Test : Political, Social And Economic Life - UPSC MCQ

• Statement 1 is correct - The population of Indus civilization was cosmopolitan in character, having four ethnic types, viz., Proto-Australoid, Mediterranean, Mongoloid and Alpine.
• Statement 2 is incorrect - The construction of planned cities and roads, drainage system, organized trade and uniformity of the means of weights and measurements proved that there existed a strong centralized government.

Correct Answer :- b

Explanation : A theocracy is a type of government that is ruled by a divine being or religious texts. A ruler or group uses the power of god(s) and texts to create laws and guide government decisions.

As in most other contemporary civilizations, agriculture was the backbone of the Indus economy. The people made extensive use of the wooden ploughs. Barley and wheat were the main food crops. Agriculture sustained the rudimentary urban centers that emerged.

In India, it spanned from around 7,000 B.C. to 1,000 B.C. The Neolithic Age is mainly characterized by the development of settled agriculture and the use of tools and weapons made of polished stones. The major crops grown during this period were ragi, horse gram, cotton, rice, wheat, and barley.

Steatite, a soft stone found in the river beds, was although the most common the material used to make seals; however, agate, chert, copper, faience and terracotta seals have also been found.

No temples or religious places have been discovered from Harappan cities. No building has been discovered at any Harappan site that can be positively identified as a temple, but the Great Bath at Mohenjo-daro may have been used for ritual purposes.

People considered certain trees such as Pipal as sacred and were also practised Animism, wherein animals or half-animals are worshipped.

• Statement 1 is correct - Yes, the Harappans believed in life after death.The Harappans generally buried their dead.Pots and other belongings including food and pets of the buried person have been excavated from many burial sites.
• Statement 2 is incorrect - However, religion did not hold a dominating sway over the daily lives of the masses.

They worshipped the bird Pigeon. The worship of mythical animals is evident from the existence of a human figure with a bull's horns, hoofs and a tail. Besides animals, these people also worshipped the Sun, the Fire and the Water.

• Statement 1 is correct - The Indus civilization was highly developed & it was not bound by religious rule, it was a secular civilization. Sir John Marshall an archaeologist says that it was not a new civilization on Indian soil, it was quite old & developed.
• Statement 2 is correct - Farmers in Indus valley civilization were the first to weave cotton textiles. Some of the cotton textiles were unearthed in 1929 in Mohenjo-Daro site which is now in Pakistan.