Indus Valley — Set 6
Indian History · सिंधु घाटी · Questions 51–60 of 70
Who led the first excavation of the Harappa site in 1921?
Correct Answer: B. Daya Ram Sahni
• **Daya Ram Sahni** = first excavated **Harappa in 1921**; under the supervision of DG John Marshall (ASI). • Harappa is in **Montgomery district, Punjab (Pakistan)** on the Ravi River — a type-site that named the civilization. • Before 1921, Indian civilization was believed to start with Vedas (~1500 BCE); IVC pushed it back to **3300 BCE**. • 💡 John Marshall = ASI Director General, not excavator; S.R. Rao = excavated Lothal; R.D. Banerjee = Mohenjo-Daro — Harappa = Daya Ram Sahni.
Who is credited with the discovery of Mohenjo-Daro in 1922?
Correct Answer: B. R.D. Banerjee
• **R.D. (Rakhaldas) Banerjee** = discovered **Mohenjo-Daro in 1922**; went to investigate a Buddhist stupa, found ancient city. • Mohenjo-Daro is in **Larkana district, Sindh, Pakistan** on the Indus River — means 'Mound of the Dead'. • Site confirmed the **twin-city nature** of IVC — Harappa (north) + Mohenjo-Daro (south) as twin capitals. • 💡 Daya Ram Sahni = Harappa (1921); A. Cunningham = identified Harappa mounds earlier (1853); B.B. Lal = much later scholar.
Harappa is located on the banks of which river?
Correct Answer: A. Ravi
• **Harappa** = located on **Ravi River** (not Indus), in Montgomery district, Punjab, Pakistan. • Ravi is a tributary of the Indus — civilization named 'Indus Valley' for the broader river system, not Harappa's river. • Memory: **H**arappa = **R**avi; **M**ohenjo-Daro = **I**ndus; **K**alibangan = **G**haggar; **L**othal = **B**hogava; **R**opar = **S**utlej. • 💡 Sutlej = Ropar; Ghaggar = Kalibangan; Indus = Mohenjo-Daro — Harappa is specifically on the Ravi River.
Mohenjo-Daro is located on the banks of which river?
Correct Answer: D. Indus
• **Mohenjo-Daro** = on banks of **Indus River (Sindhu)**; in Larkana district, Sindh, Pakistan. • Largest IVC city excavated (~250 hectares); had **Great Bath, Great Granary, Dancing Girl, Pashupati seal**. • The Indus River flooded multiple times — Mohenjo-Daro was **rebuilt at least 7 times** on top of older layers. • 💡 Luni = Rajasthan river; Ravi = Harappa's river; Bhogava = Lothal's river — Mohenjo-Daro is specifically on the Indus.
What is the literal meaning of the word 'Mohenjo-Daro'?
Correct Answer: C. Mound of the Dead
• **Mohenjo-Daro** = **Sindhi** for '**Mound of the Dead**'; named by locals after the ancient burial mounds visible there. • Original ancient name of the city is **unknown** — Indus script remains undeciphered. • Mohenjo-Daro is a **UNESCO World Heritage Site** (1980); located in Larkana district, Sindh, Pakistan. • 💡 Land of Rivers = Mesopotamia meaning (Meso=between, potamia=rivers); City of Gold/Garden of Peace = fictional; Mound of Dead = Sindhi correct.
Lothal is located near which river?
Correct Answer: B. Bhogava
• **Lothal** = on **Bhogava River** (tributary of Sabarmati), Ahmedabad district, Gujarat; near Gulf of Khambhat. • 'Lothal' in Gujarati means **'Mound of the Dead'** — same meaning as Mohenjo-Daro but different language. • Gulf of Khambhat location gave access to **Arabian Sea → Persian Gulf → Mesopotamia** trade route. • 💡 Ghaggar = Kalibangan's river; Ravi = Harappa; Indus = Mohenjo-Daro — Bhogava/Sabarmati tributary = Lothal in Gujarat.
Kalibangan is located on the banks of which ancient river?
Correct Answer: D. Ghaggar
• **Kalibangan** = on **Ghaggar River** (dried up), Hanumangarh district, Rajasthan; 'Kali' = black, 'Bangan' = bangles. • Ghaggar is identified by many scholars with the **lost Saraswati River** — site of ancient Saraswati civilization debate. • Has **both Pre-Harappan and Harappan** phases; known for ploughed field, fire altars, earthquake evidence, black bangles. • 💡 Indus = Mohenjo-Daro; Ravi = Harappa; Chenab = Manda (J&K) — Kalibangan is uniquely on the Ghaggar (Saraswati).
The Indus Valley Civilization was contemporary to which other civilization?
Correct Answer: A. Mesopotamian Civilization
• **IVC (~2500–1750 BCE) = contemporary** with Mesopotamian (Sumerian ~3000–2000 BCE) and Egyptian (~3100–2500 BCE) civilizations. • All three were **Bronze Age** civilizations; Mesopotamian texts mention trade with 'Meluha' (IVC) for carnelian and lapis lazuli. • The **4 ancient river civilizations**: Egypt (Nile), Mesopotamia (Tigris-Euphrates), IVC (Indus), China (Yellow River). • 💡 Greek = 800–146 BCE; Roman = 753 BCE–476 CE; Mayan = 250–900 CE — all are later; Mesopotamia is the correct contemporary.
The literal meaning of 'Kalibangan' is:
Correct Answer: C. Black Bangles
• **Kalibangan** = Hindi/Punjabi for **'Black Bangles'** (Kali = black, Bangan = bangles). • Excavation yielded **huge quantities of terracotta/black clay bangles** — suggests bangle manufacturing center. • Kalibangan in Rajasthan (Ghaggar river) is also famous for: ploughed field, earthquake evidence, fire altars. • 💡 Black River = no such meaning; Black Forest = German word 'Schwarzwald'; Black Hill = Kala Pahar — 'Black Bangles' = Kali+Bangan = Kalibangan.
The Great Bath was found at which site?
Correct Answer: C. Mohenjo-Daro
• **Great Bath** = Mohenjo-Daro's most iconic structure; **12m × 7m × 2.4m deep**; waterproofed with bitumen. • Located in the **Citadel** (upper town), surrounded by changing rooms and a series of smaller baths. • Considered earliest example of a **public water tank / ritual bathing pool** in human history. • 💡 Harappa = granary + cemetery; Kalibangan = fire altars; Lothal = dockyard — Great Bath is exclusively at Mohenjo-Daro.