Class 6 History Chapter 3 Practice Question Answers - In the Earliest Cities

Q1: Mention a unique finding of Dholavira.
Ans: Large letters of Harappan script.

Q2: What is Mummy?
Ans: A Mummy is a corpse, whose skin and organs have been preserved.

Q3: What is the second name of Interlocking pattern?
Ans: Interlocking pattern is also known as running lane pattern.

Q4: The city of Lothal was located on the banks of the river __________.
Ans: Bhogava.

Q5: How the Great Bath was made water tight?
Ans: By Natural tar.

Q6: What do we call the pattern in which bricks were laid to make the walls stronger?
Ans: Interlocking

Q7: People in Egypt carefully preserved the dead bodies known as _______.
Ans: Bitumen.

Q8: What was the main food of people in the cities?
Ans: The main food of the Harrappans were wheat, barley, pulses, peas, rice, sesame, linseed and mustard together with meat, milk and milk products.

Q9: What are the features of The Great Bath?
Ans: The Great Bath was lined with bricks, coated with plaster and made water tight with a layer of natural tar. There were steps leading down from two sides into the tank.

Q10: What objects were buried with the king in the Pyramids?
Ans: Food and drink, clothes, ornaments, utensils, musical instruments, weapons and animals etc., were buried with king in the Pyramids.

Q11: Write down the names of the main earliest cities?
Ans: The names are: Mohenjodaro, Harappa, Kalibangan, Rakhi Garhi, Chanhudaro, Dholavira, Surkotada, Lothal and Sotkakoh.

Q12: What was special about the roads in the Indus Valley Civilization?
Ans: The roads were wide and cut each other at right angles. Houses were built on both sides and covered drains ran along the streets.

Q13: When was cotton cultivated at Mehrgarh?
Ans: Cotton was probably grown at Mehragarh about 7000 years ago. Mehragarh was also the first site in India where agricultural activities took place.

Q14: What do you mean by Harappan seals?
Ans: Harappan seals had pictures of animals that relate to a wet and marshy environment. Rhinoceroses, elephants, and tigers were placed in the midst of marshy plants.

Q15: What were the main Harappan towns in Gujrat?
Ans: The main Harappan towns in Gujrat were Dholavira, located on Khadir Beyt in the Rann of Kutch and Lothal that stood beside a tributary of the Sabarmati, close to the gulf of Khambat.

Q16: Write about the drains in the Harappan cities.
Ans: People of Harappa paid special attention to the drainage system. Many of the cities had covered drains. All the drains were laid out in straight lines having a gentle slope so that water could flow through it. Drains in the houses were connected to the street drains. Inspection holes were provided at regular intervals to ensure proper cleaning of the drains.

Q17: What were the main features of the cities built during the Harappa Civilisation?
Ans: Harappan cities were divided into two or more parts. The western part was higher and was also called the citadel. The eastern part or the lower town was made up of baked bricks. These bricks were laid in interlocking pattern that made the wall strong. Some of the cities also had a huge water tank or ‘The Great Bath’. Fire altars for worshipping were also found in these tanks. Most of the houses were either one or two stories high. They were built around a courtyard. The cities also had covered drainage systems. The drainage system also had manhole at regular intervals for cleaning up.

Q18: Describe the life of the people in Harappan cities?
Ans:

• The Harappan city was a very busy place where people planned the construction of special buildings in the city.
• They may have kept the most valuable objects, such as ornaments of gold and silver, or beautiful beads, for themselves.
• There were scribes, people who knew how to write, who helped prepare the seals, and perhaps wrote on other materials that have not survived till date.
• Men and women, craftsmen, made all kinds of things either in their own homes, or in special workshops.
• People were travelling to distant lands at that time by carts to inland places or by ship to foreign lands.

Q19: List some of the important architectural features of Dholavira.
Ans: The city of Dholavira was located on Khadir Beyt in the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat. Here fresh water was available and the soil was very fertile. Unlike some of the other Harappan cities, which were divided into two parts, Dholavira was divided into three parts. Each part was surrounded with massive stone walls, with entrances through gateways. There was also a large open area in the settlement, where public ceremonies could be held.

Q20: List three factors which show that Lothal was an important production centre of the Harappan civilisation.
Ans: Factors show that Lothal was an important production centre of the Harappan civilisation were:

• It was situated near areas where raw materials such as semi-precious stones were easily available.
• This was an important centre for making objects out of stone, shell and metal.
• Pieces of stone, half made beads, tools for bead making and finished beads have all been found in a building. This building was probably a workshop for making beads.