Indus Valley — Set 2
Indian History · सिंधु घाटी · Questions 11–20 of 70
The famous 'Bearded Priest' statue found at Mohenjo-Daro is made of:
Correct Answer: C. Steatite
• **Bearded Priest (Priest-King)** = carved from **steatite**; found at Mohenjo-Daro; now in Karachi National Museum. • Wears a **trefoil (three-leaf clover) patterned shawl** draped over left shoulder; half-closed meditating eyes. • Suggests existence of a **priestly ruling class** — one of the few IVC carvings depicting a human face. • 💡 Gold = not used for this statue; Bronze = Dancing Girl; Terracotta = used for toys and female figurines.
Which site provides evidence of a direct trade relationship with Mesopotamia?
Correct Answer: D. Lothal
• **Lothal** = major port city in Gujarat (Bhogava river); had the world's first **artificial dockyard** (214m × 37m). • Persian Gulf cylinder seals + Mesopotamian weights found at Lothal — direct trade proof with Mesopotamia. • Exported **carnelian beads, ivory, copper goods** to Mesopotamia; called 'Manchester of IVC' for industry. • 💡 Banawali = terracotta plough (Haryana); Ropar = dog burial (Punjab); Kalibangan = fire altars — no dockyard.
Which Indus site is known for its unique water harvesting and management system?
Correct Answer: C. Dholavira
• **Dholavira** = most advanced IVC water system; **16 reservoirs** carved from rock to store monsoon rainwater. • Built **dams, channels, and bunds** to direct water — total storage capacity ~250,000 cubic metres. • Located in arid Rann of Kutch (Gujarat) — water management was critical for the city's survival. • 💡 Kalibangan = ploughed field + fire altars; Harappa = granary; Surkotada = horse bones — none known for water system.
Terracotta models of a plough have been found at which site?
Correct Answer: B. Banawali
• **Banawali** = Fatehabad district, Haryana; yielded **terracotta model of a plough** — confirms ploughing knowledge. • Banawali also shows both Pre-Harappan and Harappan phases; located on dried Saraswati (Ghaggar) bed. • **Kalibangan** provides actual field evidence (furrows); Banawali gives the model/replica of plough tool. • 💡 Dholavira = water system; Harappa = granary/Ravi; Lothal = dockyard — terracotta plough model is uniquely Banawali.
Which was the only Indus city without a citadel (fortified upper town)?
Correct Answer: C. Chanhudaro
• **Chanhudaro** = only major IVC site with **no citadel** (no fortified upper town); located in Sindh, Pakistan. • Major industrial center: specialized in **bead-making (carnelian, steatite), inkpot, shell ornaments**. • Also found: a **dog's paw print on a brick** and evidence of metal working (copper tools). • 💡 Mohenjo-Daro, Kalibangan, Harappa — all had a citadel; Chanhudaro is the exception without one.
The remains of a horse have been controversially reported from:
Correct Answer: C. Surkotada
• **Surkotada** = Gujarat IVC site; controversially reported **horse bone remains** (by J.P. Joshi, 1974 excavation). • Horse is generally **absent** from IVC — no horse imagery on seals, no domesticated horse evidence accepted widely. • Horse use became common only in **later Vedic period** (~1500 BCE) with Aryan migrations. • 💡 Ropar = dog burial; Lothal = double burial + dockyard; Harappa = granary — Surkotada is uniquely linked to horse debate.
The largest building found at Mohenjo-Daro is the:
Correct Answer: B. Great Granary
• **Great Granary** = largest building at Mohenjo-Daro; dimensions **55m × 37m**; used for storing surplus grain. • Had **air ducts (ventilation passages)** below the floor to prevent moisture/rot — advanced storage engineering. • Suggests **centralized tax collection** — grain stored by a ruling authority, indicating organized governance. • 💡 Priest's College, Great Bath, Assembly Hall — all smaller; Great Granary is the largest single structure at Mohenjo-Daro.
The script of the Indus Valley Civilization is best described as:
Correct Answer: C. Pictographic
• **Indus script = Pictographic** — uses ~400–600 symbols/signs; written mostly **right to left** (some boustrophedon). • Script is **undeciphered** — no bilingual inscription like Rosetta Stone found yet to crack it. • Largest inscription has only ~17 characters — most seals have 4-5 signs, making decipherment harder. • 💡 Brahmi = Mauryan era script (Ashoka); Sanskrit-based = Devanagari family; Alphabetical = modern scripts — IVC script is pictographic.
From where did the Indus people likely import Lapis Lazuli?
Correct Answer: D. Afghanistan (Shortugai)
• **Lapis Lazuli** = deep blue semi-precious stone; imported from **Shortugai mines, Afghanistan** (Badakhshan region). • IVC established a **trading colony at Shortugai** — one of the farthest outposts of the civilization. • Lapis Lazuli used for luxury **beads, inlays, and jewelry**; found in large quantities at Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. • 💡 Mesopotamia = trading partner, not source; South India + Gujarat = domestic trade zones; Afghanistan = correct source.
Evidence of a 'double burial' (male and female together) was found at:
Correct Answer: D. Lothal
• **Lothal** = yielded **3 cases of double/joint burial** — two skeletons (male + female) in one grave. • Suggests belief in **afterlife companionship** or a specific Lothal burial custom not found at other IVC sites. • IVC burial practices varied: individual burials at Harappa; **coffin burials** also reported at some sites. • 💡 Kalibangan = pre-Harappan + earthquake evidence; Harappa = cemetery R-37; Dholavira = water system — double burial is Lothal.