Harappan Civilization
I. Fill in the blanks.
1. Banawali is situated in Haryana.
2. The Great Bath has been excavated at Mohenjodaro in Sindh and is believed to have been used used in religious rituals.
3. The Harappan cities had two sections: a Citadel and a Lower town.
4. The important buildings, such as granary and assembly hall, would be located in the Citadel while houses of common people were found in the lower town.
5. Around two dozen Harappan seals have been discovered in Mesopotamia.
6. Harappan pictographic script have not been deciphered so far.
7. The Assembly hall at Mohenjodaro is a pillared hall with twenty square brick pillars arranged in four rows.
8. The Harappan Civilization came to an end around 1750 BCE.
9. The most striking deity of the Harappan culture is the horned god, whose seal is also known as the Pasupati seal.
10. The discovery of amulets at some Harappan sites shows a belief in evil spirits.
11. Discovery of a dockyard at Lothal testifies that the Harappans had trade relations with other countries.
12. Wheat and barley are the two main cereal crops that were cultivated during the Harappan Civilization.
II. Answer these questions.
1. The Indus Valley Civilization was also called the Harappan Civilization. Explain.
= The Indus Valley Civilization was also called the Harappan Civilization because Harappa was the first city to be discovered in the region.
2. What was the extent of the Harappan Civilization?
= Harappan Civilization extended from Jammu in the north to the Narmada River in the central India and from the Makran coast of Balochistan in the west to Meerut(Alamgirpur) in the north-east.
3. List two unique features of Harappan cities.
= The two unique features of Harappan cities are - town planning and drainage system.
4. Write a short note on the Great Bath.
= The Great Bath was one of the largest buildings of the Harappan Civilization. Located at Mohenjodaro, it appeared to be an important public place. It compromised a tank made of bricks. The Great Bath was possibly meant for some elaborate ritual of great importance for the people. The exact use of the Great Bath had not been discovered. Some interesting features of this building are as follows.
❐ There were six entrances to the Great Bath. Its north and south ends had brick steps which lead to the bottom of the tank.
❐ The water of the tank could be emptied by drain.
❐ The floor of the tank was made water tight with finely fitted bricks laid on edge with gypsum plaster.
❐ A thick layer of bitumen was also laid along the sides of the tank bricks and possibly also beneath the floor to make it more water tight.
5. Describe the economy of the Harappan Civilization.
= Agriculture was the main occupation of the people. River Indus and its tributaries made the land fertile. Major crops that were grown included wheat and barley. Dates, field peas, sesame and mustard were also grown. Rice was also cultivated.
The Harappan trade links extended to the cities of Mesopotamia, where about two dozens of Harappans seals have been found. The discovery of a dockyard at Lothal also bears witness to this fact. The discovery of seals in Mesopotamia and other places proves that Harappans had trade relations with other civilizations. They had trade relations not only with the neighbouring parts of modern day India, but also with many other countries such as Afghanistan and Persia. They probably traded using the barter system.
6. What did the Harappan people do in their leisure time?
= Indoor board games played with dice were popular. The Harappans were fond of music and dancing. Outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing were also popular. Children played with terracotta toys which included dolls, wheeled carts, rattles, whistles and sliding monkeys. All this is known because these items have been found at various excavation sites.
7. What information can we draw from the Harappan seals?
= Harappan seals contain realistic human and animal engravings. They are usually square or oblong-shaped and are made of clay, steatite or terracotta. These seals are of great importance to us.
❐ They supply valuable information regarding the Harappan culture and civilization.
❐ They throw light on the religious beliefs of the Indus Valley people.
❐ We get an idea about their commercial activities.
❐ They tell us about their artistic skill, dress and ornaments.
8. What does the discovery of a dockyard at Lothal prove?
= The discovery of a dockyard at Lothal bears witness of the fact that the Harappan people had trade relations with overseas countries i.e. Mesopotamia.
9. What kind of art and crafts were the Harappan people proficient in?
= The Harappans were excellent potters. They used the potter's wheel skilfully to make pottery of various shapes and sizes. The pots were painted with geometrical patterns and shapes. The Harappan pottery was red and black.
Cloth weaving was another important craft of the period.
The Harappan people manufactured brilliant terracotta models. These models were used either as toys or objects of worship. A number of terracotta female figurines have been found which may have been the symbol of the mother goddess.
10. What do we learn from the Pasupati seal?
= From the Pasupati seal we come to know that the most striking deity of the Harappan culture is the horned god on the seals. This god has three heads and horns. He is shown as sitting in a yogic posture, placing one foot on the other. This god is surrounded by an elephant, a tiger, a rhinoceros and has a buffalo below his throne. At his feet appear two deer. This looks like the image of Lord Shiva.
11. Explain the religious practices that were common in Harappan cities.
= The inhabitants of the Indus region worshipped gods in the form of animals, trees and human beings as borne by the archaeological sources.
The discovery of a large number of mother goddess figures suggests that the Harappan people worshipped it as a deity.
The most striking deity of the Harappan culture is the horned god on the seals. This seal is also known as the Pasupati seal.
There is also evidence that indicates linga worship.
The pipal tree was held sacred and worshipped.
The presence of amulets shows a belief in evil spirits.
The Harappan people believed in life after death. They buried the death with various items such as food, utensils and ornaments.
12. What were the main causes of decline of the Harappan Civilization?
= The Harappan Civilization came to an end around 1750BCE. Several theories have been put forward by the scholars.
Invasion of foreign people, especially the Aryans, is the most popular theory behind the destruction of the Harappan Civilization of the Harappan Civilization.
Some believe that natural causes, particularly the pressure of population over nature, led to the decline of this unique civilization.
The expansion of the neighbouring desert, increased salinity of the soil and decreased fertility, may have been responsible for its decline.
Natural calamities, such as flood and earthquake, were also considered an important cause of the decline of the civilization.
Change in the course of the river Indus which might have caused either flood or made the land fertile.
13. Write a short note on the drainage system of the Harappan towns.
= The drainage system of the Harappan cities was very impressive. This indicates that a good deal of attention was paid to health and cleanliness.
Water flowed from the house to the street, which had drains.
Harappan cities had covered drains. Sometimes they were covered with bricks and sometimes with stone slabs.
The street drains were equipped with manholes.
14. What made the soil of the Harappan Civilization suitable for agriculture?
= River Indus and its tributaries made the soil of the Harappan Civilization fertile and suitable for agriculture.
15. List at least eight Harappan sites and mention where they are located in contemporary times.
= Eight Harappan sites in contemporary times are -
i) Harappa (in Punjab province of Pakistan),
ii) Mohenjodaro (in Sindh),
iii) Chanhudaro (in Sindh),
iv) Kalibangan (in Rajasthan),
v) Banawali (in Haryana),
vi) Lothal (in Gujarat),
vii) Sutkagendor (in Balochistan),
viii) Sunauli (in Uttar Pradesh).
16. What made the soil of the Harappan Civilization suitable for agriculture?
= River Indus and its tributaries made the soil of the Harappan Civilization fertile and suitable for agriculture.
17. What was the special feature of town planning in the Harappan Civilization?
= The Harappan cities were different from all other contemporary civilizations by their system of town planning. The general layout of the Harappan cities was similar with each city being dived into two parts.
Citadel: This was located on an elevated plane in the western part of Harappan cities. All important buildings such as town hall and granary were found in this part of the city.
Lower town: This section was located below the citadel and contained brick houses where the common people lived.
III. State whether the statements are true or false.
1. The Harappan Civilization flourished around River Indus and its tributaries. [T]
2. Kalibangan was a dockyard. [F]
3. The Harappan cities were divided into three parts. [T]
4. Dayaram Sahani discovered the ancient ruins of the city of Mohenjodaro. [F]
5. The Harappans worshipped mother goddess. [T]
6. The Harappan cities did not have an elaborate drainage system. [F]
IV. Match the columns.
=
|
1. Surkotada |
a. Sindh. [2] |
|
2. Chanhudaro |
b. west Punjab, Pakistan. [5] |
|
3. Rakhigarhl |
c. Balochistan. [4] |
|
4. Sutkagendor |
d. Gujarat. [1] |
|
5. Harappa |
e. Haryana. [3] |