The Indus Valley or Harappan Civilization is the starting point of Ancient Indian History for UPSC Prelims. Questions usually test site-to-feature matching, excavators, town planning and the economy. This set covers the most frequently asked facts.
How to practise: read each question and tap the option you think is correct. You will see right away whether you got it, along with a short explanation, and your score is tracked at the bottom of the screen. This set has 16 questions.
Topics covered in this set
- Discovery and excavators
- Important sites and their features
- Town planning and architecture
- Seals, script and art
- Agriculture, metals and crafts
- Trade and the extent of the civilization
UPSC MCQs with answers and explanations
Q1. The first Harappan site to be excavated, in 1921, was Harappa. Who led the excavation?
a) Daya Ram Sahni
b) John Marshall
c) Mortimer Wheeler
d) R.D. Banerji
Q2. The Great Bath is associated with which site?
a) Mohenjo-daro
b) Harappa
c) Kalibangan
d) Lothal
Q3. A dockyard made of burnt bricks has been found at:
a) Dholavira
b) Banawali
c) Lothal
d) Ropar
Q4. Which Harappan site is known for its elaborate water conservation system and division into three parts, and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021?
a) Rakhigarhi
b) Kalibangan
c) Surkotada
d) Dholavira
Q5. Evidence of a ploughed field and fire altars has been found at:
a) Kalibangan
b) Lothal
c) Harappa
d) Chanhudaro
Q6. Which is the largest known Harappan site in India?
a) Lothal
b) Dholavira
c) Rakhigarhi
d) Banawali
Q7. The bronze 'Dancing Girl' statue was discovered at:
a) Lothal
b) Kalibangan
c) Mohenjo-daro
d) Harappa
Q8. The so-called 'Pashupati' seal, showing a seated figure surrounded by animals, was found at:
a) Lothal
b) Mohenjo-daro
c) Harappa
d) Chanhudaro
Q9. Which statement about the Harappan script is correct?
a) It was alphabetic like Brahmi
b) It is pictographic, mostly written from right to left, and still undeciphered
c) It has been fully deciphered
d) It was written only on copper plates
Q10. Which metal was NOT known to the Harappans?
a) Gold
b) Iron
c) Copper
d) Bronze
Q11. The Harappans were among the earliest people in the world to cultivate:
a) Tea
b) Jute
c) Rice
d) Cotton
Q12. Which feature of Harappan town planning is correct?
a) Streets were narrow and winding
b) Houses were built mainly of stone
c) There was no separation between citadel and lower town
d) Streets cut each other at right angles in a grid, with a covered drainage system
Q13. Mesopotamian records refer to trade with a region called 'Meluhha'. Meluhha is generally identified with:
a) Egypt
b) Bahrain
c) Oman
d) the Indus region
Q14. Which Harappan site had no citadel and was a centre of bead-making?
a) Kalibangan
b) Chanhudaro
c) Harappa
d) Surkotada
Q15. A terracotta model of a plough was found at:
a) Ropar
b) Banawali
c) Alamgirpur
d) Lothal
Q16. Which pair correctly gives the westernmost and easternmost Harappan sites?
a) Harappa and Rakhigarhi
b) Manda and Daimabad
c) Mohenjo-daro and Lothal
d) Sutkagen Dor and Alamgirpur
Quick revision notes
- Harappa (1921, Daya Ram Sahni) and Mohenjo-daro (1922, R.D. Banerji).
- Mohenjo-daro: Great Bath, Dancing Girl, Priest-King, Pashupati seal.
- Lothal: dockyard; Kalibangan: ploughed field and fire altars; Dholavira: water reservoirs, three-part city, UNESCO 2021; Chanhudaro: no citadel, beads.
- Bronze Age: no iron. Main crops were wheat and barley, and cotton was cultivated very early.
- Extent: Sutkagen Dor (west), Alamgirpur (east), Manda (north), Daimabad (south).
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called the Harappan Civilization?
Archaeologists name a culture after the first site where it was discovered. Harappa was excavated first in 1921, so the civilization is called Harappan.
What is the date of the mature Harappan phase?
The mature Harappan phase is usually dated to around 2600-1900 BCE, preceded by early Harappan and followed by late Harappan phases.
How should I prepare Indus Valley sites for UPSC?
Make a table of site, present state or province, river, excavator and key findings, and revise it with site-matching MCQs like the ones in this set.
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