Short Answer Type Questions
CBSE Class 12 – History
Chapter 1: Bricks, Beads and Bones – The Harappan Civilisation
Part I: Themes in Indian History – Part I (Ancient India)
Short Answer Type Questions | NCERT Based | CBSE Board Examinations
These Short Answer Type Questions are designed strictly according to the NCERT textbook. They are ideal for 3–4 mark answers and help students practise clear, structured, and exam-ready responses for the CBSE Class 12 History Board Examination.
1. Discovery and Archaeological Sources
Q1. How was the Harappan Civilisation discovered?
The civilisation was discovered in the 1920s during excavations at Harappa and Mohenjo-daro,
revealing a previously unknown ancient urban culture.
Q2. Why are archaeological sources crucial for Harappan history?
Because the Harappan script remains undeciphered, historians rely mainly on material remains
such as buildings, tools, seals, and bones.
Q3. Mention two important Harappan sites and their significance.
Harappa is important for early discoveries, while Mohenjo-daro is known for its Great Bath
and advanced drainage system.
Q4. What limitations do historians face while studying the Harappans?
The main limitation is the undeciphered script, which prevents direct knowledge of political
and social institutions.
Q5. How do excavations help reconstruct Harappan life?
Excavations reveal town planning, crafts, economy, food habits, and religious practices.
2. Harappan Town Planning and Architecture
Q6. Describe the basic layout of Harappan cities.
Cities were divided into a raised citadel and a lower town, with streets laid in a grid pattern.
Q7. What does the use of standardized baked bricks indicate?
It indicates technological advancement, uniform planning, and centralised authority.
Q8. How does the drainage system reflect civic planning?
Covered drains connected to houses show concern for sanitation and urban hygiene.
Q9. What was the purpose of the citadel?
The citadel housed important public buildings and possibly administrative or ritual structures.
Q10. What does uniform housing suggest about society?
It suggests a relatively egalitarian society with limited social inequality.
3. Subsistence Strategies and Economy
Q11. Describe the agricultural practices of the Harappans.
They cultivated wheat, barley, and other crops, supported by animal domestication.
Q12. What is the significance of granaries?
Granaries indicate surplus production and organised storage of food grains.
Q13. How did animals contribute to Harappan economy?
Animals provided food, helped in farming, and supported transport and trade.
Q14. What evidence suggests hunting and fishing?
Fish bones, hooks, and hunting tools found at sites indicate these activities.
Q15. How did rivers support Harappan agriculture?
River systems provided fertile soil and adequate water for cultivation.
4. Craft Production, Trade, and Seals
Q16. Describe Harappan craft production.
Harappans produced beads, pottery, metal tools, shell objects, and textiles,
showing craft specialisation.
Q17. How does bead-making reflect Harappan skill?
The use of semi-precious stones and advanced techniques shows high craftsmanship.
Q18. What evidence indicates internal and external trade?
Seals, standardized weights, and foreign artefacts suggest organised trade networks.
Q19. Why was Lothal important?
Lothal functioned as a major port town facilitating maritime trade.
Q20. Why are seals important historical sources?
They provide information about trade, administration, and religious beliefs.
5. Social and Religious Life
Q21. What do terracotta figurines suggest?
They suggest fertility worship and religious beliefs related to nature.
Q22. Explain the significance of the Pashupati seal.
It is associated with proto-Shiva worship and early religious ideas.
Q23. What do fire altars indicate?
Fire altars suggest ritual and ceremonial practices.
Q24. How can social differences be inferred from houses?
Variation in house sizes indicates some degree of social differentiation.
Q25. What does urban organisation reveal about Harappan society?
It reflects discipline, cooperation, and efficient administration.
6. Decline of the Harappan Civilisation
Q26. When did the decline of the civilisation begin?
The decline began around 1900 BCE.
Q27. Mention two causes of the decline.
Climate change and shifting river courses were major causes.
Q28. Why is the decline considered gradual?
Archaeological evidence shows slow abandonment of cities, not sudden destruction.
Q29. How did environmental changes affect the economy?
They reduced agricultural output and weakened trade networks.
Q30. What happened to cities after the decline?
Many urban centres were abandoned or turned into rural settlements.
7. Archaeological Interpretation and Methods
Q31. How do archaeologists reconstruct Harappan life?
By analysing material remains such as tools, buildings, bones, and seals.
Q32. Why do historical interpretations differ?
Interpretations vary due to limited evidence and new discoveries.
Q33. What is the role of carbon dating?
It helps determine the age of organic remains.
Q34. What does stratigraphy help determine?
It establishes the sequence of occupation layers at sites.
Q35. Why is Harappan history described as evolving?
New evidence continuously reshapes historical understanding.
8. Quick Revision Questions
Q36. Which age does the Harappan Civilisation belong to?
The Bronze Age.
Q37. What type of script did the Harappans use?
Pictographic script.
Q38. Name one major Harappan craft.
Bead-making.
Q39. Which metal was commonly used?
Copper.
Q40. What shows advanced sanitation?
Covered drainage systems.
Q41. What do standard weights indicate?
Regulated trade.
Q42. Name a coastal Harappan site.
Lothal.
Q43. What was the economic base?
Agriculture.
Q44. What do wells inside houses show?
Advanced civic planning.
Q45. What does uniform planning reflect?
Central authority.
Q46. What indicates surplus production?
Granaries.
Q47. What do seals reveal about economy?
Organised trade.
Q48. What do animal bones help study?
Diet and domestication.
Q49. What affected agriculture during decline?
Environmental changes.
Q50. What is the biggest challenge in Harappan study?
Undeciphered script.
Q51. What does city planning reflect?
Scientific urban management.
Q52. What shows craft specialisation?
Separate workshops.
Q53. What supports long-distance trade?
Foreign artefacts.
Q54. What shows administrative efficiency?
Standardisation.
Q55. Why is this civilisation historically important?
It represents one of the earliest urban cultures.