🏛️ CBSE Class 12 History (Course A) — Sample Paper

Chapter 1: Bricks, Beads and Bones — The Harappan Civilization

Maximum Marks: 80
Time Allowed: 3 Hours
General Instructions:

1. All questions are compulsory.
2. Answers should be written in coherent, point-wise, and concise form.
3. Marks are indicated against each question.

Section A — Very Short Answer Questions (1 Mark each)

(Answer each in 20–30 words)

Q1. Who first discovered the site of Harappa and in which year?
Answer: Harappa was first discovered by Daya Ram Sahni in 1921 under the Archaeological Survey of India.
(1 mark)

Q2. What was the main building material used by the Harappans?
Answer: The Harappans used baked bricks with a standard ratio of 1:2:4 as their primary building material.
(1 mark)

Q3. Name any two crops grown by the Harappans.
Answer: Wheat and barley were two major crops cultivated by the Harappans.
(1 mark)

Q4. Which was the most unique structure found at Mohenjo-Daro?
Answer: The Great Bath — a large water tank made of baked bricks used possibly for ritual bathing.
(1 mark)

Q5. Mention one reason why the Harappan script remains undeciphered.
Answer: The script remains undeciphered because no bilingual inscription or long text has been found to compare and decode it.
(1 mark)

Section B — Short Answer Questions (3 Marks each)

(Answer each in about 60–80 words)

Q6. Describe the town planning system of the Harappans.
Answer:

• Cities were divided into citadel (upper town) and lower town.
• Streets were laid in a grid pattern, intersecting at right angles.
• Houses were built with uniform baked bricks and had courtyards, wells, and bathrooms.
• A covered drainage system connected all houses to main drains.
  (3 marks)

Q7. Write a short note on the Great Bath of Mohenjo-Daro.
Answer:

• The Great Bath was located in the citadel area.
• Constructed with baked bricks, bitumen coating, and gypsum mortar for waterproofing.
• It had steps on both sides, a drainage outlet, and a changing room nearby.
• It was likely used for ritual or ceremonial bathing.
  (3 marks)

Q8. What were the main occupations of the Harappans?
Answer:

• Agriculture: wheat, barley, cotton, pulses.
• Animal husbandry: cattle, goats, buffaloes, and sheep.
• Craft production: bead-making, pottery, metalwork, shell-cutting.
• Trade: both internal and external (with Mesopotamia and Oman).
  (3 marks)

Q9. Mention any three important raw materials used by Harappan craftsmen.
Answer:

1. Steatite for seals.
2. Carnelian for beads.
3. Copper and bronze for tools and ornaments.
   (3 marks)

Q10. What evidence suggests that Harappans had social differences?
Answer:

• Burials show differences in grave goods.
• House sizes varied — large vs. small.
• Luxury items like gold jewelry found with a few people.
  These indicate economic and social hierarchies.
  (3 marks)

Section C — Long Answer Questions (5 Marks each)

(Answer each in about 120–150 words)

Q11. Explain the agricultural practices of the Harappans.
Answer:

• Harappans cultivated wheat, barley, peas, sesame, and cotton.
• They used ploughs and irrigation to increase productivity.
• Flood plains of the Indus provided fertile soil.
• Evidence of crop rotation and multiple cropping shows advanced knowledge.
• Agricultural surplus helped support craftsmen and traders, leading to urban growth.
  (5 marks)

Q12. What were the major craft centers of the Harappan Civilization? Describe any two.
Answer:

• Harappans specialized in bead-making, pottery, shell-work, and metallurgy.
• Chanhudaro – famous for bead-making; used carnelian and faience with great precision.
• Lothal – known for dockyard and trade-based crafts; produced shell and ivory items.
• Organization of labor and workshops indicates a structured economic system.
  (5 marks)

Q13. Discuss the trade and exchange network of the Harappans.
Answer:

• Trade was both local and long-distance.
• Raw materials (copper, tin, gold, stones) were imported.
• Evidence of trade with Mesopotamia (Meluhha in Mesopotamian texts).
• Seals and standardized weights used for regulating trade.
• Dockyard at Lothal indicates maritime commerce.
• Goods traded: metals, beads, textiles, ivory, and agricultural produce.
  (5 marks)

Q14. What factors were responsible for the decline of the Harappan Civilization?
Answer:

• Environmental changes — drying of rivers like Saraswati, floods in Indus.
• Decline in rainfall reduced agricultural output.
• Earthquakes and tectonic activity changed river courses.
• Economic breakdown and collapse of trade networks.
• Gradual ruralization of Harappan life.
  Although the cities declined, rural Harappan traditions continued for centuries.
  (5 marks)

Q15. Describe the evidence of town planning and civic life at Mohenjo-Daro.
Answer:

• City built on raised platform to protect from floods.
• Grid pattern of streets.
• Advanced drainage system connected to each house.
• Public buildings like granary and Great Bath.
• Brick houses with wells, courtyards, and ventilated rooms.
  These show an organized urban administration and civic sense among Harappans.
  (5 marks)

Section D — Source-Based Question (4 Marks)

Q16. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

“The standardization of bricks, weights, and town layouts across thousands of kilometers indicates that some form of authority or system of governance existed in Harappan society. Yet no evidence of kings or palaces has been found.”

(a) What is meant by ‘standardization’ here?
(b) What conclusion do historians draw from this uniformity?
(c) Why is it difficult to identify rulers in Harappan culture?

Answers:
(a) Standardization means use of uniform size and design of bricks, weights, and town patterns across Harappan cities.
(b) It shows centralized planning or organized authority controlling multiple regions.
(c) No palaces, inscriptions, or royal tombs have been found, so identifying rulers is difficult.
(4 marks)

Section E — Map Question (6 Marks)

Q17.
On the outline map of India provided, mark and label the following Harappan sites:
(a) Harappa
(b) Mohenjo-Daro
(c) Dholavira
(d) Lothal
(e) Kalibangan
(f) Rakhigarhi

Answer (Map Description):

• Harappa – in Punjab (Pakistan) near Ravi River.
• Mohenjo-Daro – Sindh (Pakistan) near Indus River.
• Dholavira – Kutch (Gujarat).
• Lothal – Near Gulf of Cambay (Gujarat).
• Kalibangan – Rajasthan, on Ghaggar River.
• Rakhigarhi – Haryana.
  (6 marks)

Section F — Value-Based / Analytical Question (8 Marks)

Q18.
“Harappan civilization was remarkable for its urban organization and social discipline.”
Examine this statement with suitable evidence.

Answer:

• Urban organization: grid-based city planning, citadel and lower town, Great Bath, granary.
• Sanitation system: covered drains, household baths, public wells.
• Economic discipline: standardized weights, trade regulation, craft specialization.
• Social discipline: limited luxury, uniform housing, cooperative civic life.
• Absence of warfare: no large weapons or forts indicate peaceful coexistence.
• Collective effort shows a high level of organization and civic responsibility.
  Thus, Harappans achieved extraordinary urban management without visible monarchy.
  (8 marks)

✅ Marking Scheme Summary (80 Marks)