CBSE Class 6 Social Science The First Cities Of The Indian Subcontinent Worksheet

The First Cities of the Indian Subcontinent

Points to Remember:-

• Bronze Age cities were excavated in 1920s.

• Mohenjo-daro means mound of the dead.

• Indus Valley Civilisation is also known as Harappan Civilisation.

Exercise A:

Q1: Name four important sites of the Indus Valley Civilisation.
Answer : Following are the four important sites of the Indus Valley Civilisation:-
a) Rupar b) Kalibangan
c) Lothal d) Harappa

Q2: What tells us that the Harappans grew wheat and barley?
Answer : Grains found in cracks on the threshing floors show that the Harappans grew wheat and barley.

Q3: Write about the street plan of a typical Indus city.
Answer : The streets were wide , cutting each other at the right angles. Street lights were also there.

Q4: Mention some important crafts of the Harappans.
Answer : Some important crafts of the Harappans were:-
a) Pot-making b) Brick-making
c) Seal-making d) Jewellery-making
e) Metal-casting
f) Toy-making and sculpture

Q5: Prove with one example that the Harappans knew the art of weaving.
Answer : The statuette of a shawl-clad man and terracotta figurines of women wearing skirts are evidences that shows that the Harappans knew the art of weaving.

Q6: Why do we not understand the inscriptions on the Harappan seals?
Answer : We don’t understand the inscriptions on the Harappan seals because nobody has been able to decipher the Indus scripts.

Q7: What do you know about the weights and measures used by the Indus merchants?
Answer : Indus merchants were trading according to the sets of rules. They also used uniform weights and measures.

Q8: Mention one purpose for which the Indus people used large urns.
Answer : The Indus people used large urns to bury the dead bodies.

Q9: Write about one of Lothal’s main industries.
Answer : One of Lothal’s main industry was bead-making industry.

Q10. What possibly led to the decline of the Indus civilisation?
Answer : The Indus cities were probably destroyed by earthquakes, floods or a change in the course of the Indus civilisation.

Exercise B:

Q1. Why is the Indus civilisation also called the Harappan Civilisation?
Answer : The Indus civilisation is also called the Harappan Civilisation because the remains found at all the sites are very similar to those found at Harappa and Mohenjo-daro.

Q2. What do you know about the Great Bath at Mohenjo-daro?
Answer : The Great Bath was a masterpiece of engineering skills. It was made of bricks and was covered with waterproof material to prevent seepage. It was used for religious purposes.

Q3: Mention a few things depicted on the Indus seals.
Answer : A few things depicted on the Indus seals were:-
a) Short inscriptions
b) Inscriptions of animals like bull, buffalo, tiger, etc.
c) Male God
d) Pictures

Q4: Mention some important architectural features of Dholavira
Answer : Some important architectural features of Dholavira are:-
a) In terms of size, Dholavira is one of the largest Indus settlement in India.
b) In town planning is magnificent as it was divided into three parts – a citadel, the middle town and the lower town.
c) It had several wells and large water tanks.

Exercise C

Q1: Explain how cities arose. How is city life different from village life?
Answer : The trade centres where a large number of people settled , developed into cities.
Village Life
1. Villages were small in size.
2. Village life was simple.
3. Village people had similar needs and occupations
City Life
1. Cities were bigger in size.
2. City Life was complex
3. City people had different needs and different occupation

Q2. Briefly describe a typical house of the Indus civilisation.
Answer : The description of a typical house of the Indus civilisation are as follows:-
a) In the lower town houses were one or two storeys high.
b) Almost every house had a well.
c) They were built along narrow straight lanes.
d) They were made of baked bricks.
e) Every house had two or more rooms with small windows, a bathroom, a kitchen and a courtyard.

Q3: What suggests that the Indus people carried on overseas trade?
Answer : The following information suggests that the Indus people carried on overseas trade:-
a) Articles made up of materials that were not available in the region have been excavated.
b) A seal depicting a ship suggests there was overseas trade.