- Around how many years ago did major changes begin in Harappan cities?
a) 2500 years ago
b) 3900 years ago
c) 1000 years ago
d) 4700 years agoAnswer: b) 3900 years ago
Explanation: Around 3900 years ago, people started abandoning Harappan cities, and major changes began in their way of life.
- Which of the following is NOT a sign of decline in Harappan cities?
a) Writing, seals, and weights were no longer used
b) Drainage systems stopped functioning properly
c) People started building larger and better houses
d) Raw materials from distant places became rareAnswer: c) People started building larger and better houses
Explanation: Instead of larger and better houses, new houses were poorly built, sometimes even over streets, indicating urban decline.
- What evidence suggests that Mohenjodaro was in decline?
a) The construction of new temples
b) The increase in trade with Mesopotamia
c) Garbage piled up on streets, and drainage systems broke down
d) The rise of kings and palacesAnswer: c) Garbage piled up on streets, and drainage systems broke down
Explanation: Archaeologists found that waste was left uncollected in streets, drainage systems were not maintained, and overall city planning deteriorated.
- Which natural factor might have contributed to the decline of Harappan cities?
a) The eruption of a volcano
b) Earthquakes and tsunamis
c) Drying up of rivers and deforestation
d) The spread of desertificationAnswer: c) Drying up of rivers and deforestation
Explanation: Some scholars suggest that rivers dried up, while deforestation occurred as fuel was needed for baking bricks and smelting metals.
- How might deforestation have contributed to the decline of the Harappan civilization?
a) It led to overpopulation
b) It reduced the availability of land for farming and caused environmental degradation
c) It made the land fertile
d) It increased the number of treesAnswer: b) It reduced the availability of land for farming and caused environmental degradation
Explanation: Large-scale deforestation may have led to soil erosion, affecting agriculture and making it difficult to sustain urban populations.
- Why is it difficult to pinpoint a single reason for the end of the Harappan civilization?
a) Because no archaeologists have studied it
b) Because there are multiple possible causes affecting different areas
c) Because the civilization never actually declined
d) Because Harappan rulers destroyed historical evidenceAnswer: b) Because there are multiple possible causes affecting different areas
Explanation: Different factors like floods, deforestation, and drying rivers may have contributed to the decline in different regions.
- What happened to many of the people after the cities declined?
a) They moved to smaller settlements in the east and south
b) They became rulers of new kingdoms
c) They continued to live in the cities
d) They migrated to MesopotamiaAnswer: a) They moved to smaller settlements in the east and south
Explanation: Many people from the Harappan cities moved to other areas and formed smaller settlements.
- Which of the following statements about the end of Harappan cities is true?
a) New cities emerged immediately after the decline
b) Harappan civilization was destroyed by a single war
c) There was a long gap before new cities emerged
d) The Harappan cities were abandoned due to an epidemicAnswer: c) There was a long gap before new cities emerged
Explanation: New cities did not emerge immediately after the decline; instead, there was a gap of about 1400 years before urban centers reappeared.
- Which of these reasons does NOT explain the decline of Harappan civilization?
a) The decline of trade and economy
b) The destruction of cities by invaders
c) The loss of effective rulers
d) The breakdown of urban planning and infrastructureAnswer: b) The destruction of cities by invaders
Explanation: While some theories suggested invasions, there is little archaeological evidence to confirm that the Harappan civilization was destroyed by invaders.
- When did new cities start emerging after the decline of the Harappan civilization?
a) About 500 years later
b) About 1000 years later
c) About 1400 years later
d) About 200 years later
Answer: c) About 1400 years later
Explanation: After the decline of Harappan cities around 3900 years ago, new cities began to emerge approximately 1400 years later.
