1.The ‘Great Bath’ of Mohenjodaro was made water-tight with a layer of ______.
A. vegetable starch
B. natural tar
C. asphalt
D. beeswax
Solution
The correct answer is natural tar.
Key Points
- The ‘Great Bath‘ of Mohenjodaro was made water-tight with a layer of natural tar.
- In Mohenjodaro, close to the Great Granary is the public bath, also called the Great Bath.
- It is a large and elaborate bath and without doubt the earliest public water tank in the ancient world.
- Two wide staircases lead down into the tank from the north and south.
- There exists a brick edging across the entire width of the pool for people to move along the width without actually stepping into the pool.
- The floor of the tank is water-tight due to finely fitted bricks with gypsum plaster, and a thick layer of natural tar laid along the sides and the floor. The use of stone is not present.
- A massive well in a neighboring room provided water.
- This bath would have been used for special religious functions or rituals.
Additional Information
- The Indus Valley Civilization extended from present-day north-east Afghanistan to Pakistan and north-west India.
- The Indus Valley Civilization is an ancient civilization that flourished in the Indian subcontinent between 3,000 BC and 1,500 BC.
- Mohenjodaro (Pakistan) is situated on the banks of the river Indus. Discovered in 1922 by R. D. Banerjee in the Larkana district of Sindh. Mohenjodaro means “Mound of the Dead”. The most important structure is the huge bathhouse and the huge granary.
- Daya Ram Sahni discovered the Harappan Civilization in 1921. It is situated on the banks of the Ravi river in the Montgomery district of Punjab (Pakistan).
- Important findings are sandstone sculptures of human anatomy, granary, and bullock cart.
2. King Ambhi was the ruler of ____.
A. Ayodhya
B. Taxila
C. Ujjain
D. Kannauj
Solution
The correct answer is Taxila.
Key Points
- Ambhi, the ruler of Taxila, readily submitted to the invader, augmenting Alexander’s army and replenishing his treasure.
- When he reached the Jhelum, Alexander encountered the first and the strongest resistance from Porus.
- Although Alexander defeated Porus, he was impressed by the bravery and courage of the Indian prince.
- He, therefore, restored his kingdom to him and made him his ally.
Additional Information
- Porus was an Indian prince who governed the area between the Hydaspes (Jhelum) and Acesines (Chenab) rivers during the conquest of Punjab by Alexander the Great (327–326 bce).
- Porus resisted Alexander, in contrast to his neighbour, Ambhi, king of Taxila (Takshashila).
- In his capacity as King of Macedonia and Persia and one of history’s greatest military strategists, Alexander the Great built the biggest empire the ancient world had ever known.
- Alexander the Great and King Porus engaged in combat in the Hydaspes in 326 BC.
3. Which Director General of ASI is responsible for the excavations leading to the discovery of two key city-sites of the Indus Civilization, in the 1920’s?
A. Madho Sarup Vats
B. John Hubert Marshall
C. James Burgess
D. Mortimer Wheeler
Solution
The correct answer is John Hubert Marshall.
Key Points
- John Hubert Marshall was responsible for the excavations leading to the discovery of two key city sites of the Indus Civilization, in the 1920s.
- These important cities were Harappa and Mohenjodaro.
- In 1902 he was appointed Director-General of Archaeology by Lord Curzon.
- He was the Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) from 1902 to 1928.
- Archaeological Museum Sanchi was established in 1919, by Sir John Marshall.
Additional Information
- Mortimer Wheeler
- Robert Eric Mortimer Wheeler was a British Archaeologist and also an army officer.
- He was appointed as Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India in 1944.
- Sir Robert Eric Mortimer Wheeler was a British archaeologist who recognized in the 1940s that it was necessary to follow the stratigraphy of the mound rather than mechanically excavate it along a uniform horizontal line.
- Migration of the ‘Idea of civilization‘ from West Asia was also given by him.
- Alexander Cunningham
- Alexander Cunningham was a British Army officer.
- Alexander Cunningham was appointed Colonel of the Royal Engineers.
- He is also known as the ‘Father of Indian Archeology‘.
- He also conducted the excavations at Sarnath, Sankassa, and Sanchi.
4. Which of the following Upvedas is associated with Rig Veda?
A. Dhanurveda
B. Ayurveda
C. Gandharvaveda
D. Shilpveda
Solution
The correct answer is Ayurveda.
Key Points
- Ayurveda is the Upaveda of the Rigveda which deals with medicine.
- It is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent.
- The two famous practitioners of Ayurveda in ancient India were Charaka and Sushruta.
- Charak Samhita written by Charak is a remarkable book on medicine.
- Susruta Samhita written by Sushruta speaks about elaborate surgical procedures.
- According to the Puranas, Dhanwantari is known as the inventor of Ayurveda medicine.
Additional Information
- RigVeda
- The oldest religious text in the world.
- It is a collection of hymns, composed around 1700 BC, contains 1,028 hymns, and is divided into 10 mandalas.
- The third mandala contains the Gayatri Mantra.
- Saraswati is the deity river in Rigveda.
- Rigveda consists of 10 Mandalas.
- 8th Mandala is ascribed to Kanvas and Angiras.
- 9th Mandala is a compilation of soma hymns.
Important Points
- Dhanurveda
- Dhanurveda deals with the knowledge of archery.
- The Period of Dhanurveda was from 1700 to 1100 BCE and contains references to martial arts.
- The author of Dhanurveda is Vishvamitra also known as Bhrigu.
- Gandharva Veda
- It deals with Music and Dance and is associated with the Samveda.
- It is effectively used in meditation as it helps yoga transcend to the innermost level of the mind.
- Shilpveda
- It is the Veda of establishing a relationship between a dwelling and its dweller.
- It is the Upaveda of Atharvaveda.
5. In the Rigveda, there is a hymn in the form of a dialogue between Sage Vishvamitra and two rivers that were worshipped as goddesses. Which are these rivers?
A. Ganga and Yamuna
B. Alakananda and Bhagirathi
C. Ravi and Chenab
D. Beas and Sutlej
Solution
The correct answer is Beas and Sutlej.
Key Points
- In the Rigveda, there is a hymn in the form of a dialogue between Sage Vishvamitra and two rivers Beas and Sutlej were worshipped as goddesses.
- Some of the hymns in the Rigveda are in the form of dialogues.
- This is part of one such hymn, a dialogue between a sage named Vishvamitra, and two rivers, Beas and Sutlej that were worshipped as goddesses.
Additional Information
- The Rigveda is in old or Vedic Sanskrit.
- The Rigveda was recited and heard rather than read. It was written down several centuries after it was first composed and printed less than 200 years ago.
- The oldest Veda is the Rigveda, composed about 3500 years ago.
- The Rigveda includes more than a thousand hymns, called sukta or “well-said”.
- These hymns are in praise of various gods and goddesses.
6. Which of the following sites of Indus Valley Civilization is located in Punjab (India)?
A. Banawali
B. Balu
C. Kot Diji
D. Ropar
Solution
The correct answer is Ropar.
Key Points
- Harappan Civilization is also referred to as the “Indus Valley Civilization”.
- It was part of the Bronze age (and the beginning of the Iron age too) and flourished between 3300–1300 BCE.
- It is one of the largest Ancient Civilizations known today.
- It was widespread as it covered parts of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan
- Harappa and Mohenjo Daro, the two major sites of this civilization – are among the earliest and finest examples of urban civic planning.
- They had a well-planned network of roads, houses and drainage systems indicating the planning and engineering skills that developed during those times.
- The civilization was discovered in 1921 at Harappa in the Punjab region and Mohenjodaro was discovered in 1922, near the Indus River in the Sindh (Sind) region and both sites are located in present-day Pakistan.
Important Points
- Ropar is an Indus Valley settlement located on the banks of the Sutlej River.
- Recent excavations at Ropar(Rupnagar) have demonstrated that this town was the centre of a well-developed Indus Valley Civilization.
- Ropar is the location of the earliest Indus Valley excavations in independent India and is located in Punjab.
- Ropar:
- Y D. Sharma discovered Ropar in 1953.
- A new form of ceramics and ornaments has been discovered.
- Characteristic Harappan pottery cert blades, beads, faience decorations, brus Celts, terracotta calies, and an engraved seal with typical information pictographs were discovered.
- The region is a shadily inhabited area known for being one of the key Indus Valley Civilization excavation sites.
- The Ropar excavations have provided a thorough understanding of the Indus Valley civilisation and the Harappa Culture.
- Archaeologists estimate that Harappans lived at Ropar until around 2,000 BC.
- We discovered faience and shell bangles, agate beads, copper reads, and other items in the graves.
- There is an indication of burying the dog beneath the human grave.
- A copper axe was discovered.
- Stones and mud were used to build dwellings.
- Banawali is an Indus Valley Civilization era archaeological site in Fatehabad district, Haryana, India, northeast of Kalibangan and Fatehabad.
- Banawali, formerly known as Vanavali, is located on the left bank of the dried-up Saraswati River.
7. Houses of the Indus Valley Civilisation generally had rooms built around a _______.
.A. fireplace
B. well
C. courtyard
D. water tank
Solution
The correct answer is courtyard.
Key Points
- Indus Valley Civilisation generally had rooms built around a courtyard.
- Indus Valley Civilisation, also known as Harappan Civilisation or Bronze Age civilization, is one of the oldest civilizations in the world.
- The nuclear dates of the civilization appear to be about 2500–1750 BC.
- ‘Harappa’ was the first Indus site to be discovered in 1921 by Dayaram Sahni.
- Metals such as copper, lead, gold, bronze, and silver were used by the metallurgists of the Indus Valley.
- Several crucibles of copper slag are discovered here, which marks the beginning of metallurgy.
- Indus Valley Civilisation also got the credit for the development of various alloys in the South-Asian countries.
- They used to make alloys such as bronze, tin, and arsenic bronze by smelting copper with other metals.
- Bronze was extensively used in making sculptures.
Additional Information Name of the major cities are given below:
Mohenjodaro (Sind)-It is located on the right bank of the Indus.
Kalibangan (Rajasthan)-It was on the banks of the river Ghaggar river.
Chanhudaro – It lies on the left bank of the Indus in the south of Mohenjodaro.
Lothal(Gujarat) – It is located at the head of the Gulf of Cambay.
Surkotada (Gujarat) – It is at the head of the Rann of Kutch.
Banawali (Haryana) – It was situated on the banks of the now-extinct Sarasvati.
Dholavira (Gujarat) – It excavated is in the Kutch district.
8. The Rig Veda is a collection of ________ hymns.
A. 1028
B. 1076
C. 1124
D. 1152
Solution
The correct answer is Option 1.
Key Points
- The Rig Veda consists of a total of 1,028 hymns, divided into ten books known as Mandalas.
- Each Mandala is further divided into hymns, which are composed in various poetic meters.
- The hymns are attributed to different seers or rishis, who were the ancient sages or poets believed to have received divine revelations.
Additional Information
- The Vedas are a collection of ancient Hindu scriptures and are considered the oldest and most authoritative texts in Hinduism.
- There are four main Vedas: the Rig Veda, the Sama Veda, the Yajur Veda, and the Atharva Veda. Each Veda has its own unique characteristics and content.
- Rig Veda: It contains a collection of 1,028 hymns, or sukta, composed in Vedic Sanskrit.
- Sama Veda: The Sama Veda consists of a collection of melodies or chants derived from the hymns of the Rig Veda.
- The Sama Veda focuses on the musical aspects of the hymns and is often considered a guidebook for priests involved in chanting and singing during rituals.
- Yajur Veda: The Yajur Veda is primarily a guidebook for priests involved in performing sacrificial rituals.
- The former contains the prose formulas along with some hymns, while the latter contains the prose formulas embedded within the hymns.
- Atharva Veda: The Atharva Veda is distinct from the other three Vedas as it focuses more on practical aspects of life and includes hymns related to healing, magic, charms, and rituals for protection against evil spirits and diseases.
9. The ancient Harappan settlements of Dholavira and Lothal are located in the present day Indian state of _______.
A. Gujarat
B. Madhya Pradesh
C. Rajasthan
D. Haryana
Solution
The correct answer is Gujarat.Key Points
- The ancient Harappan settlements of Dholavira and Lothal are located in the present day Indian state of Gujarat.
Additional Information
- Dholavira:
- It was located on Khadir Beyt in the Rann of Kutch, and it had fertile land and a good supply of freshwater.
- It was divided into three parts, and each part was surrounded by massive stone walls and had large open areas for public ceremonies.
- Large letters of Harappan scripts written using white stone were found in Harappan wood carvings, seals, etc.
- Lothal:
- It was located on the bank of a tributary of the Sabarmati river in Gujarat.
- It was an important center where many different things were made out of stone, shells, and metals (easily available local raw materials).
- Buildings such as a storehouse containing many seals and their impressions, and also a bead-making workshop were found in Lothal.
10. During the Indus Valley Period, from where were the shells procured for craft production?
A. Shortughai
B. Ropar
C. Jaipur
D. Nageshwar
Solution
The correct answer is Nageshwar.
Key PointsThe Harappans procured materials for craft production in various ways:
- They established settlements such as Nageshwar and Balakot where shells were available.
- Other such sites were Shortughai, in far-off Afghanistan, the best source of lapis lazuli.
- A blue stone that was apparently very highly valued, and Lothal which was near sources of carnelian from Bharuch in Gujarat.
- Steatite was procured from south Rajasthan and north Gujarat.
Additional Information
- Settlements of the Harappans were situated at such places where raw materials were easily available.
- Recent archaeological find suggests that Harappans procured materials from other countries like – they got copper from Omen.
- Some of the raw materials were locally available while some were purchased from different places.
- Soil and wood were locally available raw materials.
- Stones, fine quality wood, metals were procured from different places.
