Indus Valley Civilisation Quiz: Clerkship 2024
A little practice. A step forward.
Ten questions on the Indus Valley Civilisation for WBPSC Clerkship 2024 General Studies, each answer with an explanation and memory tips. 📖 Read the detailed topic
Who discovered Mohenjodaro?
Rakhaldas Bandyopadhyay discovered Mohenjodaro in 1922. Daya Ram Sahni had excavated Harappa a year earlier, which is the tempting trap. John Marshall was then head of the ASI, and Majumdar excavated Chanhudaro.
- Harappa: 1921, Daya Ram Sahni
- Mohenjodaro: 1922, Rakhaldas Bandyopadhyay
- Chanhudaro: 1931, N. G. Majumdar
- Mixing up the discoverers of Harappa and Mohenjodaro
- Harappa 21, Mohenjo 22: years and discoverers in sequence
| Site | Discoverer | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Harappa | Daya Ram Sahni | 1921 |
| Mohenjodaro | Rakhaldas Bandyopadhyay | 1922 |
| Chanhudaro | N. G. Majumdar | 1931 |
| Kalibangan | Amalananda Ghosh | 1953 |
At which Indus Valley site was a brick-built dockyard found?
Lothal in Gujarat, on the Bhogavo river, has the dockyard, evidence of sea trade. Kalibangan is in Rajasthan and Harappa is on the Ravi, an inland city. Dholavira is also in Gujarat but is famous for water conservation.
- Lothal: Bhogavo river, Gujarat
- Found 1954, excavated by S. R. Rao
- Dholavira: water conservation
- Dholavira is also in Gujarat, so students confuse it with Lothal
- Lothal = a loaded ship
At which Indus site were fire altars and a ploughed field found?
Kalibangan, on the Ghaggar in Rajasthan, has fire altars and the marks of a ploughed field. Chanhudaro is known for bead-making and Lothal for its dockyard. Rakhigarhi is in Haryana and is India's largest Indus site.
- Kalibangan: Ghaggar river, Rajasthan
- Name means 'black bangles'
- Excavated by Amalananda Ghosh, 1953
- Mixing the specialities of Chanhudaro and Lothal
- Kali = black bangles + fire altars
| Site | State/Country | Speciality |
|---|---|---|
| Kalibangan | Rajasthan | Fire altars, ploughed field |
| Lothal | Gujarat | Dockyard |
| Dholavira | Gujarat | Water conservation, signboard |
| Chanhudaro | Pakistan (Sindh) | Bead-making, no citadel |
| Rakhigarhi | Haryana | Largest site in India |
Where was Mohenjodaro's Great Bath located?
The Great Bath stood in the raised citadel on the western side of Mohenjodaro. This brick tank was probably used for ritual bathing. The lower town held the ordinary houses.
- The citadel lay in the west, on higher ground
- The lower town lay in the east
- The tank used brick and a waterproof lining
- Assuming important buildings stood in the lower town
- Citadel = raised = important buildings
Which statement about the Indus Valley Civilisation is correct?
The Indus Valley Civilisation was a Bronze Age urban civilisation. Iron was unknown then, the script is still undeciphered, and the planned cities show it was not village-based.
- Bronze = copper + tin
- Iron was unknown
- The script is undeciphered
- Confusing it with the use of iron in the later Vedic age
- Indus = bronze; later Vedic period = iron
Most Indus seals were made of which material?
Most seals were made of steatite, or soapstone, which is soft and easy to carve. Gold and iron were not used for this. The seals carry animal pictures and a script that is still unread.
- Seals show a unicorn and a bull
- The script is undeciphered
- Used as identity marks in trade
- Thinking the script has been deciphered
- Seal = soapstone
What did Mesopotamian texts call the Indus region?
Mesopotamian texts called the Indus region Meluhha. Dilmun meant Bahrain, a major hub on the Persian Gulf route, and Magan the Oman region. Sumer was part of Mesopotamia itself.
- Meluhha = Indus region
- Dilmun = Bahrain
- Magan = Oman region
- Taking Dilmun for the Indus region
- Meluhha sounds like 'mela', a trade fair
| Mesopotamian name | Modern region |
|---|---|
| Meluhha | Indus region |
| Dilmun | Bahrain |
| Magan | Oman region |
Which Indus site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021?
Dholavira in Gujarat became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021. The city is divided into three parts and is known for its advanced water conservation. Lothal and Kalibangan are not on the list.
- Dholavira: Kachchh region, Gujarat
- A signboard of 10 large signs
- Excavated by J. P. Joshi (1967-68), later R. S. Bisht
- Assuming the better-known Lothal was chosen
- Dholavira = the city that held its water
What period is generally assigned to the mature Indus Valley Civilisation?
The mature Indus civilisation is generally dated to about 2600–1900 BCE. 1500–1000 BCE is usually the Rigvedic period, and 600–300 BCE saw the Mahajanapadas and the early Mauryas. Books may differ by a few centuries.
- A Bronze Age civilisation
- Earlier than the Vedic age
- Books differ on the dates
- Mixing it up with the Vedic period dates
- Cities about 4,500 years old
Approximate start (BCE)
Which remark about the decline of the Indus civilisation is most accurate?
No single cause of the decline is known for certain. Explanations include shifting rivers, climate change, floods and falling trade. The 'Aryan invasion' theory is no longer accepted by most historians, and an option saying 'the one certain cause' is almost surely wrong.
- Several possible causes
- The Aryan invasion theory is disputed
- A drying Ghaggar has also been proposed
- Treating the Aryan invasion as established fact
- Beware the words 'the one certain'
Which feature of Indus town planning is correct?
Indus streets ran straight and met at right angles (a grid), with covered drains. Houses used mainly burnt brick, though sun-dried brick was also used. Cities were usually divided into a raised citadel and a lower town.
- Grid streets
- Covered drains
- Citadel and lower town
- Thinking all bricks were unburnt
- Grid + covered drains = planning
📊 Topic Analysis
Ten questions on the Indus Valley Civilisation for WBPSC Clerkship 2024 General Studies, each answer with an explanation and memory tips.
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