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CBSE · Class 6 · Social Science

The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation

Standard difficulty · 20 questions · 40 marks

Name: Date: Score: ____ / 40

Write full answers in Sections B and C. Answers are on the last page — try every question first!

Section A — Choose the correct answer8 × 1 = 8 marks
1.
The Harappan civilisation was at its height about:
  1. 45,000 years ago
  2. 45 years ago
  3. 450 years ago
  4. 4,500 years ago
2.
The Harappan site of Lothal is in:
  1. Gujarat
  2. Punjab (India)
  3. Assam
  4. Kerala
3.
Which site is known for one of the largest Harappan sites in India?
  1. Lothal
  2. Kalibangan
  3. Mohenjo-daro
  4. Rakhigarhi
4.
Harappan seals tell us about:
  1. trade and who owned goods
  2. children’s play and the use of wheels
  3. careful measuring in trade
  4. skilled crafts and love of ornaments
5.
Harappan bricks were made in the ratio 4 : 2 : 1 (length : breadth : height). If a brick is 11 cm high, how long is it?
  1. 44 cm
  2. 48 cm
  3. 22 cm
  4. 33 cm
6.
A planned Harappan town has streets crossing at right angles, making 12 rows of 5 blocks each. How many blocks are there?
  1. 44 blocks
  2. 17 blocks
  3. 60 blocks
  4. 72 blocks
7.
Which of these is a Harappan site in present-day India?
  1. Taxila
  2. Madurai
  3. Rakhigarhi
  4. Hampi
8.
A reservoir at Dholavira is 43 m long, 24 m wide and 6 m deep. How many cubic metres of water can it hold?
  1. 6,292 cubic metres
  2. 402 cubic metres
  3. 1,032 cubic metres
  4. 6,192 cubic metres
Section B — Short answer8 × 2 = 16 marks
9.
Name four important Harappan sites.
10.
Name the Harappan site known for: (a) the Great Bath (b) the remains of a ploughed field
11.
Where is each site today? (a) Ropar (b) Lothal
12.
What does each find tell us about the Harappans: (a) toy carts (b) covered drains
13.
A Harappan brick is 36 cm broad. Using the ratio 4 : 2 : 1 (length : breadth : height), find its length and height.
14.
A Harappan necklace has 108 beads in a repeating pattern of 6 colours. How many beads of each colour are there?
15.
In one Harappan street, 24 houses each had 1 drain joining the street drain. How many house drains joined it?
16.
Match each with its site: (a) one of the largest Harappan sites in India (b) a dockyard for boats (c) the first Harappan site to be excavated, in the 1920s. Choose from: Harappa; Rakhigarhi; Lothal.
Section C — Longer answers4 × 4 = 16 marks
17.
Describe the town planning of Harappan cities.
18.
A planned Harappan town had 8 rows of 6 blocks, with about 5 houses in each block. (a) How many blocks were there? (b) About how many houses? (c) Name two features that show the town was planned.
19.
An archaeologist finds pottery, beads and jewellery, toy carts at a site. What does each tell us about the people who lived there?
20.
A Dholavira reservoir is 75 m × 27 m × 6 m. (a) How many cubic metres of water can it hold? (b) If the town used 1000 cubic metres a day, how many full days would it last? (c) Why did Dholavira need reservoirs?
AmbifulWorksheets
Practice that never repeats
CBSE · Class 6 · Social Science

Answer key

The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation · AW-6SS-BIC-2026-V1 · For parents — fold back or tear off before handing the sheet to your child.

QAnswerWorking
1(d) 4,500 years ago—
2(a) Gujarat—
3(d) Rakhigarhi—
4(a) trade and who owned goods—
5(a) 44 cmheight 11; length 4 × 11 = 44
6(c) 60 blocks12 × 5 = 60
7(c) Rakhigarhi—
8(d) 6,192 cubic metres43 × 24 × 6
9Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, Dholavira and Lothal (also Rakhigarhi and Kalibangan).—
10(a) Mohenjo-daro (b) Kalibangan—
11(a) Punjab (India) (b) Gujarat—
12(a) children’s play and the use of wheels (b) town planning and care for cleanliness—
13length 72 cm; height 18 cm36 × 2; 36 ÷ 2
1418 beads108 ÷ 6
152424 × 1
16(a) Rakhigarhi (b) Lothal (c) Harappa—
17Cities had straight streets crossing at right angles, houses of baked bricks of fixed sizes, covered drains along streets, wells, and in some cities a raised citadel and a lower town.—
18(a) 48 (b) about 240 (c) streets crossing at right angles and covered drains (also bricks of fixed sizes).8 × 6; × 5
19pottery: cooking, storing and craft skills; beads and jewellery: skilled crafts and love of ornaments; toy carts: children’s play and the use of wheels—
20(a) 12,150 cubic metres (b) 12 days (c) It was in a dry region, so rainwater had to be stored.75 × 27 × 6; ÷ 1000