CBSE Class 6 Social Science The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation Worksheet Set 01

Fill in the Blanks

Question. The river _________ was vital to the Harappan civilisation and is known today as Ghaggar in India.
Answer: Sarasvati
Explanation: The Sarasvati river helped nourish many Harappan settlements in ancient India.

Question. Harappan seals have been found in the _________ Civilisation.
Answer: Mesopotamian
Explanation: Finding Harappan seals far away in Mesopotamia shows both places traded with each other.

Question. The mature phase of Indus Valley Civilisation (2600-1900 BCE) is called _________ .
Answer: Harappan Civilisation
Explanation: When this culture built big brick cities, historians call it the Harappan Civilisation.

Question. The city of _________ was the initial Harappan site to be excavated in 1920-21.
Answer: Harappa
Explanation: Archaeologists dug up Harappa first, giving the whole ancient culture its name.

Question. The Great Bath ruins of the Indus Valley Civilisation are located at _________ (Mohenjo-daro).
Answer: Gujarat state [as given in source; historically Mohenjo-daro, Sindh]
Explanation: The Great Bath is an impressive brick water pool built by ancient city architects.

Question. Harappan cities were famous for their advanced _________ system, which included covered drains.
Answer: drainage
Explanation: Harappan towns kept clean by running wastewater under paved streets in covered gutters.

Question. _________ and _________ were accessible around settlements.
Answer: Water, fertile soil
Explanation: People chose to build homes where they could drink fresh water and grow yummy crops..

True or False

Question. Harappans were the primary people in Eurasia to cultivate cotton.
Answer: True
Explanation: Harappan farmers were among the earliest anywhere to harvest cotton for weaving clothes.

Question. Harappan seals, typically fashioned of clay, were mainly used as a form of currency.
Answer: False
Explanation: Seals were carved mostly from soft steatite rock to label trade goods, not coins.

Question. The downfall of the Indus-Sarasvati civilization around 1900 BCE was mainly caused by foreign invasions.
Answer: False
Explanation: Natural environmental events like dried-up rivers and droughts caused cities to empty.

Question. The famous 'Dancing Girl' is a tiny bronze figurine discovered at the site of Mohenjo-Daro.
Answer: True
Explanation: This famous bronze statue is only about 10.8 cm tall and stands gracefully.

Question. Harappan towns commonly featured well-planned streets and sophisticated drainage systems.
Answer: True
Explanation: Their straight grid roads and covered brick drains were cleaner than many later cities.

Question. The discovery of a large dockyard at Lothal suggests the Harappans engaged in maritime trade.
Answer: True
Explanation: Lothal's brick dock allowed ocean boats to load and unload trade treasures.

Question. The Indus valley seals show the “Swastika” emblem.
Answer: True
Explanation: Harappans engraved many sacred patterns and signs, including the ancient swastika.

Assertion and Reason Questions

Question. Assertion (A): Some of the earliest people who lived near the river Narmada were expert gatherers and hunters.
Reason (R): Hunting and gathering is a type of subsistence lifestyle which relied on hunting fish and animals and required an extensive knowledge about the nearby vegetation.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true but R is false.
(d) A is false but R is true.
Answer: (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
Explanation: Early hunter-gatherers knew every forest plant and root to survive safely in the wild.

Question. Assertion (A): The Harappan civilisation did not participate in long-distance trade.
Reason (R): Lothal, one of the Harappan sites, had a well-constructed dockyard, indicating maritime trade activities.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true, but R is false.
(d) A is false, but R is true.
Answer: (d) A is false, but R is true.
Explanation: The giant dockyard at Lothal proves Harappans traded goods far across the ocean using boats.

Question. Assertion: Most of the Harappan settlements were situated along the banks of rivers.
Reason: The soil near rivers is fertile.
(A) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
(B) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
(C) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.
Answer: (A) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
Explanation: Fertile soil alongside rivers gave people plentiful crops and plenty of water, so they chose to settle there.

Questions / Short Question Answers

Question. What was one of the main items the Harappans exported?
Answer: Ornaments.
Explanation: Harappan artisans made beautiful beads, bangles, and decorations that people in other countries loved to buy.

Question. Imagine the large number of workers required to construct such a network of reservoirs. Who do you think organised their work and gave them precise instructions? How do you think they were paid for their labour? (Hint: there was no money at that time in the way we have today.) Since the reservoirs needed to be cleaned from time to time, was there some local authority to manage their maintenance? What clues do we get from all this about this city's ruler and municipal administration? Use your imagination and discuss with your teacher. Archaeologists also discuss these questions and the answers are not always final!
Answer: The construction of reservoirs might be organised by the government and administration. As there was no money, they might have been paid through cereals or some other goods. There might be a system of municipal administration that took care of cleanliness of reservoirs from time to time. As there is a system of government and administration, there will be authorities assigned to different sections in administration.
Explanation: City managers gave work to builders and paid them with sacks of grain and cloth instead of coins, while city cleaners kept the water tanks clean.

Question. How did the geography of the Indus-Sarasvatī region aid the growth of civilisation?
Answer: The fertile plains of the Indus and Sarasvatī rivers provided ideal conditions for farming, which supported the growth of villages into towns and cities. The rivers also made trade easier and provided water for drinking and farming. The geography of the region helped the Harappans create a stable and prosperous civilisation.
Explanation: Good river water and soft, rich soil helped farmers grow lots of crops so small farming villages could grow into busy cities.

Question. What factors are believed to have led to the decline and eventual abandonment of Harappan cities? Examine the evidence for these factors.
Answer: Current theories point to climatic change (increased aridity from around 2200 BCE impacting agriculture) and the drying up of the Sarasvati River system (leading to abandonment of cities in its basin). Warfare is largely ruled out due to lack of evidence.
Explanation: The main clues show the weather became very dry and the rivers changed course, leaving people without enough water to survive in the cities.

Question. Did the Harappans have modern water systems?
Answer: Yes, they built drains, wells, and reservoirs.
Explanation: Even though they lived thousands of years ago, they had brick drains and clean water wells just like our modern towns!

Question. What is the reddish decorative stone, used for beads by Harappans and found mostly in Gujarat, called?
Answer: Carnelian.
Explanation: Carnelian is a glossy, reddish-orange stone crafted into shiny jewelry beads.

Question. What alloy is formed when tin is added to copper, making it harder?
Answer: Bronze.
Explanation: Bronze is made by melting copper and tin together to get a tough metal.

Question. At which Harappan site in Gujarat was an immense basin, likely a dockyard, discovered?
Answer: Lothal.
Explanation: Lothal was an ancient port city with a massive dock for cargo ships.

Question. What were the small, generally square tokens with animal figures and writing signs, used by Harappans, called?
Answer: Seals.
Explanation: Seals were small stone stamps used by traders to mark and seal goods.

Question. What were its primary achievements?
Answer: The Harappan Civilisation achieved great things for its time, here are some of their major achievements :
• Urban Planning : Well-planned cities with grid layouts, drainage systems, and sanitation facilities.
• Advanced Architecture : Use of fired bricks, multi-storied buildings, and impressive granaries.
• Craft and Technology : Skilled in metalworking, pottery and seal carving. Developed a system of weights and measures.
• Trade : Extensive trade network with Mesopotamia and other regions. Evidence of trade goods like beads and tools.
• Writing System : Developed a writing system, though its full decipherment remains a work in progress.
Explanation: The Harappans were famous for straight streets, two-story brick houses, clean bathrooms, standard measuring weights, and sailing to distant lands to trade.

Question. What was the main cause for the decline of the Harappan civilisation?
Answer: The decline had multiple reasons - climate change, drying rivers, floods, and possibly shifts in trade.
Explanation: A combination of less rain, dried-up rivers, and changing trade routes caused people to slowly leave their grand cities.

Question. Define 'civilization' and explain at least five key features that archaeologists use to identify one, with examples from the Indus-Sarasvati Civilization.
Answer: A civilization is an advanced stage of human society. Key characteristics include:
1. Urbanism (e.g., planned cities like Harappa with grid streets).
2. Government (implied by planned cities, large structures).
3. Crafts (e.g., carnelian beads, pottery).
4. Trade (e.g., seals, dockyard at Lothal).
5. Writing (e.g., Harappan script on seals).
Explanation: Archaeologists identify a civilization by looking for city grids, craft shops, trading ports, written symbols, and leaders organizing public works.

Question. What were Harappan seals utilised for?
Answer: Harappan seals, often made of steatite, were likely used to mark goods and identify traders. The seals had animal figures and writing, which suggest they were important in trade.
Explanation: Seals were used like name tags or security stamps pressed into clay to show who owned the packed trade goods.