This MCQ module is based on: Trade & Daily Life — Beginnings of Indian Civilisation
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Trade & Daily Life — Beginnings of Indian Civilisation
🎓 Class 6
Social Science
CBSE
Theory
Ch 6 — The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation
⏱ ~15 min
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Trade, Daily Life & Decline
NCERT Exploring Society: India and Beyond | Chapter 6: The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation
What Did the Harappans Eat?
The Harappans settled along rivers for easy access to water and fertile soil. Archaeological findings reveal they grew cereals like barley, wheat, some millets, and sometimes rice, in addition to pulses? and a variety of vegetables. Remarkably, they were the first people in Eurasia to grow cotton, which they wove into cloth.
Farming tools included the plough (a small clay model was found at Banawali in Haryana), and some of these tools continue to resemble those used by modern farmers. Hundreds of small rural sites supported the cities by providing agricultural produce daily.
The Harappans also domesticated animals for meat and fished in rivers and the sea (evidenced by large numbers of animal and fish bones found during excavations). Scientific analysis of clay pots has revealed traces of dairy products, turmeric, ginger, and banana — showing their diet was quite diverse.
LET'S EXPLORE — A Harappan Meal
L6 CreateImagine you are cooking a meal in a Harappan house. Based on the crops, spices, dairy products, and meats mentioned above, what dish or dishes would you prepare? Be creative!
A Brisk Trade — Internal and External
The Harappans engaged in active trade both within their civilisation and with other cultures and civilisations. Their exports included ornaments, timber, objects of daily use, possibly gold, cotton, and some food items.
Carnelian Beads
The most prized ornaments were beads made from carnelian, a reddish semi-precious stone found mainly in Gujarat. Craftspeople developed special drilling and decorating techniques.
Shell Bangles
Beautiful bangles were crafted from conch shells using sophisticated techniques, as shell is a hard material to work with.
Maritime Trade
Coastal settlements in Gujarat and Sindh supported India's first intensive maritime (sea) trade with distant lands.
Don't Miss Out
The Harappans mastered copper working. By adding tin to copper, they produced bronze — a harder metal used for tools, pots, pans, and figurines. This is why this period is sometimes called the Bronze Age.
Lothal — An Ancient Dockyard
Lothal, a settlement in Gujarat, features a huge basin measuring 217 metres in length and 36 metres in width (roughly the length of two football grounds). This basin was likely a dockyard — a structure used to receive and send boats carrying trade goods.
Harappan Seals — Markers of Identity
Thousands of small seals have been found at many Harappan sites. Made of steatite (a soft stone hardened by heating), these seals typically depict animal figures with signs from a writing system above them. This writing system has not yet been deciphered. The seals appear to have been used to identify traders and their goods during commercial exchanges.
LET'S EXPLORE — Interpreting Harappan Seals
L4 AnalyseHarappan seals show animals like unicorns, bulls, and horned tigers along with undeciphered writing signs. What interpretations come to your mind? Could the animals represent trade guilds, clans, or religious symbols? Let your imagination run!
The Lives of the Ancients
Archaeologists have unearthed many objects that reveal daily life, recreation, and cultural practices of the Harappans:
Daily Use Objects
Bronze mirrors, terracotta pots, stone weights, bronze chisels — all found at Dholavira and other sites.
Games and Toys
A gamesboard engraved on stone (Dholavira) and a small terracotta whistle (Karanpura, Rajasthan) show that both adults and children enjoyed recreation.
The Dancing Girl
A famous bronze figurine (10.8 cm) from Mohenjo-daro showing a confident young woman with bangles covering an entire arm — a tradition still seen in parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Cultural & Symbolic Objects
Seals showing a swastika symbol, a three-faced deity surrounded by animals, and a terracotta figure in a 'namaste' posture.
LET'S EXPLORE — The Story on the Lothal Pot
L6 CreateA design on a pot from Lothal seems to depict the story of a thirsty crow finding a clever way to drink water from the bottom of a pot. Complete this story! How was such a tale remembered for more than 4,000 years?
The End or a New Beginning?
Around 1900 BCE, the Sindhu-Sarasvati civilisation began to decline. Cities were abandoned one by one. Remaining inhabitants adopted a rural lifestyle as the earlier government and administration ceased to function. Gradually, Harappans scattered across hundreds of small rural settlements.
THINK ABOUT IT — Why Rural Life?
L4 AnalyseThe Harappans returned to rural settlements because a rural lifestyle provides easier access to food and water than an urban one. Then as now, cities depended on villages for food and sometimes water. What does this tell us about the relationship between cities and villages?
What caused this decline? Two factors are currently agreed upon by archaeologists:
Climate Change
A climatic shift from about 2200 BCE onward caused reduced rainfall and a drier phase worldwide, making agriculture more difficult and reducing food supply to cities.
Sarasvati River Dried Up
The Sarasvati River dried up in its central basin, forcing the abandonment of cities like Kalibangan and Banawali that depended on it.
Importantly, there is no evidence of warfare or invasion destroying the cities. The Harappans do not appear to have maintained an army or weapons of war — it seems to have been a relatively peaceful civilisation. Although the cities disappeared, much of Harappan culture and technology survived and was passed on to the next phase of Indian civilisation.
Key Takeaways
One of the Oldest
The Indus/Harappan/Sindhu-Sarasvati civilisation is one of the oldest in the world. Harappans built planned cities with efficient water management, diverse crafts, and active trade.
Agricultural Foundation
Productive agriculture brought diverse crops to cities. Rural villages were the backbone of urban life.
Environmental Decline
The civilisation declined probably because of climate change and the drying of the Sarasvati. People returned to rural life, but their culture endured.
Harappan Trade Network — Exports vs Imports
L4 Analyse📋
Competency-Based Questions
Scenario: A Harappan merchant from Dholavira is preparing a shipment to be sent by sea from Lothal. The shipment contains carnelian beads, shell bangles, cotton cloth, and some ivory combs. The merchant stamps each container with a steatite seal bearing a unicorn figure and some writing signs.
Q1. Why would the merchant use seals to stamp the shipment containers?
L2 UnderstandQ2. The Harappans were the first in Eurasia to grow cotton. How would this have given them an advantage in trade?
L3 ApplyQ3. Analyse the two main factors that caused the decline of the Harappan civilisation. Why do these factors remind us of modern environmental concerns?
L4 AnalyseCreative Q. Imagine a Harappan man or woman transported to an average kitchen in today's India. What are the four or five biggest surprises awaiting them?
L6 Create🎲 Variety Question Block
True or False
1. The Harappans were the first in Eurasia to cultivate cotton.
True2. The Harappan cities were destroyed by invading armies.
FalseThere is no evidence of warfare or invasion. The decline was caused by climate change and the drying up of the Sarasvati River.
3. Lothal's basin was likely used as a dockyard for boats.
True4. The Harappan writing system has been fully deciphered by scholars.
FalseThe Harappan script remains undeciphered to this day. Scholars continue to study the signs found on seals and other objects.
Match the Following
Carnelian beads
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Gujarat (semi-precious stone)
Lothal
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Ancient dockyard (217m long basin)
Dancing Girl
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Bronze figurine from Mohenjo-daro
Steatite seals
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Trade identity markers
Creative / Open-Ended
✎Looking at the objects described in this chapter (bronze mirrors, game boards, whistles, figurines), make a list of those that still feel familiar in our 21st century. What does this tell us about the continuity of Indian culture?
Continue Learning — Chapter 6: Beginnings of Indian Civilisation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is covered in Class 6 History Chapter 6 What Did the Harappans Eat??
This section of NCERT Class 6 History Chapter 6 covers What Did the Harappans Eat?, A Brisk Trade — Internal and External, The Lives of the Ancients. Students learn key concepts, definitions, and real-world applications through interactive activities, diagrams, and competency-based practice aligned with the CBSE curriculum.
What are the key concepts in this chapter for CBSE exams?
The key concepts include What Did the Harappans Eat?, A Brisk Trade — Internal and External, The Lives of the Ancients. Students should understand definitions, be able to explain cause-and-effect relationships, and apply these concepts to case-study questions as per CBSE competency-based question formats for Class 6 History.
How is this topic important for Class 6 board exams?
This topic from NCERT Class 6 History Chapter 6 is frequently tested in CBSE board exams through MCQs, short answers, and competency-based questions. Understanding the core concepts and practising application-based questions from this section is essential for scoring well.
What activities are included in this NCERT lesson?
This lesson includes interactive activities such as Think About It, Let us Explore, and discussion prompts aligned with NCERT pedagogy. These activities develop critical thinking, analysis, and evaluation skills as per Bloom's Taxonomy levels used in CBSE assessments.
How to study Class 6 History Chapter 6 effectively?
Study this chapter by first reading the NCERT text carefully, then reviewing all highlighted keywords and definitions. Practise the in-text activities, attempt CBQ-format questions, and revise using diagrams and summary tables. Focus on understanding concepts rather than rote memorisation.
Where can I find NCERT solutions for Class 6 History Chapter 6?
NCERT solutions for Class 6 History Chapter 6 are available on MyAISchool.in with detailed explanations for all exercise questions. The interactive lessons include CBQ practice, assertion-reason questions, and activity guidance aligned with CBSE guidelines.
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Social Science Class 6 — Exploring Society: India and Beyond
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