First Cities of India
Short Questions
1. What is the Harappan Civilisation also known as?
Answer: The Indus Valley Civilisation.
2. During which age did the Harappan Civilisation flourish?
Answer: The Bronze Age.
3. When were Harappa and Mohenjodaro discovered?
Answer: Harappa in 1921 and Mohenjodaro in 1922.
4. What was the pre-Harappan culture at Mehrgarh called?
Answer: Togao Culture.
5. Which river was Harappa located on?
Answer: The Ravi River.
6. What is the largest Harappan site in India and Pakistan?
Answer: Rakhigarhi.
7. What was the unique feature of Lothal?
Answer: Its ancient dock.
8. What material were Harappan houses primarily made of?
Answer: Baked bricks.
9. What was the name of the river possibly linked to the Ghaggar-Hakra?
Answer: Saraswati.
10. Who conducted the first excavations at Mohenjodaro?
Answer: Rakhaldas Banerjee.
11. What was the ratio of Harappan brick sizes?
Answer: 1:2:4.
12. Which Harappan city had a sophisticated water management system?
Answer: Dholavira.
13. What semi-precious stone was traded from Shortugai?
Answer: Lapis lazuli.
14. What caused the decline of Harappan trade with Mesopotamia?
Answer: Weakening of the Mesopotamian economy.
15. What cultures emerged after the Harappan decline?
Answer: Chalcolithic Cultures.
Long Questions
1. What are the main characteristics of Harappan town planning?
Answer: Harappan cities featured a grid-pattern layout with streets intersecting at right angles, ensuring organised urban spaces. Houses made of baked bricks included bathrooms, toilets, and wells, connected to an advanced drainage system. Public structures like granaries and baths, along with earthquake-resistant English bond masonry, highlighted their sophisticated urban design.
2. How did the Harappan economy function?
Answer: The Harappan economy thrived on mass production of goods like pottery, beads, and metal objects for internal and distant trade. Cities had industrial zones where artisans worked, and maritime ports like Lothal facilitated trade with Mesopotamia, exporting copper, ivory, and textiles. Administrative control ensured standardised production and efficient trade transactions.
3. Why is Mohenjodaro considered significant in the Harappan Civilisation?
Answer: Mohenjodaro, the largest Harappan city in Pakistan, revealed advanced town planning with intact houses, wide streets, and public monuments. Its excavations uncovered artefacts and seals indicating cultural ties with Mesopotamia. The city’s layout, including a citadel, lower town, and market, showcased the civilisation’s administrative and economic prowess.
4. What evidence suggests a centralised administration in Harappan cities?
Answer: Standardised brick sizes (1:2:4 ratio) and weights (multiples of 8) across Harappan cities indicate centralised control over construction and trade. Citadels housed officials managing granaries and resources, suggesting governance structures. Non-residential buildings likely served as administrative offices, overseeing urban and economic activities.
5. How did trade with Mesopotamia contribute to the Harappan Civilisation’s prosperity?
Answer: Trade with Mesopotamia, peaking during the Akkadian Empire (c. 2334 BCE), involved exporting copper, lapis lazuli, and textiles from Harappan cities. Ports like Lothal and outposts like Dholavira facilitated maritime trade, bringing wealth through imports like gold and silver. This exchange boosted the Harappan economy and strengthened cultural connections.
6. What role did villages play in supporting Harappan cities?
Answer: Villages supplied Harappan cities with essential food grains and raw materials like clay and metals for industrial production. In return, cities provided finished goods and administrative support, creating a mutual dependency. This network of rural settlements, including remote ones like Shortugai, sustained the urban economy and lifestyle.
7. Why is Kalibangan an important Harappan site?
Answer: Kalibangan, located on the Ghaggar River, revealed both Early and Mature Harappan settlements, providing insights into the civilisation’s evolution. Its ploughed field (c. 2800 BCE) demonstrates advanced agriculture, while fire altars suggest ritualistic practices. The site’s division into a citadel and lower town highlights typical Harappan urban planning.
8. What factors led to the decline of the Harappan Civilisation?
Answer: Climatic changes around 2000 BCE caused aridity and famines, degrading agricultural land and disrupting food supplies. An earthquake in the Saraswati basin diverted its tributaries, drying the river and forcing migration. The decline in Mesopotamian trade, due to their internal conflicts and land salination, further weakened the Harappan economy.
9. How did the Harappan Civilisation influence post-Harappan cultures?
Answer: After the Harappan decline, migrating populations settled in regions like Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, forming new rural settlements. These gave rise to Chalcolithic Cultures with distinct pottery and simpler lifestyles compared to urban Harappan society. The spread of these cultures reflects the lasting impact of Harappan agricultural and craft traditions.
10. What makes Dholavira’s town planning unique among Harappan cities?
Answer: Dholavira’s town planning included four distinct sections-citadel, officials’ area, lower town, and workers’ zone-separated by walls within an outer fortification. Its advanced water management system, with dams and canals, addressed the arid region’s needs. Unlike other cities, its layout and engineering reflect adaptations to local environmental challenges.
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