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Ancient India Indus Valley Vedic MCQs
High-yield multiple choice questions asked in previous years (UPSC, SSC CGL, JKSSB, RRB & State PSCs).
High-Yield Concept Capsule & Key Facts
📌 Core ancient history module in UPSC CSE, SSC CGL/CHSL, CDS, NDA, and State PSC exams.
Indus Valley Civilization (Bronze Age, ~2500-1750 BCE)
- • Urban Planning: Grid system with streets intersecting at right angles, standardized burnt brick proportions (4:2:1), sophisticated covered drainage system with soak pits.
- • Harappa (Ravi River, Punjab/Pakistan - excavated by Daya Ram Sahni 1921): 12 granaries in rows, cemetery R37 and H, stone torso of human dancer.
- • Mohenjo-daro (Indus River, Sindh/Pakistan - excavated by R.D. Banerjee 1922): The Great Bath, Great Granary, Bronze Dancing Girl, steatite Bearded Priest statue, seal of Pashupati Shiva (surrounded by elephant, tiger, rhino, buffalo, and two deer).
- • Lothal (Bhogava River, Gujarat - S.R. Rao): World's earliest artificial tidal dockyard, double burial, rice husk evidence, terracotta horse model.
- • Kalibangan (Ghaggar River, Rajasthan): Ploughed field surface, fire altars, camel bones.
- • Dholavira (Kutch, Gujarat - UNESCO 2021): Unique tripartite city division (Citadel, Middle Town, Lower Town), massive rock-cut water reservoirs, 10-letter signboard.
The Vedic Age (Early Vedic: 1500-1000 BCE & Later Vedic: 1000-600 BCE)
- • Rigveda (Oldest): 10 Mandalas, 1028 hymns (Suktas). Mandala III contains the sacred Gayatri Mantra (dedicated to solar deity Savitr, composed by Vishwamitra); Mandala IX dedicated to Soma; Mandala X contains Purusha Sukta describing the four-fold Varna system.
- • Other Vedas: Samaveda (book of melodies and musical chants - origins of Indian music), Yajurveda (sacrificial rituals and formulas - divided into Shukla and Krishna), Atharvaveda (magical charms, spells, healing).
- • Vedic Assemblies: Sabha (elite council of elders), Samiti (general folk assembly presided over by the King/Rajan), Vidatha (tribal assembly with active female participation in Early Vedic period).
- • Transition to Later Vedic: Advent of Iron (Shyama/Krishna Ayas), sedentary kingdoms (Janapadas), rise of complex sacrifices (Ashvamedha, Rajasuya, Vajapeya), emergence of Prajapati, Vishnu, and Rudra.
| IVC Site / Vedic Term | River / Location | Key Archaeological Discovery | Historical Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harappa | Ravi River (Punjab, Pak) | 6 Granaries, Cemetery R37 | First IVC site excavated (1921) |
| Mohenjo-daro | Indus River (Sindh, Pak) | The Great Bath, Bronze Dancing Girl | Largest urban settlement of IVC |
| Lothal | Bhogava River (Gujarat) | Tidal Dockyard, Persian Gulf seal | Premier maritime trading port of IVC |
| Dholavira | Rann of Kutch (Gujarat) | Cascading rock-cut reservoirs, 10-glyph Signboard | Tripartite urban layout (UNESCO 2021) |
| Kalibangan | Ghaggar River (Rajasthan) | Ploughed agricultural furrow, Fire Altars | Evidence of pre-Harappan agriculture |
| Purusha Sukta | Rigveda Mandala X | Origin of Four Varnas | Earliest textual mention of Varna order |
Showing 15 Practice Questions
Q1SSC CGL 2023Easy
The famous Bronze Dancing Girl figurine, a masterpiece of lost-wax casting (cire perdue), was discovered at which Indus Valley Civilization site?
Q2UPSC CSE PrelimsEasy
At which Harappan site was an engineered tidal dockyard connecting to the Gulf of Khambhat discovered by archaeologist S.R. Rao?
Q3CDS 2022Easy
The Gayatri Mantra, dedicated to the solar deity Savitr, is found in which Mandala of the Rigveda?
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Q4Current Affairs & History 2021-2022Easy
Which Indus Valley site in Gujarat was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2021, celebrated for its monumental rock-cut water reservoirs and unique tripartite urban planning?
Q5JKSSB FAA 2022Medium
The 'Purusha Sukta', which describes the primeval sacrifice and first mentions the four-fold Varna system, is contained in:
Q6SSC CGL Tier-1Medium
Evidence of ploughed agricultural field furrows and rows of fire altars was unearthed at which Harappan site in Rajasthan?
Q7UPSC CSE PrelimsMedium
The famous Vedic battle known as the 'Battle of the Ten Kings' (Dasarajna) was fought on the banks of which river?
Q8JKSSB VLW 2023Easy
Which of the four Vedas is primarily a liturgical collection of musical melodies and chants sung by Udgatri priests during Somayajnas?
Q9JKPSC KAS PrelimsMedium
The only Indus Valley Civilization city discovered without a fortified citadel is:
Q10CDS 2021Medium
In the Early Vedic period, which tribal political assembly was an elite council of elders and distinguished individuals in which women participated?
Q11JKSSB Sub-InspectorEasy
Which metallic element was completely unknown to the people of the Indus Valley (Bronze Age) Civilization?
Q12SSC CGLEasy
The national motto of India, 'Satyameva Jayate' (Truth Alone Triumphs), inscribed below the Ashoka lion capital, is taken from which ancient Upanishad?
Q13JKSSB Patwari 2024Medium
At which Indus Valley site was clear skeletal evidence of horse remains discovered in Surkotada?
Q14UPSC CSE PrelimsHard
What was the term used in Later Vedic texts for Iron, distinguishing it from copper/bronze ('Lohita Ayas')?
Q15JKPSC KAS PrelimsMedium
The Indus Valley script, discovered engraved on thousands of steatite seals and copper tablets, was written in which direction?
Frequently Asked Questions (Ancient India Indus Valley Vedic)
Q: Which Indus Valley Civilization site features the world's earliest known artificial tidal dockyard?
Lothal, situated along the Bhogava River in the Gulf of Khambhat in Gujarat, contains a massive trapezoidal baked-brick basin engineered as an artificial tidal dockyard for berthing merchant ships trading with Mesopotamia and Dilmun.
Q: What animals surround the 'Pashupati Mahadeva' proto-Shiva seal found at Mohenjo-daro?
The famous steatite Pashupati seal depicts a seated horned yogic figure surrounded by four wild animals: an elephant, a tiger, a rhinoceros, and a water buffalo, with two antelopes/deer depicted at his feet.
Q: In which Mandala of the Rigveda is the Gayatri Mantra contained?
The Gayatri Mantra (Om Bhur Bhuva Svah...) is found in the Third Mandala (Mandala III, Hymn 62, Verse 10) of the Rigveda, composed by sage Vishwamitra and addressed to the solar deity Savitr.
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