CBSE Class 6 Social Science The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation MCQs Set 04

Practice MCQs for Class 6 Social Science Chapter 6 The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation

Access targeted multiple-choice questions for Chapter 6 The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation designed to align with the latest CBSE academic syllabus for Class 6 Social Science. These objective practice sets help students evaluate their conceptual understanding and improve exam readiness.

Access Chapter 6 The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation Questions and Solutions

Access the complete set of multiple-choice questions for Chapter 6 The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation below. This focused format allows students to isolate specific topics for thorough review and uninterrupted practice alongside official CBSE textbooks.

Question: What substance were the Harappan seals generally made of?
(A) Gold
(B) Clay
(C) Steatite
(D) Marble
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (C) Steatite

Explanation:
1. Steatite is a soft mineral stone, also called soapstone.
2. It was easy to carve animals and signs into it.
3. After carving, it was heated to make it hard and durable.

Question: Which substance was most commonly used for constructing houses in Harappan cities?
(A) Stone
(B) Wood
(C) Brick
(D) Clay
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (c) Brick

Explanation:
1. Harappans made strong bricks from wet clay.
2. They baked these bricks in hot kilns or under the sun.
3. Almost all walls and houses were built using these bricks.

Question: What word is generally used to describe an advanced stage of human societies with complex structures?
(A) A simple tribe
(B) A nomadic group
(C) A civilization
(D) A rural hamlet
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (C) A civilization

Explanation:
1. When humans build cities, have rules, and write, they form a civilization.
2. It has trade, good planning, and organized jobs.
3. This is more advanced than a small village or nomadic tribe.

Question: The growth of cities in the Indus-Sarasvati region is often referred to as the 'First _____ of India'.
(A) Agricultural Revolution
(B) Urbanization Phase
(C) Maritime Expansion
(D) Religious Reformation
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (B) Urbanization Phase

Explanation:
1. Urbanization means the birth and spread of planned cities.
2. The Harappan period was the first time big cities appeared in India.
3. Therefore, historians call it the 'First Urbanization' of India.

Question: In modern India, where is the ancient Harappan site, Dholavira located?
(A) Haryana
(B) Punjab
(C) Rajasthan
(D) Gujarat
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (D) Gujarat

Explanation:
1. Dholavira is located on Khadir Bet island in the Rann of Kutch.
2. This area is in the state of Gujarat in India.
3. It is famous for stone architecture and big water tanks.

Question: Why did the Sindhu-Sarasvatī civilisation start to fall apart around 1900 BCE?
(A) Due to invasions from neighbouring civilisations
(B) Because of internal conflicts and civil wars
(C) Due to abandonment of cities and shift to rural lifestyles
(D) Due to a sudden increase in population
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (C) Due to abandonment of cities and shift to rural lifestyles

Explanation:
1. Rivers changed and dried up, making city life very hard.
2. People left the big towns to find water and food.
3. They moved to smaller villages and lived a simple rural life.

Question: The Great Bath is an area of
(a) Mohenjo-daro
(b) Lothal
(c) Dholavira
(d) Kalibangan
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (a) Mohenjo-daro

Explanation:
1. The Great Bath is one of the most famous buildings found.
2. It was excavated at the site of Mohenjo-daro in Sindh.
3. It features stairs leading down into a brick-lined water tank.

Question: What was a regular characteristic of the larger Harappan cities regarding their layout and construction features?
(A) They grew haphazardly
(B) They had precise plans
(C) They lacked any streets
(D) They used only wood
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (B) They had precise plans

Explanation:
1. Harappan builders planned their cities very carefully before building.
2. Roads met at right angles like a chessboard.
3. Drains, wells, and walls were all placed in neat order.

Question: The lands of Punjab and Sindh, watered by the Indus and its tributaries, were favorable for what activity?
(A) Deep sea fishing
(B) Mountainous herding
(C) Early agriculture
(D) Desert nomadism
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (C) Early agriculture

Explanation:
1. The river floodplains had rich, soft soil called silt.
2. Plenty of water made it easy to grow wheat and barley.
3. This allowed early people to farm easily and produce lots of food.

Question: Which material was used by Harappans to make seals?
(A) Steatite
(B) Clay
(C) Gold
(D) Bronze
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (A) Steatite

Explanation:
1. Harappans used steatite stone to make their stamp seals.
2. It was soft enough to carve fine details easily.
3. Most seals found by archaeologists are made of this material.

Question: What is a fortification, a typical feature surrounding many Harappan cities, primarily designed for the people?
(A) A decorative garden space
(B) A large open marketplace
(C) A massive protective wall
(D) A public water reservoir
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (C) A massive protective wall

Explanation:
1. A fortification is a high, thick wall built around a city.
2. It protected citizens from dangerous wild animals and floods.
3. It also helped control who entered and left the city.

Question: Which of the statements is true about the Harappans?
(A) The Harappans did not develop a writing system and only relied on oral traditions.
(B) The trade activities of the Harappans were only carried out within their boundaries.
(C) The Harappans were very hygienic.
(D) The cities of the Harappan Civilisation were not planned properly as they lacked uniformity.
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (C) The Harappans were very hygienic.

Explanation:
1. Harappans cared greatly about cleanliness and health.
2. Almost every house had its own bathroom and access to fresh water.
3. Dirty water flowed away in neat, covered underground drains.

Question: Which of the following rivers is linked with the early Indus Valley Civilisation?
(A) Kaveri
(B) Ganga
(C) Sarasvati
(D) Brahmaputra
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (C) Sarasvati

Explanation:
1. The Indus and Sarasvati river basins were home to this culture.
2. Rivers like Kaveri and Brahmaputra are far away from this area.
3. Many early Harappan towns grew along the Sarasvati riverbed.

Question: What material were the houses in most Harappan cities, including individual houses, generally made of primarily?
(A) Only large stone blocks
(B) Mainly sun-dried mud
(C) Mostly baked bricks
(D) Primarily wooden planks
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (C) Mostly baked bricks

Explanation:
1. Bricks were fired in hot kilns to make them hard and long-lasting.
2. Builders laid them in interlocking patterns to make strong walls.
3. That is why many brick walls are still standing today.

Question: What are the people of the Indus-Sarasvati Civilization commonly referred to by archaeologists and historians today?
(A) The Mesopotamians
(B) The early Egyptians
(C) The Harappans
(D) The ancient Greeks
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (C) The Harappans

Explanation:
1. Harappa was the very first site discovered in this civilization.
2. Historians name an ancient culture after the first site found.
3. So, these people are commonly called the Harappans.

Question: How did Harappans clear their waste?
(A) Dumped outside the city
(B) Burned in large pits
(C) Used drainage systems
(D) No waste disposal system
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (C) Used drainage systems

Explanation:
1. Harappan cities were very clean and well planned.
2. Every house had drains connected to street drains.
3. Waste water flowed through these covered drains out of the city.

Question: What is the key feature of a Civilisation?
(A) Nomadic lifestyle
(B) Absence of writing
(C) Advanced urban planning
(D) Lack of trade
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (C) Advanced urban planning

Explanation:
1. A civilisation has well-built towns and cities.
2. People plan their roads, houses, and water systems nicely.
3. This smart planning makes city life easy and organised.

Question: Which of the following was NOT one of the ancient human settlements in ancient India?
(A) Mehrgarh
(B) Lothal
(C) Mohenjo-daro
(D) Taxila
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (D) Taxila

Explanation:
1. Mehrgarh, Lothal, and Mohenjo-daro are very old Bronze Age and Stone Age sites.
2. Taxila grew much later as a great city and learning center.
3. Therefore, Taxila does not belong to the earliest group of settlements.

Question: Why are the inhabitants of the Indus Valley Civilisation named ‘Harappans’?
(A) They lived near the Sarasvati River
(B) The city of Harappa was the first to be excavated
(C) They spoke the Harappan language
(D) They invented the first writing system
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (B) The city of Harappa was the first to be excavated

Explanation:
1. Archaeologists found the city of Harappa first.
2. All similar sites found later were named after it.
3. That is why this whole culture is called the Harappan civilisation.

Question: Which craft was highly developed in the Harappan Society?
(A) Weaving
(B) Pottery and bead making
(C) Metal casting only
(D) Carving in wood only
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (B) Pottery and bead making

Explanation:
1. Harappan workers were famous for making shiny beads.
2. They also made beautiful red and black clay pots.
3. These fine pots and beads were used daily and traded far away.

Question: What was a common element of Harappan cities in terms of construction?
(A) Made of wood
(B) Made of bricks with uniform quality
(C) Made of stones with varied quality
(D) Built on hills
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (B) Made of bricks with uniform quality

Explanation:
1. Harappans used strong baked clay bricks to build walls and houses.
2. The bricks were made in standard, matching sizes.
3. This made their buildings very strong and long-lasting.

Question: Fill in the gap: The Harappan script is yet to be __________.
(A) Written
(B) Deciphered
(C) Forgotten
(D) Developed
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (B) Deciphered

Explanation:
1. Harappans wrote signs and pictures on seals and pots.
2. Experts today cannot read what those signs mean.
3. When a script cannot be read yet, we say it is not deciphered.

Question: What was the chief reason for the decline of the Harappan Civilisation?
(A) Invasion by foreign armies
(B) Lack of trade
(C) Climatic changes and drying up of the Sarasvati River
(D) Over population
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (C) Climatic changes and drying up of the Sarasvati River

Explanation:
1. Rivers gave people water to drink and grow food.
2. The weather changed and major rivers dried up over time.
3. Without water, people had to leave their cities.

Question: How did the Harappans control water?
(A) By building dams
(B) By digging wells and drainage systems
(C) By using canals only
(D) Relying on rainwater only
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (B) By digging wells and drainage systems

Explanation:
1. Harappans dug deep round wells for clean drinking water.
2. They also built neat brick drains to carry dirty water away.
3. This helped keep their cities clean and healthy.

Question: What was the primary role of the Great Bath in Mohenjo-daro?
(A) Agricultural storage
(B) A temple for worship
(C) A residential house
(D) None of the above
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (D) None of the above

Explanation:
1. The Great Bath was a large special water tank.
2. Important people took ritual holy baths there during special occasions.
3. It was not a storehouse, house, or temple.

Question: Which metal did the Harappans use widely for their tools and ornaments?
(A) Iron
(B) Silver
(C) Bronze
(D) Platinum
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (C) Bronze

Explanation:
1. Harappan people lived in the Bronze Age.
2. They made bronze by mixing copper with tin.
3. They did not know how to use iron.

Question: Who were the leading people in the Harappan social structure?
(A) Only kings and farmers
(B) Traders, farmers, priests, and rulers
(C) Only priests
(D) Only farmers and traders
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (B) Traders, farmers, priests, and rulers

Explanation:
1. Harappan society had many different groups of people.
2. Farmers grew crops and traders bought and sold goods.
3. Rulers and priests looked after city planning and rituals.

Question: What does the presence of beads of carnelian in Harappan sites show about their society?
(A) They had advanced trade networks
(B) They lacked artistic skills
(C) They did not use metals
(D) They were isolated from other regions
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (A) They had advanced trade networks

Explanation:
1. Carnelian is a pretty red stone found only in certain places.
2. Harappans brought these stones from far away to make beads.
3. This shows they traded with far-off lands.

Question: Which animal was valuable to Harappan people?
(A) Elephant
(B) Horse
(C) Cattle
(D) Lion
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (C) Cattle

Explanation:
1. Harappan farmers kept humped cattle like bulls and cows.
2. Cattle gave milk and helped pull heavy carts and ploughs.
3. They are shown on many Harappan clay seals.

Question: What type of proof suggests that Harappans were engaged in maritime trade?
(A) Discovery of airplanes
(B) Large dockyards such as the one at Lothal
(C) Presence of submarines
(D) Use of paper boats
Show Answer & Explanation

Answer: (B) Large dockyards such as the one at Lothal

Explanation:
1. Lothal had a big brick basin where boats could stop.
2. Ships loaded and unloaded goods there from the sea.
3. This proves that Harappans traded by sea.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) for Class 6 Social Science Chapter 6 The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation

About Chapter 6 The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation MCQs for Class 6 Social Science

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