CLASS: VI SEC : SOCIAL STUDIES HIS– TERM 1
NAME : THE FIRST CIVILIZATION NOTES
OF INDIA
I ANSWER THE FOLLOWING
1. Name a few occupations of the people of the Indus Valley Civilization.
Ans: Agriculture, animal husbandry, making bronze figurines, making ornaments, bead
making, cloth weaving, pottery making and trade were some occupations of the Indus
Valley civilization.
2. Describe the town planning of Harappan cities.
Ans: a. The Harappan cities were well planned.
b. There was a citadel to the west of each city.
c. It was elevated position with a lower town containing brick houses below the
citadel.
d. The houses followed the grid system where the main streets intersected each
other at right angles, dividing the city in rectangular blocks.
e. The cities had an impressive drainage system.
f. The water from the houses flowed into covered drains in the streets, which had
manholes.
3. Explain how art and craft was an important industry in the Indus Valley civilization.
Ans: a. In the Indus Valley Civilization, people specialised in craftwork like sculpting,
polishing beads and making seals.
b. They made vessels, ornaments, tools and weapons, as well as bronze figurines.
c. Ornaments like beads, pendants, armlets, brooches and bracelets were made.
d. Bead-making was an important craft.
e. The most artistic achievement was the making of seals on which engravings
looked realistic.
f. Cloth weaving, pottery-making and making terracotta figurines were also
practised.
4. Give one distinguishing feature each of Harappa, Mohenjodaro, Lothal and Kalibangan.
Ans: Mohenjodaro:
● The Great Bath is the most important building and compared of a tank made of
beautiful brick work.
● At the north and the south ends are brick steps that lead to the bottom of the tank.
Harappa:
● In the citadel at Harappa, we find as many as six granaries.
● Harappa had a grid-like layout with well-organized streets.
Lothal:
● A brick dockyard was discovered at Lothal, which, according to the historians,
could have been one of the important cities of the Indus Valley Civilization.
Kalibangan:
● In Kalibangan many houses had their own wells. Also, five altars have been
found which indicate that some kind of sacrifice was performed here.
5. Mention briefly the suggested causes behind the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization.
Ans: ● Planning and construction became less efficient than earlier times.
● In Mohenjodaro, the city became weak under the pressure of population.
● City plans were no longer followed
● Expansion of the neighbouring desert increased the salinity of the soil and
decreased fertility reducing the production of crops.
● Floods are considered as cause for decline.
● Excavations revealed that Mohenjodaro itself was flooded more than once.
6. What are the main features of the Indus Valley Civilization?
Ans: ● The Harappan cities are distinguished by their town planning.
● The general layout of Harappa, Mohenjodaro, Kalibangan, and Rakhigarhi is
similar.
● To the west of each was citadel, fortified by crenellated walls.
● The arrangement of the houses in the lower town followed the grid system and
had an impressive drainage system.
● It had an important buildings like Great bath and granary etc.
● Agriculture was the important economic activity.
● Different art and craft activities practices and they were very active in trade and
commerce.
7. In the outline of India map mark the following :
a) Harappa
b) Mohenjodaro
c) Ropar
d) Mehrgarh
e) Kalibangal
f) Dolavira
g) Lothal
h) Balakot [Refer pg: 23]
