4Aug, 2025
Chapter 6 -The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation

Worksheet -14 PP Publication

A. Tick the correct option (MCQs):

  1. One of the oldest civilisations in the world is
    (a) Indus
    (b) Harappan
    (c) Indus-Sarasvati
    (d) All of these ✅
  2. The river Sarasvati is first mentioned in the
    (a) Ramayana
    (b) Mahabharata
    (c) Rig Veda ✅
    (d) Vishnu Purana
  3. The river worshipped both as a goddess and as a river flowing ‘from the mountain to the sea’:
    (a) Beas
    (b) Indus
    (c) Ghaggar
    (d) Sarasvati ✅
  4. Lothal and Dholavira were discovered in
    (a) Punjab
    (b) Haryana
    (c) Rajasthan
    (d) Gujarat ✅
  5. Which of the following characteristics of a civilisation is the most fundamental one?
    (a) Government and administration
    (b) Cultural ideas/crafts
    (c) Trade
    (d) Agriculture ✅

B. True or False:

  1. The inhabitants of the Indus Valley civilisation are called Harappans.
    True ✅
  2. The river Sarasvati later dried or disappeared.
    True ✅
  3. Mohenjo-Daro is in Haryana (India).
    False ❌ (It is in Pakistan)
  4. The Mesopotamian civilisation began in 3000 BCE.
    False ❌ (It began around 6000 years ago — ~4000 BCE)
  5. The Indus Valley civilisation extended much beyond the Indus region.
    True ✅

C. Fill in the blanks:

  1. Towns and cities grew along Indus and its tributaries.
  2. The Indus civilisation is also called the ‘First Urbanisation’ of India.
  3. The term civilisation is used for an advanced stage of human societies.
  4. Harappan was the earliest civilisation of the Indian Subcontinent.
  5. River Sarasvati was first mentioned in the Rig Veda.

D. Match Column A with Column B:

Column AColumn B
1. A river that flows into a larger river(d) Tributary
2. A technique to extract metal from its ore.(e) Metallurgy
3. Enough to feed not only just the villages(a) A productive agriculture
4. Town planning(c) Urbanisation
5. Flows during the rainy season(b) Seasonal

E. Match cities with modern regions:

CityModern Region
1. Mohenjo-Daro(e) Sindh
2. Dholavira(c) Gujarat
3. Harappa(b) Punjab
4. Rakhigarhi(a) Haryana
5. Kalibangan(d) Rajasthan

F. Very Short Answer Questions:

  1. Define the following terms: (a) Metallurgy: The technique of extracting metals from nature, purifying or combining them, and studying their properties. (b) Civilisation: An advanced stage of human society with urbanism, administration, agriculture, writing, culture, and trade.
  2. Which river is worshipped as a goddess?
    Sarasvati River
  3. Name the two important cities which grew along the Indus and its tributaries.
    Harappa and Mohenjo-daro

G. Short Answer Questions:

  1. Give the course of the river Sarasvati.
    The Sarasvati River flowed from the foothills of the Himalayas through Haryana, Punjab, parts of Rajasthan, and Gujarat. It is now known as the Ghaggar in India and Hakra in Pakistan.
  2. What is urbanism?
    Urbanism refers to the planning and development of cities, including town planning, drainage, water supply, and infrastructure.
  3. Write down the main tributaries of the Indus. Important cities grew along these rivers. Why?
    The main tributaries include the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej. Cities grew along them due to fertile soil, water for agriculture, and ease of transport and trade.
  4. What are the two main reasons for developing different forms of writing?
    To keep records and to communicate — especially for trade and administration.
  5. What do you understand by the term ‘a productive agriculture’?
    Agriculture that produces enough surplus to feed not only villages but also cities.

H. Long Answer Questions:

  1. What characteristics should a civilisation have? Explain them.
    A civilisation should have:
    • Some form of government and administration
    • Urban planning and cities
    • A productive agriculture
    • Trade (internal and external)
    • A writing system
    • Crafts and industries
    • Cultural expressions like art, literature, and architecture
  2. How can you say that all these characteristics are present in most societies in the world today?
    Today’s societies have governments, cities with infrastructure, written languages, varied trades, agriculture supporting urban life, and vibrant cultural traditions — all rooted in ancient civilisational traits.

I. Assertion and Reasoning:

  1. Assertion: Today the inhabitants of Indus civilisation are called Harappans.
    Reason: The city of Harappa was the first of this civilisation to be excavated, way back in 1920–21.
    Answer: (a) Both Assertion and Reason are true, and Reason is the correct explanation of Assertion. ✅
  2. Assertion: The plains of Punjab and Sindh are favourable to agriculture.
    Reason: These plains could only feed the villages.
    Answer: (c) Assertion is true, but Reason is false. ✅