Harappan Civilization
Indus valley civilization practice questions
Prepare for competitive exams with Indus Valley Civilization practice questions designed for SSC, RRB, and other government exams. Test your knowledge with expertly crafted MCQs covering Harappan culture, town planning, economy, trade, and major archaeological sites. Boost your history preparation with these multiple-choice questions and improve your exam performance! (Indus valley civilization practice questions)
Introduction to Indus Valley Civilization
The Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), also known as the Harappan Civilization, was one of the world’s earliest urban cultures, flourishing around 2500–1900 BCE. Known for its advanced town planning, drainage system, and trade networks, it had major cities like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. Practicing Indus Valley Civilization MCQs helps in understanding its historical significance and preparing for competitive exams.What is the main feature of a Civilisation?
- Nomadic lifestyle
- Absence of writing
- Advanced urban planning
- Lack of trade
The correct answer is Advanced urban planning .
Why are the inhabitants of the Indus Valley Civilisation called “Harappans”?
- They lived near the Sarasvati River
- The city of Harappa was the first to he excavated
- They spoke the Harappan language
- They invented the first writing system
The correct answer is The city of Harappa was the first to he excavated.
What was the main reason for the decline of the Harappan Civilisation?
- Invasion by foreign armies
- Lack of trade
- Climatic changes and drying up of the Sarasvati River
- Over population
The correct answer is Climatic changes and drying up of the Sarasvati River.
What was a common feature of Harappan cities in terms of construction?
- Made of wood
- Made of bricks with uniform quality
- Made of stones with varied quality
- Built on hills
The correct answer is Made of bricks with uniform quality.
What was the primary purpose of the Great Bath in Mohenjo-daro?
- Agricultural storage
- A temple for worship
- A residential house
- None of the above
The correct answer is None of the above.
Which metal did the Harappans use extensively for their tools and ornaments?
- Iron
- Silver
- Bronze
- Platinum
The correct answer is Bronze.
What does the presence of beads of camelian in Harappan sites suggest about their society?
- They had advanced trade networks
- They lacked artistic skills
- They did not use metals
- They were isolated from other regions
The correct answer is They had advanced trade networks.
What type of evidence suggests that Harappans were engaged in maritime trade?
- Discovery of airplanes
- Large dockyards such as the one at Lothal
- Presence of submarines
- Use of paper boats
The correct answer is Large dockyards such as the one at Lothal.
Which crops were commonly grown by the Harappans?
- Corn and tomatoes
- Barley and wheat
- Pineapples and mangoes
- Potatoes and carrots
The correct answer is Barley and wheat.
Why did Harappan cities have separate bathing areas in their homes?
- For religious rituals
- For water management and cleanliness
- For storing food
- For keeping animals
The correct answer is For water management and cleanliness .
How old is the Harappa civilisation?
- About 4000 years old
- About 3000 years old
- About 4700 years old
- About 5500 years old
The correct answer is About 4700 years old.
When was the first city of Harappa discovered by the archaeologists?
- About 80 years ago
- About 150 years ago
- About 50 years ago
- About 100 years ago
The correct answer is About 100 years ago.
The Great Bath is a part of
- Mohenjo-daro
- Lothal
- Dholavira
- Kalibangan
The correct answer is Mohenjo-daro.
Name the place where elites generally lived.
- Lower town
- Upper town
- Middle town
- None of these
The correct answer is Upper town.
Tin was mixed with to produce bronze.
- aluminium
- gold
- copper
- silver
The correct answer is copper.
The city of Lothal was located on the bank of a tributary of which river?
- Ganga
- Yamuna
- Saraswati
- Sabarmati
The correct answer is Sabarmati.
Which material was most commonly used for constructing houses in Harappan cities?
- Stone
- Wood
- Brick
- Clay
The correct answer is Brick.
The discovery of weights and measures at Harappan sites indicates
- a lack of trade
- standardisation in trade practices
- the use of barter system
- no evidence of trade activities
The correct answer is standardisation in trade practices.
What was one of the primary reasons for the growth of villages and towns in the Indus-Sarasvati region?
- Advancement in metallurgy
- Increased trade and exchanges
- Discovery of gold mines
- Development of art and architecture
The correct answer is Increased trade and exchanges.
Arrange the following places from North-South direction.
I. Lothal
II. Mohenjo-daro
III. Harappa
IV. Kalibangan
- I, II, III, IV
- II, I, III, IV
- III, II, I, IV
- III, IV, II, I
The correct answer is III, IV, II, I.
Assertion (A): About 4700 years ago some of the earliest cities flourished on the banks of the Indus River and its tributaries.
Reason (R): The cities flourished because of immaculate town planning and organisation by the people living in it.
- Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
- Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
- A is true but R is false.
- A is false but R is true.
The correct answer is Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
Assertion (A): These days we can find out almost everything about the past such as – what people ate, the kind of clothes they wore, the houses in which they lived.
Reason (R): Advancement in modern technology has allowed us to look at the past with better clarity and understanding.
- Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
- Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
- A is true but R is false.
- A is false but R is true.
The correct answer is Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
Assertion (A): People have lived along the banks of river Narmada for thousands of years.
Reason (R): People lived there because they enjoyed the scenic beauty that is situated near the river.
- Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
- Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
- A is true but R is false.
- A is false but R is true.
The correct answer is A is true but R is false.
Assertion (A): Inscriptions are a useful tool in finding out about the past.
Reason (R): Inscriptions are writings on relatively hard surfaces such as metal or stone.
- Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
- Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
- A is true but R is false.
- A is false but R is true.
The correct answer is Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
Assertion (A): Some of the earliest people who lived near the river Narmada were skilled gatherers and hunters.
Reason (R): Hunting and gathering is a type of subsistence lifestyle which relied on hunting fish and animals and required an extensive knowledge about the nearby vegetation.
- Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
- Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
- A is true but R is false.
- A is false but R is true.
The correct answer is Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
Assertion (A): The Harappan civilisation had a highly organised urban planning system.
Reason (R): The streets in Harappan cities were wide and aligned with the cardinal directions.
- Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
- Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
- A is true but R is false.
- A is false but R is true.
The correct answer is Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
Assertion (A): The Harappans were pioneers in the field of metallurgy.
Reason (R): They imported tin to mix with copper to produce bronze, which was used to make tools and other artefacts.
- Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
- Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
- A is true but R is false.
- A is false but R is true.
The correct answer is Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
Assertion (A): The Harappan civilisation did not engage in long-distance trade.
Reason (R): Lothal, one of the Harappan sites, had a well-constructed dockyard, indicating maritime trade activities.
- Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
- Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
- A is true but R is false.
- A is false but R is true.
The correct answer is A is false but R is true.
Assertion (A): The decline of the Harappan civilisation was caused solely by foreign invasions.
Reason (R): Environmental changes, such as the drying up of the Sarasvati river, significantly impacted agriculture and led to the abandenment of cities.
- Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
- Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
- A is true but R is false.
- A is false but R is true.
The correct answer is A is false but R is true.
Assertion (A): Harappan seals were primarily used for religious rituals.
Reason (R): The seals often depicted animals and symbols and were used in trade activities as a mark of identity.
- Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
- Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
- A is true but R is false.
- A is false but R is true.
The correct answer is A is false but R is true.
The five main tributaries of the Indus river are _________ and _________.
- Jhelum, Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, and Chenab
- Ganges, Yamuna, Brahmaputra, Sutlej, and Beas
- Jhelum, Yamuna, Beas, Chenab, and Ganga
- Ravi, Beas, Brahmaputra, Jhelum, and Yamuna
The correct answer is Jhelum, Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, and Chenab.
The mature phase of the Indus Valley Civilisation (2600-1900 BCE) is known as _________.
- Vedic Civilization
- Harappan Civilization
- Maurya Civilization
- Gupta Civilization
The correct answer is Harappan Civilization.
Harappan seals have been found in _________ Civilisation.
- Egyptian
- Greek
- Mesopotamian
- Roman
The correct answer is Mesopotamian.
The Great Bath ruins of the Indus Valley Civilisation are at _________.
- Punjab
- Gujarat state
- Sindh
- Uttar Pradesh
The correct answer is Gujarat state.
The _________ is the earliest city discovered in India.
- Mohenjo-Daro
- Lothal
- Harappa
- Kalibangan
The correct answer is Harappa.
The signs on the top of the seal are part of a ______.
- drawing
- painting
- sculpture
- writing
The correct answer is writing.
_________ and _________ were available around settlements.
- Gold, minerals
- Water, fertile soil
- Wood, animals
- Metals, crops
The correct answer is Water, fertile soil.
The Harappan civilisation is also known as the _________ civilisation.
- Indus-Ganges
- Indus-Sarasvati
- Ganges-River
- Sarasvati-Vedic
The correct answer is Indus-Sarasvati.
The city of _________ was the first Harappan site to be excavated in 1920-21.
- Mohenjo-Daro
- Harappa
- Lothal
- Dholavira
The correct answer is Harappa.
The river _________ was important to the Harappan civilisation and is known today as Ghaggar in India.
- Indus
- Ganges
- Sarasvati
- Yamuna
The correct answer is Sarasvati.
Harappan cities were known for their advanced _________ system, which included covered drains.
- Water
- Drainage
- Sewage
- Irrigation
The correct answer is Drainage.
_________ was the first city to show evidence of cotton cultivation in the Harappan civilisation.
- Harappa
- Lothal
- Mohenjo-Daro
- Dholavira
The correct answer is Mohenjo-Daro.
The Indus valley seals show “Swastika” symbol.
- True
- False
The correct answer is True.
The Harappans may have imported copper in exchange of imported goods.
- True
- False
The correct answer is True.
People of the Indus Valley Civilisation had developed a writing system.
- True
- False
The correct answer is True.
Harappans did not know about Ornament making.
- True
- False
The correct answer is False.
No weapons of offence and no Indus Cities.
- True
- False
The correct answer is True.
Till date, no concrete reasons have been found for the decline of Harappan cities.
- True
- False
The correct answer is True.
Most of the houses in Harappa had separate bathing areas.
- True
- False
The correct answer is True.
The Harappan towns in the state of Gujarat have been found in Dholavira and Lothal.
- True
- False
The correct answer is True.
The term “Indus Valley Civilisation” is no longer widely used because the civilisation extended beyond the Indus region.
- True
- False
The correct answer is True.
The Harappan civilisation was characterised by its lack of urban planning.
- True
- False
The correct answer is False.
The Great Bath at Mohenjo-daro was a large reservoir for storing drinking water.
- True
- False
The correct answer is False.
The Harappan cities had a uniform construction style, regardless of the size of the house.
- True
- False
The correct answer is True.
The Sarasvati river is mentioned in the Rigveda as both a goddess and a river.
- True
- False
The correct answer is True.
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