Early Humans and Beginning of Civilisation
Short Questions
1. What is the Early Harappan stage?
Answer: The Early Harappan stage is the period before the Mature Harappan civilisation, showing cultural continuity and technological development.
2. Which crops were grown together at Kalibangan?
Answer: Rabi and Kharif crops were grown together using double-crop cultivation.
3. Which craft greatly supported the Harappan economy?
Answer: Pottery was one of the major crafts that supported the Harappan economy.
4. Which system was used by the Harappans for smaller weights?
Answer: They used the binary multiple system (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, etc.).
5. Which river valleys had close contact with the Harappan civilisation?
Answer: The Mesopotamian civilisation in the Euphrates and Tigris river valleys had close contact with the Harappans.
6. What does the word “Mesopotamia” mean?
Answer: Mesopotamia means “the land in between.”
7. Which civilisation first built dams and canals for irrigation?
Answer: The Sumerians first built dams and canals for irrigation.
8. What was a ziggurat?
Answer: A ziggurat was a tower-like temple built for the chief god of a city.
9. Which writing system was developed by the Sumerians?
Answer: The Sumerians developed the cuneiform writing system.
10. Which invention of the Sumerians is still used for measuring time?
Answer: The 60-minute hour and the 60-second minute are still used today.
11. Who was the famous Babylonian ruler known for his law code?
Answer: Hammurabi was the famous Babylonian ruler known for his law code.
12. What material did the Egyptians use to make paper?
Answer: The Egyptians used the papyrus plant to make paper.
13. What did the Egyptians call their land?
Answer: The Egyptians called their land Kemet.
14. Which river helped the growth of the Egyptian civilisation?
Answer: The River Nile helped the growth of the Egyptian civilisation.
15. Which two rivers supported the Chinese civilisation?
Answer: The Huang He (Yellow River) and the Yangtze River supported the Chinese civilisation.
Long Questions
1. Explain the main developments during the Early Harappan period.
Answer: The Early Harappan period showed cultural continuity and technological progress. Pottery, shell bangles, terracotta objects, copper working, and bead making became common. Perimeter walls, seals, and the beginnings of the Harappan script also appeared during this period, leading to the rise of urban centres.
2. Why was a standard system of weights important for the Harappans?
Answer: The Harappans used standard stone weights based on a binary system for smaller units and multiples of ten for larger units. This helped in planned settlements and made trade between different regions easier and more accurate.
3. Describe the main features of the Sumerian civilisation.
Answer: The Sumerians built dams and canals for irrigation and used mud bricks and burnt bricks for construction. They built ziggurats for worship, practised farming, pottery, metalworking, and textiles, and developed one of the earliest city-based civilisations.
4. Explain the importance of cuneiform writing.
Answer: Cuneiform was one of the earliest writing systems. It was written on clay tablets using wedge-shaped marks. It was used to record laws, farming, trade, literature, education, and daily activities, helping preserve the history of Mesopotamia.
5. Explain the trade between the Harappans and Mesopotamians.
Answer: Mesopotamian records mention trade with Meluhha, identified with the Sindhu–Sarasvatī civilisation. The Harappans traded semi-precious stone beads, ivory, timber, gold dust, and probably copper with Mesopotamia through regions such as Dilmun and Magan.
6. Why is Hammurabi remembered in history?
Answer: Hammurabi expanded the Babylonian Empire and prepared the Code of Hammurabi, a collection of rules for civil and social conduct. It became an important model for many later legal systems.
7. How did the River Nile help the Egyptian civilisation?
Answer: The Nile flooded every year and left fertile black soil called Kemet, which was excellent for farming. People also built ditches, dams, and reservoirs to use river water for agriculture. These activities encouraged cooperation and the growth of local government.
8. Explain the beliefs of the Egyptians about life after death.
Answer: The Egyptians believed that every person had a spiritual double called the ka. They preserved dead bodies through mummification and built pyramids over burial places so that the ka could continue to live after death.
9. Describe the development of the Chinese civilisation.
Answer: The Chinese civilisation grew along the Huang He and Yangtze rivers. Bronze metallurgy, farming, and craft production led to the growth of cities. The Shang and Zhou dynasties were important Bronze Age dynasties, and later the Qin and Han dynasties became famous during the Iron Age.
10. What were the major achievements of the Chinese civilisation?
Answer: The Chinese produced fine jade objects, bronze tools and vessels, developed a logographic script, built the Great Wall over many centuries, expanded the Silk Route trade, introduced paper currency, and developed civil services through public examinations.
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