MCQ with Answers for Practice – History Chapter 6 – The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation
Class 6 Social Science – Exploring Society: India and Beyond
Theme B: Tapestry of the Past
History Chapter 6: The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation
This includes All types of MCQs normally asked in school exams, tests, and NCERT exercises.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) – History Chapter 6: The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation
1. The most ancient civilisation of India is known as
a) Mesopotamian civilisation
b) Egyptian civilisation
c) Harappan civilisation
d) Roman civilisation
Answer: c) Harappan civilisation
2. The Harappan civilisation is also called
a) Gangetic civilisation
b) Indus-Sarasvatī civilisation
c) Vedic civilisation
d) Mauryan civilisation
Answer: b) Indus-Sarasvatī civilisation
3. According to B.B. Lal, Harappan society was based on
a) Exploitation
b) Warfare
c) Mutual accommodation
d) Royal dominance
Answer: c) Mutual accommodation
4. A civilisation is best described as
a) A group of villages
b) An advanced stage of human society
c) A religious system
d) A tribal community
Answer: b) An advanced stage of human society
5. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a civilisation?
a) Government and administration
b) Urban planning
c) Nomadic lifestyle
d) Trade
Answer: c) Nomadic lifestyle
6. Urbanism includes
a) Farming only
b) Forest living
c) Town planning and drainage
d) Hunting practices
Answer: c) Town planning and drainage
7. Writing in a civilisation is mainly used to
a) Decorate buildings
b) Keep records and communicate
c) Worship gods
d) Entertain people
Answer: b) Keep records and communicate
8. Productive agriculture in a civilisation is necessary to
a) Support only villages
b) Feed both villages and cities
c) Increase forest area
d) Reduce population
Answer: b) Feed both villages and cities
9. The Harappan civilisation began to develop into cities around
a) 4000 BCE
b) 3000 BCE
c) 2600 BCE
d) 1900 BCE
Answer: c) 2600 BCE
10. The development of Harappan cities is also called
a) Second Urbanisation
b) First Urbanisation of India
c) Industrial Revolution
d) Agricultural Revolution
Answer: b) First Urbanisation of India
11. The inhabitants of the civilisation are called Harappans because
a) They lived near Haridwar
b) Harappa was the largest city
c) Harappa was first excavated
d) Harappa was the capital
Answer: c) Harappa was first excavated
12. Harappa was first excavated in
a) 1857
b) 1905
c) 1920–21
d) 1950
Answer: c) 1920–21
13. The Indus plains were fertile mainly because of
a) Heavy rainfall
b) Volcanic soil
c) Indus River and its tributaries
d) Forest cover
Answer: c) Indus River and its tributaries
14. The Sarasvatī River flowed through all EXCEPT
a) Haryana
b) Rajasthan
c) Gujarat
d) Assam
Answer: d) Assam
15. Today, the Sarasvatī River is known as
a) Yamuna
b) Ghaggar-Hakra
c) Narmada
d) Godavari
Answer: b) Ghaggar-Hakra
16. The Sarasvatī River is first mentioned in the
a) Atharva Veda
b) Yajur Veda
c) Ṛig Veda
d) Sam Veda
Answer: c) Ṛig Veda
17. The Sarasvatī River later
a) Changed direction
b) Became wider
c) Dried up and disappeared
d) Turned into a lake
Answer: c) Dried up and disappeared
18. Harappan cities were generally surrounded by
a) Forests
b) Moats
c) Fortifications
d) Hills
Answer: c) Fortifications
19. Harappan cities usually had
a) Only one residential area
b) Upper and lower towns
c) Only temples
d) Circular roads
Answer: b) Upper and lower towns
20. The elite lived mainly in the
a) Lower town
b) Rural area
c) Upper town
d) Market area
Answer: c) Upper town
21. Harappan buildings were mostly made of
a) Mud
b) Wood
c) Stone
d) Bricks
Answer: d) Bricks
22. The quality of construction in Harappan cities was
a) Better for rich houses
b) Better for palaces
c) Same for small and big houses
d) Poor overall
Answer: c) Same for small and big houses
23. The Great Bath is located at
a) Harappa
b) Lothal
c) Dholavira
d) Mohenjo-daro
Answer: d) Mohenjo-daro
24. The Great Bath was waterproofed using
a) Clay
b) Lime
c) Natural bitumen
d) Sand
Answer: c) Natural bitumen
25. The most accepted view today is that the Great Bath was
a) A public swimming pool
b) A water tank for animals
c) Possibly used for rituals
d) Used only by soldiers
Answer: c) Possibly used for rituals
26. Harappans placed great importance on
a) Warfare
b) Water management and cleanliness
c) Monument building
d) Hunting
Answer: b) Water management and cleanliness
27. Wastewater in Harappan cities was carried through
a) Open pits
b) Rivers directly
c) Underground drains
d) Canals
Answer: c) Underground drains
28. Which city had hundreds of brick-lined wells?
a) Lothal
b) Kalibangan
c) Mohenjo-daro
d) Banawali
Answer: c) Mohenjo-daro
29. The largest reservoirs were found at
a) Harappa
b) Dholavira
c) Rakhigarhi
d) Lothal
Answer: b) Dholavira
30. The largest reservoir at Dholavira measured about
a) 33 metres
b) 50 metres
c) 73 metres
d) 100 metres
Answer: c) 73 metres
31. Harappans grew all EXCEPT
a) Wheat
b) Barley
c) Cotton
d) Tea
Answer: d) Tea
32. Harappans were the first in Eurasia to grow
a) Rice
b) Cotton
c) Sugarcane
d) Spices
Answer: b) Cotton
33. Evidence of Harappan diet comes from
a) Books
b) Inscriptions
c) Pot residues and bones
d) Paintings
Answer: c) Pot residues and bones
34. Turmeric, ginger and banana remains show
a) Poor diet
b) Limited farming
c) Diverse food habits
d) Ritual cooking
Answer: c) Diverse food habits
35. Harappans mainly traded
a) Within villages only
b) Only with Mesopotamia
c) Internally and externally
d) Only by sea
Answer: c) Internally and externally
36. Carnelian beads were mainly found in
a) Punjab
b) Haryana
c) Gujarat
d) Bengal
Answer: c) Gujarat
37. Shell bangles were made from
a) Soft clay
b) Hard conch shells
c) Stone
d) Wood
Answer: b) Hard conch shells
38. Harappans imported mainly
a) Gold
b) Copper
c) Cotton
d) Timber
Answer: b) Copper
39. Bronze is made by mixing copper with
a) Iron
b) Zinc
c) Tin
d) Silver
Answer: c) Tin
40. The huge dockyard is found at
a) Harappa
b) Mohenjo-daro
c) Lothal
d) Rakhigarhi
Answer: c) Lothal
41. The Lothal dockyard was used for
a) Fishing only
b) Religious rituals
c) Maritime trade
d) Defence
Answer: c) Maritime trade
42. Harappan seals were mainly used to
a) Worship gods
b) Decorate houses
c) Identify traders and goods
d) Teach writing
Answer: c) Identify traders and goods
43. Harappan seals were usually made of
a) Granite
b) Marble
c) Steatite
d) Sandstone
Answer: c) Steatite
44. The Harappan script
a) Has been fully decoded
b) Is partly understood
c) Is still undeciphered
d) Was borrowed from Egypt
Answer: c) Is still undeciphered
45. The ‘Dancing Girl’ figurine is made of
a) Stone
b) Clay
c) Bronze
d) Wood
Answer: c) Bronze
46. The Harappans declined around
a) 2600 BCE
b) 2200 BCE
c) 1900 BCE
d) 1500 BCE
Answer: c) 1900 BCE
47. One major reason for decline was
a) Invasions
b) Warfare
c) Climatic change
d) Epidemics
Answer: c) Climatic change
48. Another major cause of decline was
a) Rise of kingdoms
b) Drying of Sarasvatī River
c) Foreign rule
d) Religious conflicts
Answer: b) Drying of Sarasvatī River
49. After the decline, people mainly
a) Migrated overseas
b) Became nomads
c) Returned to rural life
d) Built new cities
Answer: c) Returned to rural life
50. Harappan culture
a) Completely disappeared
b) Was destroyed by wars
c) Continued into later civilisation
d) Was forgotten
Answer: c) Continued into later civilisation
