INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION – HARAPPAN CIVILISATION – PROTO-HISTORIC PERIOD MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS Part 1 of 4
1. Which river valley is NOT associated with the four earliest civilisations of the world?
A. Tigris
B. Nile
C. Ganges
D. Yellow River
Answer: C. Ganges
2. Around which year did the first cities develop in Mesopotamia?
A. 4000 BC
B. 3500 BC
C. 3000 BC
D. 2500 BC
Answer: B. 3500 BC
3. What common feature marked the civilisations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China?
A. Use of iron tools
B. Large cities
C. Trade across continents
D. Democracy
Answer: B. Large cities
4. What is the other name for the Indus Valley Civilisation?
A. Mohenjodaro Civilisation
B. Sindhu Civilisation
C. Harappan Civilisation
D. Aryan Civilisation
Answer: C. Harappan Civilisation
5. Why was the Indus Valley Civilisation renamed the 'Indus Civilisation'?
A. Sites were discovered far away
from the river valley.
B. It was renamed by the British.
C. It was linked to the Aryans.
D. The civilisation was found only near the Indus River.
Answer: A. Sites were discovered far away from the river valley.
6. The name 'India' is derived from which river?
A. Ganges
B. Yamuna
C. Indus
D. Saraswati
Answer: C. Indus
7. How did the Persians pronounce the word 'Sindhu'?
A. Indus
B. Hindu
C. Sindh
D. Hindustan
Answer: B. Hindu
8. Which civilisation's first discovered sites were Harappa and Mohenjodaro?
A. Egyptian
B. Mesopotamian
C. Indus Valley
D. Chinese
Answer: C. Indus Valley
9. What does 'Hindustan' mean?
A. Land of the Aryans
B. Land of the Indus
C. Land of the Hindu
D. Land of the Harappans
Answer: C. Land of the Hindu
10. Which emperor converted the area around the Indus River into a Persian Satrapy?
A. Cyrus the Great
B. Darius I
C. Xerxes I
D. Alexander the Great
Answer: B. Darius I
11. What discovery helped solve the puzzle of the sudden appearance of the Harappan civilisation?
A. Excavation at Harappa and
Mohenjodaro
B. Findings at Mehrgarh in Baluchistan
C. Discovery of seals and sealings
D. Analysis of flaked stone tools
Answer: B. Findings at Mehrgarh in Baluchistan
12. Who conducted the excavations at Mehrgarh between 1973 and 1980?
A. John Marshall and Mortimer
Wheeler
B. Jean Francoise Jarrige and Richard H Meadow
C. Alexander Cunningham and Dayaram Sahni
D. George Dales and Gregory Possehl
Answer: B. Jean Francoise Jarrige and Richard H Meadow
13. Which area represents the geographical extent of the Harappan civilisation?
A. From Gujarat to Tamil Nadu
B. From Shortughai in Afghanistan to southern Gujarat
C. From Punjab to Uttar Pradesh
D. From Sindh to Maharashtra
Answer: B. From Shortughai in Afghanistan to southern Gujarat
14. What marks the first phase of urbanisation in the Indian subcontinent?
A. The use of flaked stone tools
B. The Indus civilisation with cities like Harappa and Mohenjodaro
C. The Aryan migration into India
D. The establishment of Mauryan rule
Answer: B. The Indus civilisation with cities like Harappa and Mohenjodaro
15. What is NOT a characteristic feature of the Harappan civilisation?
A. Uniform script
B. Monumental architecture
C. Widespread use of iron tools
D. Diversified crafts and far-reaching trade
Answer: C. Widespread use of iron tools
16. What material became more dominant during the urban phase of the Harappan civilisation?
A. Stone
B. Iron
C. Copper and bronze
D. Wood
Answer: C. Copper and bronze
17. What is one unresolved question about the Harappan civilisation mentioned in the passage?
A. The extent of its territory
B. How its ruling class mobilised surplus
C. The types of pottery used
D. The role of Mehrgarh in its development
Answer: B. How its ruling class mobilised surplus
18. What are flaked stone tools during the Harappan urban period indicative of?
A. Increased reliance on stone tools
B. Standardisation and reduced reliance on stone
C. Greater diversification in tool functions
D. Lack of technological advancement
Answer: B. Standardisation and reduced reliance on stone
19. What artefact is NOT typically associated with the Harappan civilisation?
A. Chert weights
B. Terracotta cakes
C. Steel tools
D. Seal with script
Answer: C. Steel tools
20. What is suggested as a focus for better understanding the Harappan civilisation?
A. Analysis of pottery types
B. Study of flaked stone tools
C. Detailed study of seals and their utilisation
D. Excavation of new sites in Gujarat
Answer: C. Detailed study of seals and their utilisation
21. What is a significant aspect of the Harappan decline?
A. Loss of trade routes
B. Large-scale desertion of settlements
C. Invasions by the Romans
D. Increase in agricultural productivity
Answer: B. Large-scale desertion of settlements
22. Which site provided evidence of a fortified settlement from the pre-Harappan phase?
A. Harappa
B. Kot Diji
C. Mehrgarh
D. Mohenjodaro
Answer: B. Kot Diji
23. What theory suggests that the Indus civilisation was influenced by Mesopotamia and Elam?
A. Diffusion theory
B. Indigenous origin theory
C. Stimulus diffusion theory
D. Compromise theory
Answer: C. Stimulus diffusion theory
24. Which theory proposed that the Harappan civilisation achieved its characteristic style indigenously but was elaborated through Sumerian contact?
A. Foreign origin theory
B. Diffusion theory
C. Compromise theory
D. Revival theory
Answer: C. Compromise theory
25. According to theories in the early 1970s, what factor was considered crucial to the urbanisation of the Indus civilisation?
A. Development of writing
B. Trade with Mesopotamia
C. Use of iron tools
D. Agricultural advancements
Answer: B. Trade with Mesopotamia
26. What is the primary criticism of the trade-focused theory of Indus urban growth?
A. Lack of archaeological evidence
of trade with Mesopotamia during the early Harappan period
B. Overemphasis on Iranian influence
C. Neglect of local crafts and technologies
D. Misinterpretation of urban planning
Answer: A. Lack of archaeological evidence of trade with Mesopotamia during the early Harappan period
27. What role did Western scholars often attribute to Mesopotamia in the development of the Indus civilisation?
A. Inspiration for urban planning
B. Direct political control over Indus cities
C. Crucial trading partner during the early Harappan phase
D. Fertilising the growth of the civilisation
Answer: D. Fertilising the growth of the civilisation
28. What marked the transition of the Harappan civilisation to its mature phase according to Western theories?
A. Introduction of new agricultural
techniques
B. Intensification of trade with Mesopotamia
C. Centralisation of power in northern India
D. Discovery of bronze tools
Answer: B. Intensification of trade with Mesopotamia
29. What archaeological sites besides Kot Diji supported the idea of ‘proto-Harappan’ cultures?
A. Harappa and Mohenjodaro
B. Amri and Kalibangan
C. Mehrgarh and Daimabad
D. Lothal and Sutkagendor
Answer: B. Amri and Kalibangan
30. What perspective about the origin of the Indus civilisation remains common in Western archaeological writings?
A. Its origin is entirely indigenous
B. Its development was independent of external influences
C. It must be linked to Mesopotamian developments
D. It emerged due to trade with Southeast Asia
Answer: C. It must be linked to Mesopotamian developments
31. Around what year did climatic conditions in South Asia become similar to today’s?
A. 10,000 BC
B. 8000 BC
C. 5000 BC
D. 4000 BC
Answer: B. 8000 BC
32. What was one of the most fundamental advances made during this period?
A. Construction of irrigation
systems
B. Domestication of animals and plants
C. Invention of writing
D. Development of trade routes
Answer: B. Domestication of animals and plants
33. Which activity became dominant after the domestication of plants?
A. Nomadic herding
B. Sedentary settlement
C. Maritime trade
D. Military conquests
Answer: B. Sedentary settlement
34. What new crafts were associated with permanent settlements?
A. Irrigation and architecture
B. Pottery, smelting of copper, and manufacture of tools
C. Farming and fishing
D. Weaving and spinning
Answer: B. Pottery, smelting of copper, and manufacture of tools
35. Why was the Indus floodplain suitable for early settlements?
A. It had abundant mineral
resources.
B. The alluvial floodplain was fertile for agriculture.
C. It provided natural defense against invasions.
D. It was rich in wildlife for hunting.
Answer: B. The alluvial floodplain was fertile for agriculture.
36. What marks the earliest settlement at Mehrgarh?
A. Urbanised two-storied buildings
B. Nomadic hunting camps
C. A large Neolithic village
D. Fortified urban centers
Answer: C. A large Neolithic village
37. What led to the abandonment of Mehrgarh around the middle of the third millennium BC?
A. Flooding of the Indus
B. Invasions by neighboring tribes
C. Unknown reasons
D. Decline in agricultural productivity
Answer: C. Unknown reasons
38. Which site is located near the right bank of the Gomal river?
A. Sarai Khola
B. Mehrgarh
C. Gumla
D. Jalilpur
Answer: C. Gumla
39. What distinguishes the early settlement at Sarai Khola?
A. Use of bronze tools
B. Presence of pit-dwellings in a Neolithic context
C. Urban planning similar to Mohenjodaro
D. Evidence of large-scale trade
Answer: B. Presence of pit-dwellings in a Neolithic context
40. Which site is located near the left bank of the Ravi river?
A. Mehrgarh
B. Gumla
C. Sarai Khola
D. Jalilpur
Answer: D. Jalilpur
41. Which site marks the first stage in the evolution of the Indus civilisation?
A. Kalibangan
B. Mehrgarh
C. Lothal
D. Amri
Answer: B. Mehrgarh
42. What is the primary significance of Mehrgarh in the context of the Indus civilisation?
A. It shows evidence of advanced
urban planning.
B. It provides the earliest evidence of settled agriculture in the Indian
subcontinent.
C. It served as a major trade hub with Mesopotamia.
D. It introduced the first use of bronze tools in the region.
Answer: B. It provides the earliest evidence of settled agriculture in the Indian subcontinent.
43. What phase of the Indus civilisation is best evidenced at Amri?
A. Late Harappan phase
B. Mature Harappan phase
C. Pre-Harappan to Mature Harappan transition
D. Post-Harappan phase
Answer: C. Pre-Harappan to Mature Harappan transition
44. When did the early cultures of Baluchistan appear in places like Mehrgarh?
A. Around 2000 BC
B. Around 4000 BC
C. Around 6000 BC
D. Around 8000 BC
Answer: C. Around 6000 BC
45. What distinguishes Kalibangan from other Harappan sites?
A. Its large size
B. Excellent preservation of Pre-Harappan strata
C. Abundance of trade artifacts
D. Presence of stone tools
Answer: B. Excellent preservation of Pre-Harappan strata
46. What was a unique feature of old Kalibangan?
A. Use of stone in construction
B. A planned rectangular city with a north-south axis
C. Advanced metallurgical workshops
D. Absence of fire altars
Answer: B. A planned rectangular city with a north-south axis
47. When was old Kalibangan abandoned, and for what reason?
A. Around 2000 BC, due to an
invasion
B. Around 2250 BC, for unknown reasons
C. Around 1800 BC, due to climatic changes
D. Around 3000 BC, due to a major flood
Answer: B. Around 2250 BC, for unknown reasons
48. What is a distinguishing feature of the new Kalibangan?
A. Citadel and lower town separation
B. Use of bronze bricks
C. Exclusive focus on trade activities
D. Absence of religious structures
Answer: A. Citadel and lower town separation
49. What special structure was found in the new Kalibangan?
A. Fire altars on a smaller mound
B. A large granary
C. A dockyard
D. A central market square
Answer: A. Fire altars on a smaller mound
50. What was peculiar about Kalibangan compared to other Indus civilisation sites?
A. It lacked a sewage system.
B. It had no evidence of trade with Mesopotamia.
C. It lacked mother goddess figurines.
D. It was not fortified.
Answer: C. It lacked mother goddess figurines.
51. What was the most unique feature of Lothal?
A. A well-planned drainage system
B. Fire altars
C. A large dock
D. A separate citadel
Answer: C. A large dock
52. What was the likely purpose of the large stones with holes found at the bottom of Lothal's dock?
A. Decorative elements
B. Anchors for ships
C. Markers for construction
D. Ritual artifacts
Answer: B. Anchors for ships
53. Why was Lothal likely founded during the Mature Harappan period?
A. To serve as a religious center
B. To meet the demand for raw materials like cotton and copper
C. To house refugees from abandoned cities
D. To conduct experiments in urban planning
Answer: B. To meet the demand for raw materials like cotton and copper
54. What is a possible explanation for the decline of Mohenjodaro?
A. A massive earthquake
B. Cultural decline due to invasions
C. Rising groundwater levels
D. Trade disruption with Mesopotamia
Answer: C. Rising groundwater levels
55. Why is it challenging to determine the origins of Mohenjodaro's earliest strata?
A. They were destroyed by invaders.
B. The early strata are covered by rising groundwater.
C. The site has not been excavated.
D. The early layers were eroded by floods.
Answer: B. The early strata are covered by rising groundwater.
56. What evidence supports the hypothesis that the Indus civilisation was an indigenous development?
A. Discovery of foreign artifacts at
Mohenjodaro
B. Neolithic settlements in Baluchistan, including Mehrgarh
C. Textual records from Mesopotamia mentioning the Indus valley
D. Trade records found in Central Asia
Answer: B. Neolithic settlements in Baluchistan, including Mehrgarh
57. Which of the following is true about Lothal's trade significance?
A. It exclusively traded with
Mesopotamia.
B. It provided materials like cotton and copper to other Indus cities.
C. It was a primary agricultural hub of the Indus valley.
D. It mainly imported goods from Central Asia.
Answer: B. It provided materials like cotton and copper to other Indus cities.
58. What makes radiocarbon dating important for Indus civilisation studies?
A. It can date artifacts without
causing damage.
B. It provides a precise timeline for all excavated sites.
C. It helps date accessible strata where earlier records are unclear.
D. It identifies the origin of traded goods.
Answer: C. It helps date accessible strata where earlier records are unclear.
59. What earlier misconception about the Indus civilisation has been corrected by recent excavations?
A. The belief that it was a nomadic
culture
B. The idea that it lacked urban planning
C. The hypothesis that it was an extension of Mesopotamian civilisation
D. The assumption that it had no trade connections
Answer: C. The hypothesis that it was an extension of Mesopotamian civilisation
60. What is a significant challenge in studying the Mature Harappan culture?
A. Lack of evidence for urbanisation
B. Limited knowledge about its exact timeline and origins
C. Insufficient excavations in Baluchistan
D. Absence of trade artifacts
Answer: B. Limited knowledge about its exact timeline and origins
61. What was Sir John Marshall's initial estimate for the duration of the occupation at Mohenjodaro?
A. 2500–1500 BC
B. 2300–1750 BC
C. 3250–2750 BC
D. 2000–1500 BC
Answer: C. 3250–2750 BC
62. What do the Indus seals found at Mesopotamian sites indicate?
A. Religious influence of
Mesopotamia on the Indus valley
B. Artistic collaboration between the two cultures
C. Active trade contacts between 2350 and 1770 BC
D. Migration of people from the Indus valley to Mesopotamia
Answer: C. Active trade contacts between 2350 and 1770 BC
63. How has radiocarbon dating affected the study of the Indus civilisation?
A. It confirmed Sir John Marshall's
estimate.
B. It narrowed the dates to 3000–2500 BC.
C. It introduced the need to revise earlier views.
D. It aligned Indus dates with Chalcolithic cultures.
Answer: C. It introduced the need to revise earlier views.
64. According to D.P. Agarwal, what is the likely duration of the Indus civilisation?
A. 2500–1500 BC
B. 2300–1750 BC
C. 2000–1500 BC
D. 3250–2750 BC
Answer: B. 2300–1750 BC
65. What makes the Indus civilisation stand out among other ancient civilisations?
A. Its advanced writing system
B. Its geographical extent
C. Its influence on Egyptian culture
D. Its use of iron tools
Answer: B. Its geographical extent
66. Which site marks the southernmost point of the Indus civilisation, based on recent excavations?
A. Daimabad (Maharashtra)
B. Bhagatrav (Gujarat)
C. Balathal (Rajasthan)
D. Sutkagendor (Pakistan-Iran border)
Answer: A. Daimabad (Maharashtra)
67. What evidence was found at Balathal that links it to the Harappan settlements?
A. Indus script inscriptions
B. Cultural affinities in ceramics and tools
C. Seals with Mesopotamian influence
D. Fire altars similar to those in Kalibangan
Answer: B. Cultural affinities in ceramics and tools
68. What is significant about Mehrgarh in the context of the Indus civilisation?
A. It was the oldest known urban
center.
B. It served as the trade hub for Harappan cities.
C. It is the oldest known agricultural settlement in the Indian subcontinent.
D. It had advanced fortifications for defense.
Answer: C. It is the oldest known agricultural settlement in the Indian subcontinent.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 |
69. Which radiocarbon dating calibration was mentioned as helpful in resolving chronological difficulties?
A. GPRC calibration
B. MASCA calibration
C. Mesopotamian calibration
D. Baluchistan calibration
Answer: B. MASCA calibration
No comments:
Post a Comment