208. What might the ‘Pipal tree’ scene on a Mohenjodaro seal
represent?
a) The connection between tree and water spirits
b) A deity worshipped by a group of priestesses
c) A battle between gods and animals
d) The union of male and female deities
Answer: d) The union of male and female deities
209. What is suggested by the finding of a woman’s skull in a
jar at Chanhu Daro?
a) It was a sacrificial offering to a guardian deity
b) It was an object of domestic worship
c) It represented the spirit of a deceased ruler
d) It was used in medicinal practices
Answer: a) It was a sacrificial offering to a guardian deity
210. What does the predominance of ‘Mother Goddess’ figurines in
Harappan domestic settings likely represent?
a) Worship for prosperity and wealth
b) Worship for fertility and childbirth
c) Worship for protection against natural disasters
d) Worship of animal deities for hunting
Answer: b) Worship for fertility and childbirth
211. What is the speculation regarding the function of the Great
Bath at Mohenjodaro?
a) It was a bathing area for public use
b) It was a space for ritual bathing for religious purification
c) It was a water storage structure
d) It was a palace for rulers
Answer: b) It was a space for ritual bathing for religious purification
212. What does the presence of stone cones and rings in Harappan
settlements possibly signify?
a) Symbols of fertility or a phallic cult
b) Objects used in trade and commerce
c) Tools for construction
d) Weapons for religious rituals
Answer: a) Symbols of fertility or a phallic cult
213. What does the prevalence of the ‘unicorn’ on Indus seals
likely represent?
a) The most sacred deity of the Harappan people
b) A mythical animal symbolizing protection
c) A regular animal used in sacrifices
d) The emblem of the ruling class
Answer: d) The emblem of the ruling class
214. What is the significance of the ‘sacrificial pits’ found at
various Harappan sites such as Kalibangan and Lothal?
a) They indicate the presence of a central temple
b) They represent regional cults with potential ritual significance
c) They are evidence of widespread animal sacrifice
d) They were used for storing sacred objects
Answer: b) They represent regional cults with potential ritual significance
215. What is suggested by the claim that the Indus religion had
roots in pre-historic naturalistic beliefs?
a) The Harappans believed in a pantheon of deities similar to later Hindu gods
b) The Indus people continued to worship animals and trees as spiritual
entities
c) The religion was influenced by external cultures from Mesopotamia
d) It led to the development of formal Vedic rituals
Answer: b) The Indus people continued to worship animals and trees as
spiritual entities
216. What is the current understanding of the Harappan script?
a) It is a phonetic script with 26 symbols
b) It is a pictographic script with around 400 to 600 signs
c) It is a complex alphabetic script related to Sanskrit
d) It was exclusively used for administrative purposes
Answer: b) It is a pictographic script with around 400 to 600 signs
217. What is the major challenge in deciphering the Harappan
script?
a) The script was only used in religious texts
b) The inscriptions are too long to analyze
c) The language remains unknown due to the script's brevity and lack of context
d) The inscriptions are written in multiple languages
Answer: c) The language remains unknown due to the script's brevity and lack
of context
218. Which theory about
the Harappan language has been supported by scholars like Parpola and
Mahadevan?
a) The language belongs to the Indo-European family
b) The language is based on a Sumerian foundation
c) The language is Dravidian
d) The language is a mix of Semitic and Dravidian roots
Answer: c) The language is Dravidian
219. Which alternative theory regarding the Harappan script was
proposed by S.R. Rao?
a) The script is related to the Sumerian language
b) The script represents a pre-Indo-Aryan Indo-European language
c) The script uses a syllabic system similar to Phoenician
d) The script is an early form of the Brahmi script
Answer: d) The script is an early form of the Brahmi script
220. What is the method followed by Natwar Jha in deciphering
the Harappan script?
a) He used analogies with Dravidian languages
b) He adopted a Semitic-like syllabic system
c) He compared the script to ancient Sumerian signs
d) He tried to correlate it with Vedic language structures
Answer: d) He tried to correlate it with Vedic language structures
221. According to Rajaram, what is the relationship between the
Indus script and other ancient scripts?
a) The Indus script is unrelated to any known ancient scripts
b) The Indus script is the precursor to the Phoenician alphabet
c) The Indus script has connections to the Brahmi script and other ancient
alphabets
d) The Indus script directly influenced the development of the Greek alphabet
Answer: c) The Indus script has connections to the Brahmi script and other
ancient alphabets
222. What is a significant feature of some of the Indus script
inscriptions?
a) They are written from right to left
b) Most inscriptions follow a boustrophedon style
c) All inscriptions are written vertically
d) Inscriptions are written in a pictorial form with no accompanying text
Answer: a) They are written from right to left
223. What material were
the Indus seals primarily made from?
a) Terracotta
b) Copper
c) Steatite (soft stone)
d) Marble
Answer: c) Steatite (soft stone)
224. What is the most common animal depicted on the majority of
Indus seals?
a) Elephant
b) Tiger
c) Humpless bull (unicorn)
d) Zebu
Answer: c) Humpless bull (unicorn)
225. What feature of the
humpless bull (unicorn) is significant on the Indus seals?
a) Its horns are depicted as pointing backward
b) Its horns are shown superimposed on each other and pointing forward
c) Its tail is unusually long
d) It is shown with wings
Answer: b) Its horns are shown superimposed on each other and pointing
forward
226. What is the likely purpose of the short decorated post in
front of animals on the seals?
a) A standard or banner
b) A ritual offering
c) A pillar for religious worship
d) A marker for animal sacrifices
Answer: a) A standard or banner
227. Which type of seals is primarily characterized by a carved
animal and an inscription?
a) Rectangular seals
b) Button seals
c) Square seals
d) Cylinder seals
Answer: c) Square seals
228. What do the clay sealings found among ashes in Lothal's
ventilation shafts suggest about the purpose of the seals?
a) They were used for religious rituals
b) They marked ownership of property and merchandise
c) They were used exclusively for personal identification
d) They were for ceremonial burial practices
Answer: b) They marked ownership of property and merchandise
229. What is the characteristic of the standard or banner
depicted in the seals with animals such as elephants and tigers?
a) It is a simple circular disc
b) It consists of a round tapering shaft, a bow-like top, and a square or round
platform
c) It is a straight rod with a decorative end
d) It is a hanging ornament attached to the animals
Answer: b) It consists of a round tapering shaft, a bow-like top, and a
square or round platform
230. Why might the humpless bull (unicorn) on the seals be
considered a mythical creature rather than a real animal?
a) It is never depicted with realistic features
b) It does not resemble any known breeds of cattle
c) It is shown with wings and a tail of fire
d) Its depiction includes supernatural elements not found in real animals
Answer: d) Its depiction includes supernatural elements not found in real
animals
231. What does the
discovery of seal impressions on merchandise at Lothal suggest about the seals'
role in Indus society?
a) They were used for artistic purposes only
b) They were used to mark ownership and trade goods
c) They were used as personal religious symbols
d) They were symbols of political authority
Answer: b) They were used to mark ownership and trade goods
232. What evidence supports the use of seals to mark ownership
of property?
a) The presence of seals only in religious contexts
b) The seal impressions on clay sealings and merchandise bales
c) The use of seals as family heirlooms
d) The large number of seals found in royal tombs
Answer: b) The seal impressions on clay sealings and merchandise bales
233. What is the primary material used in the creation of most
terracotta figurines from the Indus Valley?
a) Bronze
b) Steatite
c) Terracotta
d) Stone
Answer: c) Terracotta
234. What type of figurines are commonly found in the Harappan
archaeological sites?
a) Human and animal figurines
b) Only animal figurines
c) Only human figurines
d) Only mythical creatures
Answer: a) Human and animal figurines
235. What is a distinctive feature of the female figurines found
in Harappan settlements?
a) They are generally more decorated than male figurines
b) They are always depicted naked
c) They have exaggerated facial features and simple dress
d) They are usually without headwear
Answer: a) They are generally more decorated than male figurines
236. What purpose is likely associated with the terracotta cart
figurines?
a) Ritual offerings
b) Models for religious idols
c) Toys
d) Religious symbols
Answer: c) Toys
237. Which stone was commonly used in the creation of sculptures
in the Indus Valley?
a) Marble
b) Steatite, limestone, and alabaster
c) Granite
d) Jade
Answer: b) Steatite, limestone, and alabaster
238. What is the best-known bronze figurine from the Indus
Valley?
a) A seated male dancer
b) A standing priestess
c) A nude dancing girl
d) A warrior on horseback
Answer: c) A nude dancing girl
239. What is a distinctive feature of the "dancing
girl" bronze figurine?
a) She is holding a spear
b) She is depicted with a large headdress
c) She is nude, with her right hand on her hip and arms covered with bangles
d) She is accompanied by a bull
Answer: c) She is nude, with her right hand on her hip and arms covered with
bangles
240. What type of pottery was more common in the Harappan
civilization?
a) Painted pottery
b) Plain pottery
c) Glazed pottery
d) Polychrome pottery
Answer: a) Painted pottery
241. Which of the following was a common motif in the decoration
of Harappan pottery?
a) Sun and moon patterns
b) Geometrical shapes, animals, birds, and tree patterns
c) Human faces
d) Abstract symbols
Answer: b) Geometrical shapes, animals, birds, and tree patterns
242. What is a unique feature of glazed pottery in the Harappan
civilization?
a) It is the first known example of glazed pottery in the ancient world
b) It was mostly used for ceremonial purposes
c) It was highly decorative with intricate patterns
d) It was primarily used for storage purposes
Answer: a) It is the first known example of glazed pottery in the ancient
world
243. What type of pottery was likely used for straining liquor?
a) Perforated pottery
b) Knobbed pottery
c) Polychrome pottery
d) Glazed pottery
Answer: a) Perforated pottery
244. What is the significance of the jar found at Lothal that
depicts a scene of birds and a fox?
a) It represents the origin of the Panchatantra story
b) It shows an early form of religious imagery
c) It depicts a historical event
d) It is related to a trade route
Answer: a) It represents the origin of the Panchatantra story
245. Where were cemeteries generally located in the Indus Valley
settlements?
a) In the center of the settlement
b) On the outskirts of the settlement
c) Near the riverbanks
d) Beneath the houses
Answer: b) On the outskirts of the settlement
246. Which of the following types of burials was found at
Mohenjodaro?
a) Cremation only
b) Complete, fractional, and post-cremation burials
c) Only post-cremation burials
d) Only fractional burials
Answer: b) Complete, fractional, and post-cremation burials
247. What is a characteristic of the general burial practice in
the Harappan civilization?
a) Bodies were always buried with their heads to the south
b) Bodies were generally buried lying on their back with the head to the north
c) All bodies were cremated
d) Bodies were buried standing up
Answer: b) Bodies were generally buried lying on their back with the head to
the north
248. Which of the following describes a burial method found at
Kalibangan?
a) Use of wooden coffins
b) Brick chamber or cist burials
c) Burial with a reed shroud
d) Burial in a large pot
Answer: b) Brick chamber or cist burials
249. What evidence was found at Lothal suggesting burial
practices involving coffins or shrouds?
a) The use of clay urns for burials
b) The lining of graves with mudbricks
c) Skeletons buried with jewelry
d) Evidence of mummification
Answer: c) Skeletons buried with jewelry
250. What type of burial was discovered at Surkotada?
a) Brick chamber burials
b) Pot burials
c) Wooden coffin burials
d) Fractional burials
Answer: c) Wooden coffin burials
251. What does the discovery of pairs of male and female
skeletons in a single grave at Lothal suggest?
a) The practice of sati or ceremonial burial of dependents
b) The use of communal burial sites
c) The presence of rich and poor burials
d) The occurrence of mass burial events
Answer: a) The practice of sati or ceremonial burial of dependents
252. What were the primary uses of weights and measures in the
Harappan civilization?
a) Religious rituals
b) Commercial and building purposes
c) Textile production
d) Ceremonial offerings
Answer: b) Commercial and building purposes
253. How did the weights used by the Harappans progress?
a) In increasing increments of 10
b) In a series of doubling units, from 1, 2, 4, 8 to 64, etc.
c) In random sizes without a set pattern
d) In units based on body size
Answer: b) In a series of doubling units, from 1, 2, 4, 8 to 64, etc.
254. What is the unit of length used by the Harappans that was
equivalent to one angula in the Arthasastra?
a) 50 cm
b) 37.6 cm
c) 45 cm
d) 60 cm
Answer: b) 37.6 cm
255. What is the cubit measurement range used by the Harappans
for length?
a) 35.8 to 37.6 cm
b) 51.8 to 53.6 cm
c) 40 to 42 cm
d) 55 to 60 cm
Answer: a) 35.8 to 37.6 cm
256.
Which river is believed to have been a mighty river during Harappan times,
possibly identified as the Sarasvati river in Vedic texts?
a) Indus river
b) Ghaggar-Hakra river
c) Ganges river
d) Yamuna river
Answer: b) Ghaggar-Hakra river
257.What
natural event is suggested as a possible cause for the shift in the
Ghaggar-Hakra river, leading to the destruction of cities?
a) Volcanic eruption
b) Earthquakes in the Himalayas
c) Droughts in the region
d) Flooding from the Ganges
Answer: b) Earthquakes in the Himalayas
258.According
to the economic decline theory, what caused the collapse of the Harappan civilization?
a) A collapse in agriculture
b) A severe decline in trade leading to economic depression
c) The invasion of foreign powers
d) Natural disasters
Answer: b) A severe decline in trade leading to economic
depression
259.What
signs of socio-cultural erosion have been reported by archaeologists in the
Harappan cities?
a) Massive squatter colonies and street encroachments
b) Increase in religious rituals and temples
c) Construction of large public buildings
d) Improved sanitation systems
Answer: a) Massive squatter colonies and street encroachments
260.What
happened to the survivors of the Harappan civilization according to the theory
of survival and continuity?
a) They migrated to Europe
b) They adopted the culture of their new homelands in the south
c) They were assimilated into the Aryan culture
d) They fled to the north to join other civilizations
Answer: b) They adopted the culture of their new homelands in
the south
261.What
was the traditional theory regarding the end of the Harappan civilization?
a) They were destroyed by a volcanic eruption
b) The civilization collapsed due to internal rebellion
c) The Harappans were destroyed by invading Aryans
d) They peacefully assimilated into other cultures
Answer: c) The Harappans were destroyed by invading Aryans
262.What
evidence did early proponents of the Aryan invasion theory cite to suggest the
Harappans were destroyed by invaders?
a) A large number of gold artifacts found in Mohenjodaro
b) Skeletons found in the upper levels of the eastern mound at Mohenjodaro
c) Writing in a foreign language discovered on seals
d) Evidence of massive military fortifications
Answer: b) Skeletons found in the upper levels of the eastern
mound at Mohenjodaro
263.What
has been established regarding the skeletons found at Mohenjodaro?
a) They were buried during a ceremonial ritual
b) They all died from wounds caused by an invasion
c) The cut marks on some skeletons did not lead to death
d) They were found in a military context
Answer: c) The cut marks on some skeletons did not lead to
death
264.What
objects found in the north-west regions are mistakenly associated with Aryan
invaders by some scholars?
a) Pottery from the Indus valley
b) Objects of west and central Asiatic derivation
c) Bronze statues of animals
d) Weapons from the Rigveda
Answer: b) Objects of west and central Asiatic derivation
265.How
do modern scholars interpret the objects of Afghan origin found in the Quetta
and Mehrgarh areas?
a) As evidence of an invasion
b) As part of the trade network of the mature Harappan period
c) As relics of the Aryan civilization
d) As evidence of contact with ancient Egypt
Answer: b) As part of the trade network of the mature Harappan
period
266.What
is the primary reason for the misunderstanding of the Aryan invasion theory?
a) Lack of evidence for an invasion
b) Misinterpretation of Sanskrit and local languages by European scholars
c) Misunderstanding of archaeological data
d) The failure to find any Harappan artifacts
Answer: c) Misunderstanding of archaeological data
267.
What does the Late Harappan phase refer to?
a) A sudden and complete end to the Indus civilization
b) A decline and transformation within the Indus civilization itself
c) A new cultural group entering the Indus valley
d) The invasion of Aryans
Answer: b) A decline and transformation within the Indus
civilization itself
268.Where
were signs of a degenerate Late Harappan Phase first observed?
a) Mohenjodaro
b) Harappa
c) Rangpur in Gujarat
d) Sind (Jhukar and Lohumjodaro)
Answer: d) Sind (Jhukar and Lohumjodaro)
269.What
characterized the Late Harappan pottery known as Cemetery H ware?
a) Lustrous red clay
b) Intricate geometric patterns
c) Smaller size and absence of drains and baths
d) Brightly colored polychrome designs
Answer: c) Smaller size and absence of drains and baths
270.Which
region showed evidence of transformation during the Late Harappan period due to
new pottery and cultural changes?
a) South Baluchistan
b) Indo-Gangetic divide
c) Punjab and Haryana
d) Gujarat
Answer: d) Gujarat
271.What
is a key feature of Late Harappan sites in Gujarat?
a) A dramatic cultural discontinuity
b) The use of trade networks and interaction with foreign regions
c) Abandonment of agriculture
d) Large, fortified cities
Answer: a) A dramatic cultural discontinuity
272.What
led to a shift of focus of settlements towards the Doab during the Late
Harappan period?
a) A decline in agricultural output
b) A shift in the Ghaggar-Hakra river's course
c) The arrival of new cultural groups
d) The invention of new irrigation techniques
Answer: b) A shift in the Ghaggar-Hakra river's course
273.What
caused the decline of the Harappans, according to scholars?
a) A sudden invasion by Aryans
b) Economic depression and overcrowding in cities
c) Environmental changes and the drying up of the Ghaggar-Hakra river
d) A major earthquake
Answer: c) Environmental changes and the drying up of the
Ghaggar-Hakra river
274.Which
area saw a significant movement of Harappans during the Late Harappan period,
leading to interaction with the Ganga valley and other regions?
a) Sind
b) Gujarat
c) The Doab
d) Baluchistan
Answer: c) The Doab
275.How
did Harappans adapt during their expansion into new regions, such as the Deccan
or Malwa?
a) By establishing large cities
b) By creating small, diversified agricultural settlements
c) By adopting new agricultural techniques
d) By merging with the Kulli culture
Answer: b) By creating small, diversified agricultural
settlements
276.What
evidence suggests that Harappan urban traits disappeared but agriculture
remained prevalent during the Late Harappan period?
a) The absence of large settlements and urban planning
b) Increased use of trade with distant regions
c) The arrival of new cultural invaders
d) Growth of fortified cities
Answer: a) The absence of large settlements and urban planning