Ahlcon Public School, Mayur Vihar-1, Delhi-91

Class: XII Subject: HISTORY Assignment No. I

Academic Session: 2016-17

Theme 1: Bricks, Beads and Bones – The Harappan Civilisation (Questions marked ** to be done for H.W.)

  1. What is meant by the term Harappan “culture”? Give examples.
  2. What do the terms “Early”, “Mature” and “Late” mean with reference to the Harappan culture?
  3. What were the distinctive features associated with archaeological cultures prior to the Harappan age?
  4. What is the meaning of the term “subsistence strategy”? Examine how historians have provided new insight into the subsistence strategies of the Harappan culture. OR What proof do we have that the Harappans practiced agriculture? OR What do we know about the Harappan agricultural technology/ practices?
  5. **Examine how the architectural features of Mohenjodaro indicate planning. Support your answer with suitable examples. OR “Perhaps the most unique feature of the Harappan civilisation was the development of urban centers.” Explain this statement referring to the town planning of Mohenjodaro. OR Examine the distinctive features of the residential buildings in Mohenjodaro. OR What is the meaning of “Domestic Architecture”? Explain its features with reference to Mohenjodaro.
  6. What is special about the drainage system in the Harappan civilisation? Can it be compared with the drainage system found in India today?
  7. How have the burial practices of the Harappans become an important source of information about them? OR Explain how an examination of the burial practices can reveal a better understanding of the existence of differentiation in Harappan society.
  8. How have archaeologists identified Harappan goods as being “luxuries” or “utilities”? Can such a study of artifacts indicate that social differentiation existed? Explain your answer.
  9. ** Explain the strategies used by archaeologists to understand socio-economic differences among the Harappans.
  10. In which region of India have archaeologists found the Ganeshwar-Jodhpura culture? What are its distinctive features?
  11. Describe the bead making industry of the Harappans. Mention the major centers of craft production. How do archaeologists identify centers of craft production?
  12. Where did the Harappans procure raw materials from? Describe their contacts with internal and foreign sources.
  13. ** Why do archaeologists and historians find the Harappan script “enigmatic”? Explain. OR How were the Harappan seals and sealings used?
  14. Analyze the possible nature of political authority governing the Harappan civilisation. OR Do you think the ‘priest king’ theory about the Harappan political system is a possibility? Explain.
  15. Examine the hints about the political organization of the Harappans which their town planning gives us.
  16. ** Describe the changes that were observed after 1900 BCE in the Harappan civilisation. What could have brought about these changes?
  17. With reference to the evidence of an “invasion” causing the end of the civilisation, explain how a re-examination of data can lead to reversal of earlier interpretations. OR State the evidence put forward by John Marshall and R.E.M. Wheeler to prove the Aryan invasion theory. Which evidences refute this theory? (Source based question)
  18. ** Describe the role of the ASI in investigating the Harappan civilization. OR Analyze how the ASI handled early evidence regarding the Harappan civilisation.What was Cunningham’s outlook towards Harappan artifacts found in the mid-19th century? OR Who was R.E.M. Wheeler? Mention his contributions in the field of archaeology. OR Who was John Marshall? How did he mark a change in Indian archaeology?
  19. What have been the problems in classifying the objects found in the Harappan civilisation?
  20. When and how was it discovered that the Harappan civilization was as old as the Mesopotamian civilization?
  21. ** The problems of archaeological interpretations are perhaps most evident in the attempts to reconstruct religious practices of the Harappans. Explain. OR What is the significance of the Proto-Shiva seal? Why is it controversial? OR Describe the religious beliefs of the Harappans.
  22. On political maps of India, locate & label:-

a)** MAP 1 Page 2: River Indus, Mature Harappan sites: Harappa, Banawali, Kalibangan, Balakot, Rakhigarhi, Dholavira, Nageshwar, Lothal,Mohenjodaro, Chanhudaro, Kot Diji.

b)MAP 2 Page 3: Areas of Early Harappan occupation (shade the areas and label)

c)MAP 3 Page17: Areas of Late Harappan occupation (shade the areas and label)

  1. Each passage based question will have 3-4 questions with marks ranging from 1 to 4. Passage/Source-based questions can come from the following pages in the textbook:-

Pg 4- How artefacts are identified Pg 7- The most ancient system yet discovered

Pg 18- Evidence of an ‘invasion’