Ancient Indian History
🔒 Log in to trackIndus Valley (Harappan) Civilisation
🔒 Log in to trackThe Harappan civilisation is India's oldest city culture. It used copper and bronze but no iron. Its towns had grid streets, covered drains and burnt bricks. Exams ask which site is famous for which find, where each site lies, and who dug it.
How it was found
Harappa was dug first, in 1921, by Daya Ram Sahni. It lies on the Ravi in Punjab, Pakistan.
Mohenjo-daro ("mound of the dead") was dug in 1922 by R.D. Banerji. It lies on the Indus in Sindh.
Sir John Marshall announced the new civilisation in 1924. Because Harappa came first, the correct name is the Harappan civilisation.
| Point | Fact |
|---|---|
| Age | Bronze Age (copper and tin) |
| Iron | Not known |
| Mature phase | About 2600 to 1900 BCE |
| Script | Picture signs, still undeciphered |
How the cities were built
Every big city followed one plan. This plan is the most asked fact.
- A raised citadel stood in the west. It held the rulers' buildings and granaries.
- The lower town lay in the east. Ordinary people lived there.
- Streets crossed at right angles. This is a grid pattern.
- Drains ran along the streets and were covered.
- Bricks were burnt. Their ratio was 1 : 2 : 4.
Tip: Say "citadel west, town east". Do not reverse it.
The Great Bath of Mohenjo-daro is a public tank with steps on two sides. Its lining is waterproof bitumen. The Great Granary stood nearby.
Sites and their finds
Learn each site with its one famous find.
| Site | River and place | Famous find |
|---|---|---|
| Harappa | Ravi, Punjab (Pakistan) | Rows of granaries, Cemetery R-37 |
| Mohenjo-daro | Indus, Sindh (Pakistan) | Great Bath, Dancing Girl, Pashupati seal |
| Chanhudaro | Indus, Sindh | Bead-making workshop; no citadel |
| Lothal | Bhogava, Gujarat | Dockyard, rice husk, fire altars |
| Kalibangan | Ghaggar, Rajasthan | Ploughed field, fire altars |
| Banawali | Ghaggar, Haryana | Clay plough model, barley |
| Dholavira | Kutch, Gujarat | Water reservoirs, 10-letter signboard |
| Rakhigarhi | Ghaggar plain, Haryana | Largest site in India |
| Surkotada | Kutch, Gujarat | Horse bones |
| Ropar | Sutlej, Punjab | First site dug after Independence |
Watch: A ploughed field is Kalibangan. A clay plough model is Banawali.
The four far corners
| Direction | Site | Place |
|---|---|---|
| North | Manda | Chenab, J&K |
| South | Daimabad | Pravara, Maharashtra (bronze chariot) |
| East | Alamgirpur | Hindon, UP |
| West | Sutkagendor | Dasht, Baluchistan |
The memory line is "Many Donkeys Are Slow". It gives north, south, east, west.
Who dug which site
| Site | Excavator |
|---|---|
| Harappa | Daya Ram Sahni (1921) |
| Mohenjo-daro | R.D. Banerji (1922) |
| Chanhudaro | N.G. Majumdar (1931) |
| Lothal | S.R. Rao (1954 to 55) |
| Ropar | Y.D. Sharma (1953 to 55) |
| Kalibangan | B.B. Lal and B.K. Thapar (1960s) |
| Dholavira | R.S. Bisht (1990) |
Farming, trade and craft
- Wheat and barley were the main crops.
- Cotton was grown here first. The Greeks later called it Sindon.
- Rice husk was found at Lothal and Rangpur.
- Seals were made of steatite. The commonest animal on them is the unicorn bull.
- Craftsmen used copper, bronze, gold and silver.
Note: Horse evidence is weak. Only Surkotada has horse bones.
Belief and script
No temple has been found at any site. People honoured a Mother Goddess. A seal shows a cross-legged figure among animals, called Pashupati (proto-Shiva). The pipal tree was also sacred. The script runs right to left and nobody can read it.
Question types you will see
Each type: how to recognise it, the method step by step, and one question to try.
Harappan site and its signature find
The question names a find (dockyard, Great Bath, ploughed field, bead workshop) and asks for the site. Or it gives a site and asks for the find.
Recall the one-site-one-find table.
Watch near pairs: field is Kalibangan, plough model is Banawali.
Great Bath is Mohenjo-daro. Rows of granaries are Harappa.
Cut the options whose famous find you already know.
Exam setters use the same pairs every year, so one table covers most questions.
The Harappan site famous for a bead-making workshop, and the only major city without a citadel, is:
Show solutionHide solution
Beads point to Chanhudaro.
Chanhudaro is in Sindh, Pakistan.
Chanhudaro (dug by N.G. Majumdar in 1931)
Site with state or river, and the four corners
"In which state is", "the northernmost or easternmost site", or a site-to-river match.
First split the sites into Pakistan and India.
Pakistan: Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, Chanhudaro, Kot Diji, Sutkagendor.
India by state: Gujarat (Lothal, Dholavira, Surkotada), Haryana (Rakhigarhi, Banawali), Rajasthan (Kalibangan), Punjab (Ropar), UP (Alamgirpur), Maharashtra (Daimabad).
For the corners use Manda, Daimabad, Alamgirpur, Sutkagendor.
Sorting by country and state first removes half the options.
Which Harappan site lies in Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan, on the dry Ghaggar river?
Show solutionHide solution
Rajasthan and Ghaggar point to Kalibangan.
Its name means "black bangles".
Kalibangan
Excavator and year
"Who excavated", "discovered in which year", "first site dug after Independence".
Anchor the dates: Harappa 1921, Mohenjo-daro 1922, announcement 1924.
Match the excavator to the site, not to the whole civilisation.
Later digs: Ropar 1953, Lothal 1954 to 55, Kalibangan 1960s, Dholavira 1990.
The early dates and names are asked most often, so anchor them first.
Mohenjo-daro was excavated in 1922 by:
Show solutionHide solution
Harappa (1921) was dug by Daya Ram Sahni.
Mohenjo-daro was dug the next year by another officer.
R.D. Banerji
Town plan, materials and economy
Statement questions on burnt bricks, grid plans, drains, seals, crops or metals.
Plan: grid streets, covered drains, citadel west, lower town east.
Bricks: burnt, ratio 1 : 2 : 4.
Economy: wheat and barley, first cotton, steatite seals, unicorn bull.
Metals: copper, bronze, gold, silver. Never iron.
Most wrong statements swap one fact, such as burnt bricks for sun-dried bricks.
Statements on Harappan town planning:
- Streets crossed at right angles in a grid.
- Houses were built mainly of sun-dried bricks.
- The citadel lay in the west and the lower town in the east. Which are correct?
Show solutionHide solution
Statement 1 is true.
Statement 2 is false. The bricks were burnt.
Statement 3 is true.
1 and 3 only
Religion, script and society
Mother Goddess, Pashupati seal, undeciphered script, burial, or "which is NOT found".
Remember: no temples have been found.
Worship: Mother Goddess, Pashupati seal, pipal tree.
Script: picture signs, right to left, undeciphered.
In "NOT found" questions, pick a Vedic god or a temple.
The civilisation is known only from objects, so the questions test what objects exist.
Which of these has NOT been found at Harappan sites? (a) Mother Goddess figurines (b) A proto-Shiva seal (c) Temple structures (d) Pipal-tree motifs
Show solutionHide solution
Figurines, seal and pipal motifs are all known.
No temple building has been found.
(c) Temple structures
Odd one out or record holder
"Largest site in India", "only city without a citadel", "first dug after Independence", "UNESCO site".
List the record holders: Rakhigarhi largest, Chanhudaro no citadel, Ropar first after Independence, Dholavira UNESCO (2021).
Match the record to the site.
Drop options that are in Pakistan if the question says "in India".
Record titles belong to one site each, so they make easy marks.
Which Harappan site in India is the largest? (a) Lothal (b) Rakhigarhi (c) Kalibangan (d) Ropar
Show solutionHide solution
Rakhigarhi is in Hisar district, Haryana.
It is the largest Harappan site in India.
(b) Rakhigarhi
Shortcuts that save time
Manda is north. Daimabad is south. Alamgirpur is east. Sutkagendor is west.
The easternmost Harappan site is:
Show solutionHide solution
Use the line: Many Donkeys Are Slow.
The third word gives east: Alamgirpur.
Alamgirpur (Hindon, UP)
Lothal is the dockyard. Kalibangan is the ploughed field. Mohenjo-daro is the Great Bath. Chanhudaro is the bead workshop. Dholavira is the water reservoirs.
Mistakes to avoid
Where most students lose marks on this subtopic.
Swapping the rivers: Harappa on the Indus, Mohenjo-daro on the Ravi.
Harappa is on the Ravi. Mohenjo-daro is on the Indus.
Mixing Kalibangan and Banawali.
Ploughed field is Kalibangan. Clay plough model is Banawali.
Calling Mohenjo-daro the largest site in India.
Mohenjo-daro and Harappa are in Pakistan. The largest site in India is Rakhigarhi.
Saying Harappans used iron.
They used copper, bronze, gold and silver. Iron was unknown.
Choosing sun-dried bricks for the cities.
The cities used burnt bricks in the ratio 1 : 2 : 4.
Quick revision
Read this the night before the exam.
Harappa 1921 (Daya Ram Sahni). Mohenjo-daro 1922 (R.D. Banerji). Announced by John Marshall in 1924.
Bronze Age, no iron. Burnt bricks 1 : 2 : 4. Grid streets and covered drains.
Citadel in the west, lower town in the east.
Lothal is the dockyard. Kalibangan is the ploughed field. Dholavira has water reservoirs.
Corners: Manda north, Daimabad south, Alamgirpur east, Sutkagendor west.
Rakhigarhi is the largest site in India. The unicorn bull is the commonest seal animal.
No temples found. Mother Goddess and Pashupati seal. Script undeciphered.
Practice: 14 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Every answer has a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 10 questions
Suggested time 4 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.