Class 6 History Notes

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Indus Valley Civilization

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I. Fill in the blanks:

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The Indus Valley Civilisation was the Earliest civilisation of India.
2. Harappa is situated in Sahiwal district in Pakistan.
3. The Indus Valley Civilisation stood on the bank of river Indus
4. The largest building discovered at Mohenjodaro is Great Granary.

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5. Bronze metal was used by the people of the Indus Valley Civilisation.
6. Indus people used Burnt bricks for constructing buildings.
7. The Harappan culture came to an end by 1500 BC.

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II. Match Column A with Column B
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III. Answer the following questions?
Question 1.
Who discovered the Indus Valley Civilisation and when?
Answer:
Mr. Daya Ram Sahni discovered the ruins of Harappa in 1921. Next year, in 1922
Dr. Rakhal Das Bannerjee discovered the ruins of Mohenjodaro.

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Question 2.
What does civilisation mean? Give four characteristics of a civilisation.
Answer:
The stage of development when man looks for more than just fulfillment of his
basic needs, is called civilisation.
Characteristics of a civilisation:

1. Surplus food production

2. Flourishing of many arts and crafts
3. Law and order exists
4. Presence of a government.

Question 3.
Why did the earliest civilisations grow up near rivers?
Answer:
The earliest civilisations grew up on the banks of rivers because of the following
reasons.

1. The rivers provided abundant supply of water for various purposes all
through the year.
2. The lands near the rivers were very fertile, hence good for growing crops.
3. Rivers provided means of transport and communication.

Question 4.
Name the different sites of the Indus Valley Civilisation.
Answer:
Various sites of the Indus Valley Civilisation were —The river valleys had warm
and pleasant climate which favoured permanent settlement of population.
Harappa, Mohenjodaro, Lothal, Kalibangan, Ropar, Alamgirpur, Banwali,
Sutkagendor and others.

Question 5.
Describe the town planning and the drainage system of the Indus Valley
Civilisation.
Answer:
The cities were divided into two parts. The upper part called ‘citadel’ was built on
a raised ground. It was inhabited by the upper class and had public buildings
such as granaries. The lower part was inhabited by the common people. Each
house had a courtyard, several rooms around it, a toilet and a well. All the
buildings were built of burnt bricks. Large blocks of houses were built along both
the sides of streets.The roads were wide and straight and cut each other at right
angles. Smaller streets led to bigger streets. The streets had lamp posts. The
drainage system was of the highest order ; even many of our present towns do

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not have such excellent drainage system. House drains were connected to the
street drains which joined the main drains which emptied outside the city limits.
The drains were covered with stone slabs and had manholes at regular intervals.
They were cleaned regularly.The Indus people were veiy conscious of hygiene
and sanitation.

Question 6.
Describe the Great Bath. Where has it been found? What was it used for?
Answer:

1. The Great Bath was a sort of modem swimming pool, discovered at

Mohenjodaro. It is an example of excellent engineering’ work. It was built
of burnt brick. It measures 11 .-88 x 7.01 metres
2. The lands near the rivers were very fertile, hence good for growing crops.
3. Rivers provided means of transport and communication.
4. The river valleys had warm and pleasant climate which favoured
permanent settlement of population.

Question 7.
Describe the Great Granary. Where has it been found?
Answer:
The Great Granary was found at Mohenjodaro and it was the largest building
discovered there. It was used for storing grains in huge quantities for lean
periods. Brick platforms have been found near the granaries which were used for
threshing grain. Many two-room shelters have also been found nearby which
were perhaps used by labourers. Granaries were built close to river banks to
facilitate easier transportation of grains during emergencies.

Question 8.
Describe the religion of Indus Valley Civilisation
Answer:
The Harappans worshiped the pipal tree and humped bull which have been
found on hundreds of seals. They also worshiped Mother Goddess which were
beautifully depicted as terracotta figurines. The Harappans also worshiped
‘Shiva’ or ‘Pashupati’. A three-faced figure with horns has been found sitting in
the posture of a yogi. He is surrounded by a tiger, a rhinoceros, a buffalo, and an
elephant. But no temple or any other religious building has been found so far.
The Harappans believed in life after death and buried the dead with his
belongings.

Question 9.
Name the three social classes of the Indus Valley Civilisation.

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Answer:
The three social classes were:

1. Rich merchants and priests e. the ruling class.

2. Small merchants, artisans and craftsmen.
3. Peasants and labourers.

Question 10.
What were the probable causes which could have brought about an abrupt end
to the Indus Valley Civilisation?
Answer:
There are many reasons attributed to the fall of the Indus Valley Civilisation.

1. The Harappan cities were destroyed by invaders who were probably the
Aryans.
2. Natural calamities such as floods, earthquakes and epidemics might have
destroyed the civilisation.
3. River Indus might have changed its course and turned the region into a
desert.

IV. Give reasons why we say that the people of the Indus Valley Civilisation
—

1. Had a good sense of cleanliness

2. Carried on trade with Mesopotamia
3. Produced surplus grains
4. Had an idea of metallurgy

Answer:

1. The arrangement of drains, wide roads and houses with toilets and drains
attest to their sense of cleanliness.
2. Mesopotamian seals have been found in Harappan cities and Harappan
seals have been discovered in cities of ancient Mesopotamia.
3. Big granaries and existence of towns prove the fact that they produced
surplus food grains.
4. A bronze figure of a dancing girl has been found. Several other images,
weapons, utensils and tools of copper and bronze have also been found.
Jewellery made of gold and silver has been found at various sites.

Textbook Keywords

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1. Dwelling houses are buildings, that people live in and but do not use as
offices, trading places, etc.
2. Public building These buildings are used by all the people and are not
privately owned.
3. Granaries were the store houses where the people of Indus valley
civilization stored their extra grain. The Great Granary was discovered at
Harappa.
4. Great Bath was a big tank at Mohanjodaro that was probably used by the
general public during religious ceremonies. Drainage system It is a
process by which water or liquid waste is drained out from an area.
5. Terracotta It is a reddish-brown clay that has been baked. Seals are the
clay tablets used by Harappan merchants to stamp their goods.
6. Mother Goddess was the female deity worshiped by the people of the
Indus Valley civilization. Many smoke- stained clay figures of the Mother
Goddess have been found

Additional Questions

A. Fill in the blanks.

1. The main river of the Harappan civilization was Ravi.

2. The Great Bath is located in Mohenjodaro.
3. The main occupation of the Harappan were farming.
4. The rich wore ornaments made of gold, silver and ivoiy.
5. The Harappan seals are made of clay, soapstone and copper.

B. Match the following:

Answer:

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C. Choose the correct answer:

1. The Harappan civilization belongs to the Mesolithic/ Neolithic/Bronze

Ans. The Harappan civilization belongs to the Bronze Age.

2.Lothal/Ropar/Harappa was the first city to be discovered in the Indus Valley

region.
Ans. Harappa was the first city to be discovered in the Indus Valley region.

3. The Assembly Hall is in Mohanjodaro/Lothal/Harappa.

Ans. The Assembly Hall is in Mohanjodaro.

4. Wheat/Fish/Barley was the staple food of the Harappans.

Ans. Wheat was the staple food of the Harappans.

5. The neem/banyan/pipal tree was probably regarded as sacred by the

Harappans.
Ans. The pipal tree was probably regarded as sacred by the Harappans.

D. State whether the following are true or false.

1. The Harappan cities had an elaborate drainage system.

False.
Correct: The Harappan cities had well planned system.
2. Domestication of animals was the main occupation of the Harappans.
False.
Correct: Farming was the main occupation of the Flarappans.
3.The Harappans decorated their pottery with various designs.
True.
4.The Harappans built strong boats.
True.
5. The Indus Valley civilization was governed by kings and queens.
False.
Correct: The Indus Valley civilization was not governed by kings and queens

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E. Answer the following questions in one or two words/ sentences:

Question 1.
What discoveries proved that India had a 4,500-year old urban civilization?
Answer:
The excavations carried out at various sites prove that around 4,500 years ago
highly civilized people lived in this region and gave to the world its earliest cities,
its first town planning, its first architecture in stone and clay and its first example
of sanitary engineering and drainage system.

Question 2.
Why is the Indus Valley Civilization also called the Harappan civilization?
Answer:
The Indus Valley civilization is also called the Flarappan civilizations because the
things found in all the sites were very much like the articles found at Harappa.

Question 3.
Why did the Indus Valley people build granaries close to the river bank?
Answer:
All the granaries were built close to the river bank so that the grains could be
easily transported with the help of boats.

Question 4.
Give one example to prove that the Indus Valley bronzesmiths were skilled
craftspeople.
Answer:
The bronzesmiths made tools, weapons and metal sculptures such as the
famous figure of the ‘dancing girl’. They were also engaged in other crafts like
brick laying, boat making, stone cutting, masonry and carpentry.

Question 5.
How do we know that the Harappans had trade relations with the
Mesopotamians?
Answer:
Trade relations with Mesopotamia have been proved with the discovery of
Mesopotamian seals in the cities of the Indus Valley Civilization and Harappan
seals in the ancient cities of Mesopotamia.

F. Answer the following questions briefly:

Question 1.
How were the Harappan cities planned? Explain briefly the main features of their
dwelling houses.

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Answer:
The Harappan cities were well-planned. The main streets ran parallel to each
other, cut at right angles by smaller, streets, dividing the cities into rectangular
blocks. The main roads were straight and very wide. The streets were often
paved with baked bricks.Dwelling houses were building that people live in. They
were in different sizes. They were made of baked bricks of very good quality. But
they not used as office, trading place etc.

Question 2.
With reference to the engineering skills of the Indus Valley people, explain briefly
the features of
(1)The Great Bath and
(2) the drainage system
Answer:

1. The Great Bath: It was important building at Mohenjodero. This building

resembled a large swimming pool, It had six entrances,central bathing
pool, galleries and dressing rooms. It was probably used by the general
public during religious ceremonies.
2. The drainage system: The people of the Indus valley had an excellent,
well-planned drainage system. The Kitchens and the bathrooms had drains
connected to the street drains. The street drains ran along the side of the
streets and were usually covered. They had manholes at regular intervals.
The drainage system proves that the Indus Valley people paid great
attention to sanitation and cleanliness.

Question 3.
Give a brief account of

1. Great Granary
2. Assembly Hall

Answer:

1. Great Granary: The Great Granary at Harappa was a large building.

Historians believe that it was used to store surplus food grains. There were
two rows of granaries. Each row had six granaries.
2. Assembly Hall: The Assembly Hall was another striking building found in
Mohenjodaro. It was a pillared hall with thick walls and 20 pillars made of
burnt or baked bricks. This may have been and assembly hall, a prayer
hall or a palace.

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Question 4.
Describe

1. The dress and

2. Ornaments of the Indus Valley people.

Answer:

1. Dress: People wore cotton and woolen garments. Two- piece dresses
were worn by both men and women. The men wore a garment similar to
the dhoti while the women wore skirts. The upper garments was a shawl
worn around the shoulder.
2. Ornaments: Both men and women wore ornaments. They wore
necklaces, amulets and finger rings. The women also wore a headdress,
earrings, bangles, girdles, bracelets and anklets. The rich wore ornaments
made of gold, silver and ivory. The poor wore shell, bone and copper
jewellery.

Question 5.
Describe the occupation and crafts of the Harappan people.
Answer:
The main occupation of the people of the Indus Valley was farming. Farmers
gr«w wheat, barley, fruits and vegetables. They also cultivated cotton. The land
was fertile. The second occupation of the people of the Indus Valley was
domestication of animals like goat, sheep, buffaloes, elephants, bulls, dogs and
cats.The Indus Valley people were excellent potters and skilled crafts people.
They made pottery of various shapes and sizes. They also made terracotta. The
goldsmiths made gold and silver jewellery, copper smiths made utensils and the
bronze smith made tools, weapons and metal sculptures. The people were also
engaged in other crafts like brick laying, boat making, stone cutting, masonry and
carpentry. Spinning and weaving were important occupations.

Question 6.
Write short notes on the following:

1. Trade
2. Seals of the Indus Valley

Answer:

1. Trade: The Indus Valley people carried on flourishing trade both within and
outside India. They traded with countries like Mesopotamia, (Iraq), Persia
(Iran) and Afghanistan. Trade was carried on both by land and sea routes.

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Bullock carts, boats and ships were probably used for transport. A
dockyard has been discovered at Lothal.
2. Seals of the Indus Valley: More than 2,000 seals have been unearthed
from various sites. They are generally small, flat, rectangular or square in
shape and made of clay, soapstone and copper. They are skillfully carved
with figures of humans and animals such as the unicorn, humped bull,
goat, tiger, elephant, etc. These seals were probably used by merchants
and traders to stamp goods.

Question 7.
The study of objects and artifacts found in the ruins of the Indus Valley cities help
us us to form an idea of Harrapan religion. Explain.
Answer:
Some of the objects found in the ruins help us to form an idea of the religion of
the Harappans. No temples have been found. Numerous smoke-stained clay
figures of a female deity have been found. This was probably the Mother
Goddess. A three faced figure, seated in a yogic posture and surrounded by
various animals is engraved on some seals. The pipal tree was probably
regarded as sacred and worshiped. The discovery of a large number of amulets
suggests that people probably wore them as lucky charms to ward off evil spirits.

Question 8.
How did the Harappan civilization end?
Answer:
These are some causes of the decay of the Harappan civilization.

1. The Harappan might have been destroyed by natural calamities like

earthquakes, floods.
2. The climate also began to change and the region became more and more
dry like a desert.
3. Perhaps the Aryans attacked their cities and destroyed them.
4. An epidemic or some terrible disease might have killed the people.

G Picture study.

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