The earliest city discovered in India was?

- November 27, 2021

Previous Year Paper GK Questions and Answers:Harappan Civilization

Pre-Historic Period-Question 28

Daily Online General Knowledge Quiz:Previous year paper gk questions with answers and explanation in English on Indian History of Pre-Historic Period.

28.The earliest city discovered in India was?
A. Sindh
B. Mohenjodaro
C. Harappan
D. Punjab

Harappan

🔑Key Points

✔The earliest city to be developed in India was Harappa in Punjab, in present day Pakistan. It was excavated in 1920s in the Punjab province of British India.

✔It lies on the left bank of a now dry course of the Ravi River, west-southwest of the city of Sahiwal, about 100 miles (160 km) southwest of Lahore.

✔Harappa was a fortified city that is believed to have been home to as many as 23,500 residents living in sculpted houses with flat roofs made of red sand and clay.

✔The city spread over 150 hectares (370 acres) and had fortified administrative and religious centres of the same type used in Mohenjo-daro.

✔The modern village of Harappa, used as a railway station is six kilometers (3.7 miles) from the ancient city site, which suffered heavy damage during the British period of rule.

✔The Harappa site was first briefly excavated by Sir Alexander Cunningham in 1872-73.

✔Two decades after brick robbers carried off the visible remains of the city. Cunningham found an Indus seal of unknown origin.

✔The first extensive excavations at Harappa were started by Rai Bahadur Daya Ram Sahni in 1920.

✔The earliest cities of Harappan civilisation were built about 4700 years ago.

✔After the excavation of Harappa as the first site, Indus Valley Civilization is also began to known as Harappan Civilization.

✔Further down the Indus valley, another city was excavated was Mohenjo-Daro located in Sind.

✔The Indus Valley Civilization has its earliest roots in cultures such as that of Mehrgarh, approximately 6000 BC.

✔Harappans created sculpture, seals, pottery, and jewellery from materials, such as terracotta, metal, and stone.

✔Evidence shows Harappans participated in a vast maritime trade network extending from Central Asia to modern-day Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, and Syria.

✔The Indus Script remains indecipherable without any comparable symbols, and is thought to have evolved independently of the writing in Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt.

✔Harappa and Mohenjo-daro are two of the major cities of the Indus Valley Civilization during the Bronze Age.

✔The ruins of Harappa were first described in 1842 by Charles Masson in his book, Narrative of Various Journeys in Balochistan, Afghanistan, the Panjab, & Kalat.

✔Steatite: Also known as Soapstone, steatite is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock. It is very soft and has been a medium for carving for thousands of years.

✔Indus Script: Symbols produced by the ancient Indus Valley Civilization.

*This Question is a part of previous year paper gk questions on Pre-Historic Period of India.