Social Science [5 marks Questions]

The Great Bath of Mohenjodaro:

1. In Mohenjodaro, a very special tank, which archaeologists called the Great Bath, was built in its Citadel Area.
2. This special tank was made of bricks, coated with plaster and made water-tight with a layer of natural tar.
3. There were steps leading down to it from two sides, while there were rooms on all sides.
4. Water was probably brought in from a well, and drained out after use.
5. Perhaps important people took a dip in this tank on special occasions.

1. The city of Dholavira was located on Khadir Beyt in Rann of Kutchh, where there was fresh water and fertile soil.
2. Dholavira was divided into three parts, and each part was surrounded with massive store walls with entrance through getaways.
3. There was also a large open area in the settlement, where public ceremonies could be held.
4. There were large letters of Harappan script that were carved out of white shore and perhaps inlaid in wood.
5. This was unique as generally Harappan writing has been found in small objects such as scale.

Agriculture of the Harappans or Food for People in the Cities.

1. While many people lived in the cities, others grew crops and reared animals.
2. We know from remains of plants that the Harappans grew wheat, barley, pulses, peas, rice, sesame, linseed and mustard.
3. A new tool, the plough, was used to dig the earth for turning the soil and planting seeds. While real ploughs, which were probably made of wood, have not survived, toy models have been found.
4. As this region does not receive heavy rainfall, some form of irrigation may have been used. This means that water was stored and supplied to the fields when the plants were growing.
5. Different types of cattle were also used for food supply. They also collected fruits like ber (Vt), caught fish and hunted wild animals like the antelope.

1. The city of Lothal stood beside a tributary of Sabarmati, in Gujarat.
2. It was situated near areas where raw materials such as semi-precious stones were easily available.
3. This was an important centre for making objects out of stone, shell and metal.
4. There was also a storehouse in the city.
5. Many seals and sealings were found in this storehouse.

We are sure about the causes of decline of this civilisation but scholars are sure of the following reasons:

1. Probably the rivers dried up.
2. There could be deforestation as fuel was required for baking bricks and for smelting copper ore.
3. Grazing by large herds of cattle, sheep and goats may have destroyed the green belt.
4. It could be frequent floods troubling people.
5. Or it could be invasion of Aryans who must have posted then towards South India.

1. It’s a special tank, archaeologist called it Great Bath.
2. This was lined with bricks, coated with plaster and made water-tight with a layer of natural tar.
3. There were steps leading down to it from two sides, while there were rooms on all sides.
4. Water was probably brought in from a well and drained out after use.
5. Perhaps important people took a dip in this tank on special occasions.

Harappan cities were well-planned. This is proved by the excavations at Mohenjodaro and Harappa. The architecture consisted of the following features:

1. Dwelling Houses: Residential houses of Mohenjodaro were of different sizes varying from a small house of two rooms to a palatial building. All houses were built of bricks which were usually well burnt and of good quality.
2. The Great Bath at Mohenjodaro: Perhaps the most imposing construction of the Indus Valley was the Great Bath at Mohenjodaro. It consisted of a large open quadrangle in the centre with verandahs, galleries and rooms on all the sides.
3. The Citadels: The Harappan settlements had small citadels. The settlement had a small but higher western part and the lower eastern section. It was in citadels that structures were built for special public purposes.
4. Assembly Hall: A big hall had been unearthed at Mohenjodaro which had been named as ‘Collegiate Building’. It had 20 massive pillars made of kiln-burnt bricks arranged in rows of five each.
5. Great Granary at Harappa: The most remarkable and the largest building excavated at Harappa was the Great Granary. In all, there were six such granaries and may have been used as government storehouses.
6. Drainage System: One of the most striking features of the town was the well-planned drainage system. The drains were made of mortar, lime and gypsum. They were covered with big bricks and stones which could be lifted easily to clean the drains. Smaller drains from houses on both sides of the streets came and joined a brick-laid main channel. For sewage from the houses, pits were provided at either side of the street. It showed skill in town planning and sanitation.

1. Many of the Harappan cities were divided into two or more parts.
2. Usually, the part to the west was smaller but higher. Archaeologists describe this as the citadel.
3. And the part to the east was larger but lower. This is called the lower town.
4. Very often walls of baked brick were built around each part. The bricks were so well made that they lasted for thousands of years. The interlocking of bricks made the walls strong.
5. In some cities of this civilisation, special buildings were constructed on the citadel. For example, we can see a special tank in Mohenjodaro. It is popularly known as the Great Bath.
6. Other cities, such as Kalibangan and Lothal, had fire altars, where sacrifices might have been performed. And some cities like Harappa, Mohenjodaro and Lothal had elaborated store houses (or Granaries).

1. Metals used by the people of Harappan cities are made of stone, metal including copper, tin, bronze, gold, silver and shell.
2. Vessels and Ornaments. Copper and bronze were used to make vessels and ornaments.
3. Beads. Perhaps the most striking finds are those of beads. Many of these were made out of carnelian, a beautiful red stone. The stone was cut, shaped, polished and finally a hole was bored through the centre so that a string could be passed through it.
4. Weights. Stones were used to make weights. Very carefully and precisely some chart weights were shaped by the people of the Harappan culture. These were probably used to weigh precious stones or metals. Chart was also used to make distinctive long blades.
5. Seals. The Harappans also made seals out of stone. These are generally rectangular and usually have an animal (e.g. a Bull or a Rhinoceros) carved on them.
6. Faience. Unlike stone or shell, that are found naturally, faience is artificially produced. A gum was used to shape sand or powdered quartz into an object. The object then glazed remitting in a shiny, glassy surface. The glaze colour was generally sea green or blue. Faience was used to make beads, bangles, earrings and tiny vessels.
7. Pottery. The Harappans also made pottery with beautiful black designs.

The Mystery of the end of the Harappans or the Probable causes of downfall of the Harappan Civilisation. Nearly 3900 years ago we find the beginning of a major change in Harappan cities or sites.

1. People stopped living in many of the cities.
2. Writing, seals and weights were no longer used.
3. Raw Materials brought from long distances became rare.
4. In Mohenjodaro, we find that garbage piled upon the streets, the drainage system broke down, and new, less impressive houses that were built encroached on to the streets.

Causes. The following causes were possibly responsible for the end of the Harappan culture –

1. Some scholars suggest that the rivers dried up.
2. Others suggest that there was deforestation. This could have happened because fuel was required for baking bricks and for melting copper ores. Besides, grazing by large herds of cattle, sheep and goat may have destroyed the green cover.
3. In some areas there were floods.
4. Perhaps the rulers lost control but none of these reasons can explain the end of all the cities.
5. In short we can say that we are not same about the end of the Harappan culture. However, flooding or a river drying up would have had an effect in only some areas.