SSC
The ancient city of Harappa is situated on the bank of the river:
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Answer: Option B — Ravi
Detailed Solution
Harappa is situated on the left bank of the Ravi river (an old course of the Ravi), in the Sahiwal district (formerly Montgomery district) of Punjab province, Pakistan.
About Harappa:
- It was the first site of the Indus Valley Civilisation to be excavated, in 1921.
- Because it was discovered first, the whole civilisation is often called the "Harappan Civilisation".
- Its ruins were noticed by travellers and officials in the 19th century, but large parts of the site were damaged when bricks were taken away for building the Lahore-Multan railway line in the 1850s.
Features of Harappa:
- Like other major cities, it had a raised citadel area and a lower town.
- It had a series of brick platforms that are often described as "granaries", arranged in two rows.
- It had working floors (circular brick platforms), probably used for pounding grain.
- It had workmen's quarters (rows of small houses).
- Two cemeteries have been found: "Cemetery R-37", of the mature Harappan period, and "Cemetery H", of a later period, where pottery was painted differently.
- Important finds include seals, terracotta figurines, stone weights, beads, and a red sandstone male torso.
About the Ravi river:
- It rises in Himachal Pradesh, flows through Punjab (India), and enters Pakistan, where it joins the Chenab.
- In Greek accounts it was called "Hydraotes".
- Lahore stands on the Ravi.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The Indus flows past Mohenjo-daro.
- ✗The Chenab and Beas are other rivers of the Punjab region.
Quick tip
Remember: Harappa = Ravi river, Sahiwal (Montgomery) district, Punjab (Pakistan); first Indus site excavated (1921); granaries, Cemetery H.
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Indus Valley Civilisation — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Indus Valley Civilisation, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
The Indus Valley (Harappan) Civilisation was one of the world's earliest urban civilisations, flourishing around 2500-1900 BCE. This topic covers its major sites, town planning, drainage, seals, script, trade, crafts, religious beliefs and the theories about its decline. Questions mostly link a site to its feature or its present-day location: the Great Bath at Mohenjo-daro, the dockyard at Lothal (Gujarat), the ploughed field at Kalibangan (Rajasthan) and the water reservoirs at Dholavira. Remember that Harappa was the first site excavated, by Daya Ram Sahni in 1921, and that the Harappan script has still not been deciphered. Practise the Indus Valley Civilisation questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.