoir was found at —
a) Harappa
b) Mohenjo-daro
c) Dholavira
d) Lothal
👉 Answer: c) Dholavira -
The Harappans first grew —
a) Cotton
b) Coffee
c) Tea
d) Sugarcane
👉 Answer: a) Cotton -
Harappans were the first in Eurasia to use —
a) Rice
b) Cotton
c) Silk
d) Sugar
👉 Answer: b) Cotton -
Which tool was used in farming?
a) Hammer
b) Plough
c) Axe
d) Spade
👉 Answer: b) Plough -
The main occupation of Harappans was —
a) Trade
b) Agriculture
c) Fishing
d) Pottery
👉 Answer: b) Agriculture -
The famous dockyard was found at —
a) Kalibangan
b) Dholavira
c) Lothal
d) Harappa
👉 Answer: c) Lothal -
Harappan seals were made of —
a) Clay
b) Steatite
c) Iron
d) Wood
👉 Answer: b) Steatite -
The Harappans used seals mainly for —
a) Decoration
b) Religious prayers
c) Trade and identification
d) Building design
👉 Answer: c) Trade and identification -
Harappan writing is —
a) Fully understood
b) Still undeciphered
c) Borrowed from Egypt
d) Lost forever
👉 Answer: b) Still undeciphered -
The “Dancing Girl” statue was made of —
a) Terracotta
b) Bronze
c) Stone
d) Wood
👉 Answer: b) Bronze -
The “Priest King” statue was made of —
a) Bronze
b) Terracotta
c) Stone
d) Copper
👉 Answer: c) Stone -
The “Dancing Girl” was found at —
a) Harappa
b) Mohenjo-daro
c) Lothal
d) Dholavira
👉 Answer: b) Mohenjo-daro -
Harappan civilisation was mainly —
a) Peaceful
b) Warlike
c) Nomadic
d) Tribal
👉 Answer: a) Peaceful -
Evidence shows the Harappans did not have —
a) Army
b) Tools
c) Traders
d) Farmers
👉 Answer: a) Army -
The Harappans traded with —
a) Mesopotamia
b) China
c) Greece
d) Rome
👉 Answer: a) Mesopotamia -
The word “fortification” means —
a) Open ground
b) A protective wall around a city
c) A drainage system
d) A temple
👉 Answer: b) A protective wall around a city -
Harappan civilisation declined around —
a) 2600 BCE
b) 2200 BCE
c) 1900 BCE
d) 1600 BCE
👉 Answer: c) 1900 BCE -
One reason for the decline was —
a) War
b) Drought and drying rivers
c) Earthquake
d) Famine only
👉 Answer: b) Drought and drying rivers -
The Harappans worshipped —
a) One god only
b) Many deities
c) The Sarasvatī River
d) Both b and c
👉 Answer: d) Both b and c -
The main building material of Harappan houses was —
a) Wood
b) Stone
c) Brick
d) Metal
👉 Answer: c) Brick -
The Great Bath may have been used for —
a) Swimming
b) Ritual bathing
c) Fishing
d) Storage
👉 Answer: b) Ritual bathing -
The civilisation’s cities show —
a) Disorder
b) Careless planning
c) High civic sense
d) Ignorance of hygiene
👉 Answer: c) High civic sense -
The Indus–Sarasvatī Civilisation was also called the —
a) River Valley Civilisation
b) Indus Valley Civilisation
c) Egyptian Civilisation
d) Greek Civilisation
👉 Answer: b) Indus Valley Civilisation -
What was unique about Harappan streets?
a) Curved
b) Zig-zag
c) Straight and wide
d) Narrow and slanting
👉 Answer: c) Straight and wide -
Harappan people used ornaments made of —
a) Iron
b) Plastic
c) Gold, silver, and beads
d) Wood
👉 Answer: c) Gold, silver, and beads -
The Harappans practised —
a) Fishing only
b) Hunting only
c) Both farming and trade
d) None of these
👉 Answer: c) Both farming and trade -
The civilisation extended over —
a) Only Punjab
b) India and Pakistan
c) Only Gujarat
d) Only Haryana
👉 Answer: b) India and Pakistan -
Archaeologists learn about Harappans through —
a) Textbooks
b) Excavations
c) Myths only
d) Paintings
👉 Answer: b) Excavations -
The Harappans used which metal to make tools?
a) Iron
b) Bronze
c) Zinc
d) Silver
👉 Answer: b) Bronze -
The Harappan Civilisation taught us the importance of —
a) War and power
b) Cleanliness, order, and planning
c) Isolation
d) Laziness
👉 Answer: b) Cleanliness, order, and planning
🟦 B. Short Answer Questions
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What is meant by a civilisation?
👉 An advanced human society with cities, government, writing, art, and agriculture. -
Why is it called the Harappan Civilisation?
👉 Because Harappa was the first city excavated. -
Where did the Indus–Sarasvatī Civilisation develop?
👉 In the plains of Punjab, Sindh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. -
Name any four important Harappan cities.
👉 Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, Dholavira, Lothal. -
What are the two main parts of a Harappan city?
👉 Upper town (citadel) and lower town. -
What is the Great Bath?
👉 A large tank in Mohenjo-daro used for rituals or special baths. -
Name two rivers important to this civilisation.
👉 Indus and Sarasvatī. -
What material did Harappans use for building houses?
👉 Baked bricks. -
What did the Harappans eat?
👉 Wheat, barley, rice, pulses, vegetables, milk, and fish. -
Which crops did they grow?
👉 Wheat, barley, millets, rice, and cotton. -
What was their main occupation?
👉 Agriculture. -
What was the purpose of seals?
👉 Used for trade and identification of goods. -
Name two famous Harappan sculptures.
👉 The Dancing Girl and the Priest King. -
What metal did Harappans use most?
👉 Bronze. -
What caused the decline of the civilisation?
👉 Drought, climate change, and drying of the Sarasvatī River. -
What does the drainage system show?
👉 Advanced civic planning and concern for cleanliness. -
What do we learn from Dholavira’s reservoirs?
👉 The Harappans knew water conservation and engineering. -
What is meant by “First Urbanisation of India”?
👉 The period when people first built planned cities. -
What kind of society did Harappans live in?
👉 A peaceful, well-organised society. -
How do archaeologists study this civilisation?
👉 By excavating ruins, artefacts, and objects from sites.
🟧 Section C – Long Answer Questions with Answers
1. Describe the main features of a civilisation.
A civilisation is an advanced stage of human life when people start living in organised societies and cities.
Its main features are:
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Government and administration – to maintain law and order.
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Urban planning – towns with roads, drainage, and water supply.
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Agriculture – to produce enough food for all.
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Trade and crafts – exchange of goods and skilled workmanship.
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Writing and record-keeping – for communication and business.
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Art and culture – through architecture, music, sculpture, and customs.
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Social organisation – where people cooperate to live peacefully.
2. Explain how the Indus–Sarasvatī Civilisation developed from villages.
Around 3500 BCE, people living in the fertile plains of the Indus and Sarasvatī Rivers started farming and forming villages.
With the growth of agriculture, trade, and population, villages grew into towns.
By 2600 BCE, these towns developed into large, well-planned cities like Harappa and Mohenjo-daro.
People built brick houses, practiced crafts, and traded widely.
This marked the beginning of the First Urbanisation in India.
3. Write a note on Harappan town planning.
Harappan cities were among the best-planned cities of the ancient world.
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Streets were wide and straight, meeting at right angles.
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Cities had two parts – the upper town (for rulers and officials) and the lower town (for common people).
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Houses were built of baked bricks and had bathrooms and courtyards.
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Drains were covered and ran under the streets.
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There were public buildings like warehouses and possibly assembly halls.
This shows that the Harappans had an excellent sense of civic management.
4. Describe the Great Bath and its importance.
The Great Bath was discovered in Mohenjo-daro.
It was a large rectangular tank (about 12 × 7 metres) made of baked bricks and lined with a waterproof layer.
It had steps leading down, a well for fresh water, and a drain to empty it.
Archaeologists believe it was used for religious or ritual bathing by important people.
It reflects the Harappans’ concern for cleanliness, engineering skill, and social organisation.
5. Explain the drainage and water management system.
The Harappans built one of the earliest known drainage systems in the world.
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Each house had its own bathroom connected to covered underground drains.
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Wastewater flowed through clay or brick channels under the streets.
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Wells supplied water to houses (over 700 wells found in Mohenjo-daro).
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In Dholavira, huge stone reservoirs stored rainwater.
This system shows their scientific knowledge and high civic sense.
6. What were the main occupations of the Harappans?
The main occupation was agriculture. They grew wheat, barley, millets, rice, and cotton.
Other important occupations were:
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Craftsmanship – making pottery, jewellery, beads, and tools.
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Trade – local and foreign trade with regions like Mesopotamia.
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Fishing and animal rearing – for food.
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Building and administration – to manage the cities.
Together these occupations made Harappan society rich and organised.
7. Describe Harappan agriculture and crops.
Harappans were skilled farmers.
They cultivated wheat, barley, millets, pulses, rice, and cotton.
They used wooden ploughs for tilling soil and irrigation from rivers and reservoirs.
They also grew vegetables and fruits, and raised cattle, sheep, goats, and buffaloes.
Farming provided food for cities and supported trade.
Harappan agriculture was the foundation of their civilisation.
8. Discuss the trade and crafts of Harappan people.
Harappans traded within India and with faraway regions like Mesopotamia and Oman.
They exported beads, ornaments, pottery, timber, and cotton cloth, and imported metals like copper and tin.
Craftsmen made beautiful jewellery, bronze tools, pottery, and seals.
Harappans used seals with pictures and signs to mark goods.
Lothal had a dockyard for ships — showing early sea trade.
Their trade shows they were prosperous and well-connected.
9. What are Harappan seals? What do they tell us?
Seals were small square objects made of steatite (soft stone).
They usually had animal figures and symbols from a script that is still undeciphered.
Seals were used to stamp goods and identify traders.
They tell us that Harappans had:
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A system of writing,
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Organised trade, and
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A symbolic or religious culture.
10. Write about the art and sculpture of Harappans.
Harappan art shows great skill and creativity.
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Sculptures: The Dancing Girl (bronze) and Priest King (stone) are famous.
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Pottery: Painted with designs and scenes from daily life.
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Toys and terracotta figurines: Showed animals, carts, and people.
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Seals: Depicted animals and symbols artistically.
Their art reflects beauty, imagination, and a love of decoration.
11. Why is Dholavira an important site?
Dholavira, located in Gujarat, is one of the most important Harappan sites.
It had:
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Three parts instead of two – upper, middle, and lower town.
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A unique stone construction instead of brick.
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Massive reservoirs and rainwater channels for water storage.
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Evidence of signboards with Harappan script.
Dholavira shows the engineering skill and planning of Harappan people.
12. Explain the reasons for the decline of this civilisation.
The Harappan Civilisation declined around 1900 BCE.
The main reasons were:
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Climate change – rainfall decreased, leading to droughts.
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Drying of the Sarasvatī River, which reduced water for farming.
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Floods or earthquakes may have damaged cities.
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Loss of trade routes reduced prosperity.
As a result, cities were abandoned and people moved to villages.
However, their culture continued in later Indian traditions.
13. How do we know that Harappans were good planners?
We know from their city layout and architecture:
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Streets followed a grid pattern.
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Houses had bathrooms, drains, and courtyards.
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There were public buildings and granaries.
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They managed water and waste efficiently.
Such planning proves that they had strong civic sense and organised administration.
14. Compare the life of a Harappan citizen with that of a modern Indian city dweller.
Similarities:
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Both live in planned cities with drainage, streets, and houses.
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Use of jewellery, bangles, and ornaments continues.
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Trade and crafts are still important.
Differences: -
Modern cities use electricity, vehicles, and technology.
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Harappans lived simple lives without machines or money.
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Today’s cities face pollution and overpopulation, while Harappans lived more harmoniously.
15. How was the Harappan civilisation peaceful and well-organised?
Archaeologists found no weapons or armies, suggesting peace.
Cities were carefully planned with rules and cooperation.
Trade and agriculture ran smoothly.
People respected cleanliness and public order.
This shows a peaceful, cooperative, and disciplined society.
16. What do the discoveries at Mohenjo-daro tell us about Harappan life?
Discoveries like the Great Bath, wells, streets, houses, and toys tell us that:
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People cared about hygiene and water management.
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They lived in brick houses with proper drainage.
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They enjoyed art, games, and music.
Mohenjo-daro gives a clear picture of Harappan daily life and achievements.
17. Write a note on Harappan trade routes and materials used.
Trade was both land-based and sea-based.
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Land routes connected cities like Harappa, Kalibangan, and Dholavira.
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Sea routes linked ports like Lothal to foreign lands such as Mesopotamia.
Goods traded included cotton cloth, beads, ornaments, metals, and pottery.
Materials like bronze, copper, tin, and gold were used.
This shows the Harappans were skilled traders and sailors.
18. Discuss the role of rivers in the growth of Harappan civilisation.
Rivers like the Indus and Sarasvatī provided water, fertile soil, and transport.
They helped in agriculture, trade, and settlement.
Cities grew along rivers because they made life easier.
When rivers dried or changed course, cities declined.
Thus, rivers were the lifeline of Harappan civilisation.
19. How has Harappan culture influenced later Indian civilisation?
Many Harappan ideas continued in later Indian culture:
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Urban planning and drainage systems.
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Use of bangles, ornaments, and cotton clothes.
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Respect for cleanliness and water.
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Religious symbols like the swastika and worship of natural elements.
Harappan traditions formed the foundation of Indian civilisation.
20. Summarise the achievements and legacy of the Indus–Sarasvatī Civilisation.
The Harappans achieved remarkable progress in:
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Town planning and architecture.
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Agriculture, crafts, and trade.
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Art and sculpture.
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Water management and sanitation.
Even after their cities declined, their ideas influenced later societies.
Their legacy lies in organisation, peace, cleanliness, and innovation — qualities still valued in modern India.
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