Chapter 6 The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation
Worksheet No. 16 PP Publication
A. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) – with options and correct answers:
- If tin is added to copper the resulting metal is:
(a) Bronze ✅
(b) Aluminium
(c) Steel
(d) Silver - The most favoured ornament of Harappans were made of:
(a) Beads
(b) Shells
(c) Gold
✅ (d) Copper - The traders identified their goods as well as each other by using this:
(a) Dresses
(b) Language
(c) Faces
✅ (d) Seals - Despite all achievements, the Sindhu-Sarasvati civilisation began to fall around:
(a) 1700 BCE
(b) 1800 BCE
✅ (c) 1900 BCE
(d) 2000 BCE - There has been found a dockyard, with length a little more than that of two football grounds, at/in:
(a) Kalibangan
(b) Dholavira
✅ (c) Lothal
(d) Harappa
B. True or False:
- The Harappans were the first in Eurasia to grow cotton and they used to weave it into clothes.
✅ True - The intense agricultural activity was managed by villages and the cities could survive only if enough agricultural produce from rural areas reached them on a daily basis.
✅ True - The Harappans imported bronze metal along with other goods.
❌ False (They made bronze by mixing copper with tin.) - The Harappans used bronze to make tools, pots, pans, figurines, etc.
✅ True - Seals were used by traders to identify goods in the market.
✅ True
C. Fill in the blanks:
- Steatite was a soft stone used to make seals.
- A dockyard in Lothal was used to receive and send boats for goods.
- The most favoured ornaments of the Harappans were beads of carnelian.
- At Dholavira, at least six large reservoirs were built with stones.
- The Harappans made farming tools including the plough.
D. Match the following:
| Column A | Column B |
|---|---|
| 1. Conch shell | (a) Bangles |
| 2. A reddish semiprecious stone | (e) Carnelian |
| 3. Found on the Oman coast | (d) Ivory comb |
| 4. Seals | (c) Steatite |
| 5. A bronze figurine from Mohenjo-Daro | (b) Dancing Girl |
E. Short Answer Questions:
- What the Harappans imported in exchange of the exported goods is not clear. It probably included —
Copper, as it was not commonly available locally. - If tin is added to copper, what is the resulting metal? Which of these two is harder?
It forms bronze, which is harder than copper. - Why did the Harappans return to rural life around 1900 BCE?
Due to climatic changes and the drying up of the Sarasvati river, urban life declined. - What do you observe in the ‘Dancing Girl’ figurine?
She expresses confidence and pride, with bangles covering her entire arm — a custom still seen in parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan. - Do you think workers were paid for their labour like today? (HOTS)
No. There was no money system like today; payment may have been in kind or organized by community leaders.
F. Long Answer Questions:
- Why could cities survive only if enough agricultural produce reached them?
Cities depended on daily food supply from surrounding villages. Without this, urban populations couldn’t sustain themselves. - Describe Harappan trade: what did they export/import and how?
- Exports: Beads, ornaments, timber, cotton, food items
- Imports: Copper (likely), semi-precious stones
- Transport: Via land routes, rivers, and sea (dockyard at Lothal)
- List ornaments worn by Harappans (also draw any two):
- Beads of carnelian, shell bangles, gold items, copper rings, ivory combs
(User can draw: Shell bangles and Carnelian bead necklace)
- Beads of carnelian, shell bangles, gold items, copper rings, ivory combs
- Why did Harappans return to rural settlements? What caused decline?
- Reasons:
- Climatic change around 2200 BCE
- Drying of Sarasvati River
- Lack of water and food forced shift from cities to rural lifestyle.
- Reasons:
G. Paragraph-Based Questions and Answers:
Q1. What caused the decline of the Harappan civilisation?
A: Climatic change (less rainfall) and drying of Sarasvati River, leading to abandoned cities.
Q2. Which two factors have archaeologists proposed?
A:
- A global climatic shift from 2200 BCE causing droughts.
- Sarasvati river dried up, affecting cities like Kalibangan and Banawali.
Q3. What do these factors remind us of?
A: Our dependence on environment and climate for food, water, and survival.
