Q1
1 markMCQSection A

Match the Column - I with Column - II and choose the correct option : Column - I (Harappan Sites): a. Manda, b. Kalibangan, c. Rakhigarhi, d. Lothal; Column - II (Present Location): 1. Haryana, 2. Gujarat, 3. Rajasthan, 4. Jammu

Bricks, Beads and Bones — The Harappan Civilisation
Harappan Sites and their Locations

Options

(A)a-1, b-2, c-3, d-4
(B)a-3, b-4, c-2, d-1
(C)a-2, b-3, c-4, d-1
(D)a-4, b-3, c-1, d-2
Official Answer

The correct option is (D) a-4, b-3, c-1, d-2.


Correct matching:


  • a. Manda → 4. Jammu (northernmost Harappan site, on the Chenab/Beas near Akhnoor)
  • b. Kalibangan → 3. Rajasthan (on the Ghaggar, famous for ploughed fields and fire altars)
  • c. Rakhigarhi → 1. Haryana (largest Harappan site in India, in Hisar district)
  • d. Lothal → 2. Gujarat (a port town with a dockyard, on the Bhogava river)

This exactly matches option (D).

Manda JammuKalibangan RajasthanRakhigarhi HaryanaLothal GujaratHarappan sitesdockyardextent of civilisationIndus Valley

Marking Scheme

  • 11 mark for selecting option (D) a-4, b-3, c-1, d-2.
  • 2No partial marks for MCQ; the full match must be correct.

Hint

Lothal is a coastal port in Gujarat and Manda is the northernmost site in Jammu — fix these two first, then the rest follow.

Quick Oral Answer

Manda is in Jammu, Kalibangan in Rajasthan, Rakhigarhi in Haryana and Lothal in Gujarat — so the correct match is option D, a-4, b-3, c-1, d-2.

Analysis & Explanation

This is a location-recall question testing the geographical spread of the Harappan Civilisation, which extended across present-day north-western India and Pakistan.


Why (D) is correct:


  • Manda lies in Jammu, marking the civilisation's northern frontier.
  • Kalibangan is in Rajasthan, on the dried-up Ghaggar (Saraswati) bed.
  • Rakhigarhi in Haryana is the largest Harappan settlement excavated in India.
  • Lothal in Gujarat was a coastal craft and trade centre.

Why the other options are wrong:


  • (A) places Manda in Haryana and Lothal in Jammu — both geographically impossible for a coastal port.
  • (B) shifts Manda to Rajasthan and Rakhigarhi to Gujarat, mixing up interior and coastal sites.
  • (C) puts Lothal in Jammu and Manda in Gujarat, reversing the north-south positions entirely.

Exam trap: Students confuse Kalibangan (Rajasthan) with Rakhigarhi (Haryana) because both are inland; anchor Lothal firmly to Gujarat's coast and Manda to Jammu's north to eliminate wrong options fast.

Common Mistakes

  1. 1Swapping Kalibangan (Rajasthan) and Rakhigarhi (Haryana) because both are inland sites.
  2. 2Placing Lothal outside Gujarat despite it being a well-known coastal port with a dockyard.
  3. 3Forgetting that Manda in Jammu marks the northernmost extent of the civilisation.

Interesting Facts

Rakhigarhi in Haryana, at over 350 hectares, is now considered the largest Harappan site, exceeding even Mohenjodaro in area.

Lothal's dockyard, dated to c. 2400 BCE, is often described as one of the world's earliest known artificial docks connected to a river channel.

Kalibangan has yielded evidence of the earliest ploughed agricultural field, showing a crisscross furrow pattern still used by farmers today.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the largest Harappan site located in India?

Rakhigarhi in the Hisar district of Haryana is the largest Harappan site found within India, spread over more than 350 hectares. It has yielded evidence of town planning, cemeteries and craft production comparable to Mohenjodaro.

Why is Lothal important among Harappan sites?

Lothal in Gujarat was a coastal trade and craft centre with a rectangular dockyard, a bead-making workshop and warehouses. It shows the Harappans' maritime trade links, making it one of the most economically significant sites of the civilisation.