One of the oldest urban societies in history, the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), sometimes called the Harappan Civilization, flourished in what is now northwest India and Pakistan between 2600 and 1900 BCE.
Indus Valley Civilization MCQs Practice Now
Geographical Extent: With important sites like Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro, and Lothal, the civilization covered a sizable region that includes modern-day northeastern Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northwest India.
Urban Planning: The cities of the Indus Valley Civilization had carefully thought-out street layouts and advanced drainage systems. The street layouts, which resemble a grid, show clever urban design.
Technological Developments: The inhabitants of the Indus Valley were expert artisans and traders. They were skilled in seal-making, ceramics, and metallurgy. Their striking red-on-black ceramics was easily recognizable. Their consistency at several places suggests that they created a system of weights and measurements.
Commerce and Economy: Artefacts discovered in Mesopotamia, Oman, and Bahrain attest to the civilization’s vast trading networks. They exchanged products such metals, textiles, valuable stones, and pottery.
Social organisation: It is thought that they had a hierarchical society with a governing class, artisans, traders, and agricultural labourers, though specifics of their social organisation are unknown.
Writing System: The precise nature of the Indus writing system and language is still unknown because the script, which can be discovered on seals and ceramics, cannot be interpreted.
Decline and Disappearance: Although the exact cause of the Indus Valley Civilization’s demise is unknown, theories include ecological shifts, environmental deterioration, natural disasters, and invasions. The majority of the great Indus cities had been abandoned by 1900 BCE.
Legacy: The Indus Valley Civilization left behind a substantial cultural and historical legacy despite its eventual downfall. Its enormous trading networks, excellent urban design, and cutting-edge technology set the stage for later Indian subcontinent civilizations.
Studying the Indus Valley Civilization offers important new perspectives on antiquity while showcasing the accomplishments and intricacies of one of the first urban societies in history.
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Indus Valley Civilization MCQs
Q1. Which of the following is related to Harappa civilization?
(a) Sumerian civilization
(b) Indus Valley Civilization
(c) Vedic civilization
(d) Mesopotamian civilization
Q2. Indus Valley civilization was Non-Aryan because
(a) It was an Urban Civilization
(b) It has its own script
(c) It has an agricultural economy
(d) It extended up to the Narmada valley
Q3. The source of knowledge about Harappan culture is:
(a) Rock edicts
(b) Writing in terracotta seals
(c) Archaeological excavations
(d) All of the above
Q4. The earliest evidence of animal domestication and agriculture in India has come from
(a) Anjira
(b) Damb Sadat
(c) Kili Gul Muhammad
(d) Mehrgarh
Q5. Which colour was commonly used in the Harappan Pottery?
(a) Red
(b) Blue-grey
(c) Yellow
(d) Blue
Q6. Which one of the following animals was not represented on the seals and terracotta art of the Harappan culture?
(a) Cow
(b) Elephant
(c) Rhinoceros
(d) Tiger
Q7. In which of the following Harappan cities, furrows of ploughed fields have been found?
(a) Kalibangan
(b) Dholavira
(c) Mohenjo-daro
(d) Lothal
Q8. Which among the following Harappan site terracotta of ‘plough’ was found?
(a) Dholavira
(b) Banawali
(c) Kalibangan
(d) Lothal
Q9. A ploughed fi eld was discovered at
(a) Mohenjodaro
(b) Kalibangan
(c) Harappa
(d) Lothal
Q10. The Great Bath was found from the Indus Valley civilization at
(a) Mohenjodaro
(b) Harappa
(c) Lothal
(d) Kalibangan
Q11. Which of the following is not correctly matched –
(a) Alamgirpur – Uttar Pradesh
(b) Lothal – Gujarat
(c) Kalibangan – Haryana
(d) Ropar – Punjab
Q12. The excavation at Chanhudaro was directed by –
(a) J. H. Mackay
(b) Sir John Marshall
(c) R. E. M. Wheeler
(d) Sir Aurel Stein
Q13. Which site of Indus Valley is now in Pakistan?
(a) Kalibangan
(b) Harappa
(c) Lothal
(d) Alamgirpur
Q14. Dadheri is a late Harappan site of
(a) Jammu
(b) Punjab
(c) Haryana
(d) Uttar Pradesh
Q15. Which site of Indus Valley Civilization is located in India?
(a) Harappa
(b) Mohenjodaro
(c) Lothal
(d) None of the above
Q16. Harappan civilization, Lothal, is located in–
(a) Gujarat
(b) Punjab
(c) Rajasthan
(d) Sindh
Q17. The port city of Indus Valley Civilization was –
(a) Harappa
(b) Kalibangan
(c) Lothal
(d) Mohenjodaro
Q18.What is the most significant feature of the Indus Valley Civilization?
(a) Burnt brick buildings
(b) First true arches
(c) Buildings of worship
(d) Art and architecture
Q19. Which of the following is not an Indus Valley Civilization site?
(a) Kalibangan
(b) Ropar
(c) Patliputra
(d) Lothal
Q20. Which one of the following is not a Harappan site?
(a) Chanhudaro
(b) Kotdiji
(c) Sohgaura
(d) Desalpur
Q21. The largest site of Harappa in India is (a) Alamgirpur
(b) Kalibangan
(c) Lothal
(d) Rakhigarhi
Q22. Indus Valley Civilization, which was placed on the banks of the river
A. Sindhu
B. Chenab
C. Jhelum
D. All of the above
Q23. The Indus valley people worshipped
(a) Shiva
(b) Indra and Varun
(c) Brahma
(d) Vishnu
Q24. Mohenjodaro is situated in which of the following?
(a) Gujarat state of India
(b) Punjab state of India
(c) Sindh Province in Pakistan
(d) Afghanistan
Q25. The first metal used by man was :
(a) Gold
(b) Silver
(c) Copper
(d) Iron
Q26. Which metal has so far not been discovered in Harappan sites?
(a) Copper
(b) Gold
(c) Silver
(d) Iron
Q27. Dholavira is located in the State of
(a) Gujarat
(b) Haryana
(c) Punjab
(d) Rajasthan
Q28. Which Harappan city is divided into three parts?
(a) Lothal
(b) Kalibangan
(c) Dholavira
(d) Surkotada
Q29. A horned deity engraved on a terracotta cake has been recovered from
(a) Banawali
(b) Kalibangan
(c) Lothal
(d) Surkotada
Q30. Which of the following civilizations flourished on the bank of River Nile ?
(a) Roman Civilization
(b) Indus Valley Civilization
(c) Greek Civilization
(d) Egyptian Civilization
When and where did the Indus Valley Civilization exist?
The Indus Valley Civilization thrived from approximately 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE in what is now northeastern Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northwestern India.
What were the major cities of the Indus Valley Civilization?
The major cities of the civilization included Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro, Lothal, Kalibangan, and Dholavira, among others. These cities were centers of trade, administration, and culture.
What were the main features of the urban planning in the Indus Valley Civilization?
The urban planning of the Indus Valley Civilization was characterized by well-planned cities with grid-like street layouts, sophisticated drainage systems, and multi-story buildings. Cities had fortified citadels, granaries, and public baths.
What do we know about the language and writing system of the Indus Valley people?
The script of the Indus Valley Civilization, found on seals and pottery, remains undeciphered, so the exact nature of their language and writing system is still unknown. Scholars continue to study and debate the meaning of the script.
What factors are believed to have led to the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization?
The decline of the civilization around 1900 BCE is a subject of debate among scholars. Possible factors include environmental changes, such as floods or droughts, ecological degradation, internal conflicts, and external invasions or migrations of new groups into the region. The exact cause remains uncertain.