Very 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)
Very Short Answer Type Questions | NCERT Based | CBSE Board Exams
These Very Short Answer Type Questions are prepared strictly according to the NCERT textbook and are ideal for quick revision, objective preparation, and source-based understanding for the CBSE Class 12 History Board Examination.
1. Discovery and Excavation of Harappan Sites
Q1. Who first excavated the site of Harappa?
Harappa was first excavated by Daya Ram Sahni.
Q2. Which archaeologist excavated Mohenjo-daro?
Mohenjo-daro was excavated by R.D. Banerjee.
Q3. In which decade was the Harappan Civilisation discovered?
It was discovered in the 1920s.
Q4. Name any one major Harappan site in Gujarat.
Dholavira is a major Harappan site in Gujarat.
Q5. What type of sources are mainly used to study the Harappans?
Archaeological sources are mainly used.
2. Harappan Town Planning and Architecture
Q6. What were Harappan cities generally divided into?
They were divided into the citadel and the lower town.
Q7. What material was commonly used to build Harappan houses?
Baked bricks were commonly used.
Q8. What was the most remarkable feature of Harappan drainage?
Covered and well-planned drainage systems.
Q9. What pattern was used for Harappan streets?
A grid pattern with streets intersecting at right angles.
Q10. What does the uniformity of bricks suggest?
It suggests centralized planning and standardisation.
3. Subsistence Strategies and Economy
Q11. Name one major crop grown by the Harappans.
Wheat was a major crop grown by the Harappans.
Q12. Which animals were commonly domesticated?
Cattle, sheep, goats, and buffaloes were domesticated.
Q13. What do granaries indicate?
They indicate storage of surplus food.
Q14. Which activity supplemented agriculture?
Hunting and fishing supplemented agriculture.
Q15. What evidence shows agricultural practices?
Ploughed fields and plant remains show agriculture.
4. Craft Production, Trade, and Seals
Q16. Name one semi-precious stone used for bead-making.
Carnelian was used for bead-making.
Q17. Which Harappan site is considered a port town?
Lothal is considered a port town.
Q18. What material were most seals made of?
Most seals were made of steatite.
Q19. What was the main purpose of seals?
Seals were used to mark ownership and trade goods.
Q20. What does long-distance trade indicate?
It indicates economic prosperity and organisation.
5. Social and Religious Life
Q21. What do terracotta figurines suggest?
They suggest fertility worship.
Q22. Which seal is linked with proto-Shiva?
The Pashupati seal.
Q23. What does uniform housing suggest?
It suggests limited social inequality.
Q24. Where were fire altars found?
Fire altars were found at Kalibangan.
Q25. What kind of society did Harappans have?
They had an organised urban society.
6. Decline of the Harappan Civilisation
Q26. Around which year did the decline begin?
Around 1900 BCE.
Q27. Name one environmental cause of decline.
Climate change was one cause.
Q28. What happened to major cities after decline?
Many cities were gradually abandoned.
Q29. Was the decline sudden or gradual?
The decline was gradual.
Q30. Which natural factor affected agriculture?
Shifting river courses affected agriculture.
7. Archaeological Interpretation and Evidence
Q31. Why is archaeology crucial for Harappan study?
Because the script is undeciphered.
Q32. What do animal bones help archaeologists study?
Diet and domestication practices.
Q33. What does stratigraphy help determine?
The chronological sequence of layers.
Q34. What scientific method dates organic remains?
Carbon dating.
Q35. Why can interpretations change?
Due to new discoveries and research.
8. Quick Revision Questions
Q36. What age does the Harappan Civilisation belong to?
The Bronze Age.
Q37. What type of script did Harappans use?
Pictographic script.
Q38. Name one Harappan craft.
Bead-making.
Q39. Which metal was commonly used?
Copper.
Q40. What shows planned sanitation?
Advanced drainage systems.
Q41. What does uniformity reflect?
Administrative control.
Q42. Name a coastal Harappan site.
Lothal.
Q43. What was the primary economic base?
Agriculture.
Q44. What do seals indicate about society?
Organised trade and authority.
Q45. What do wells inside houses show?
Advanced civic planning.
Q46. What material evidence helps study religion?
Seals and figurines.
Q47. What indicates surplus production?
Granaries.
Q48. What type of economy did Harappans have?
Urban-based economy.
Q49. What do standard weights show?
Regulated trade.
Q50. What kind of planning did cities show?
Scientific urban planning.
Q51. What does abandonment of cities suggest?
Economic and environmental stress.
Q52. What is the main limitation of Harappan study?
Undeciphered script.
Q53. What shows craft specialisation?
Separate craft workshops.
Q54. What supports external trade evidence?
Foreign artefacts.
Q55. What does planned urban life reflect?
Efficient administration.