The Harappan World – NDA History PYQs

NDA 2026-I

Q. 1. The large well supplying water to the Great Bath of Mohenjo-daro was located:

(a) Near the drain of the tank

(b) At the top of one of the staircases

(c) In one of the adjoining rooms on the eastern side

(d) At the bottom of the tank in a corner

Answer: (c) In one of the adjoining rooms on the eastern side

Explanation: A large well stood in a room beside the bath. This room was placed along the eastern edge. Water from the well likely filled the tank. Rainwater may have added to this water supply. So option (c) gives the correct location. Concept Tested: Water supply system of the Great Bath

NDA 2026-I

Q. 2. Consider the following statements about bead production in Harappan towns:

I. Materials used included carnelian, quartz and steatite

II. Beads were cylindrical, barrel-shaped and disc-shaped

III. Specialized stone drills were used for making holes through beads

(a) I and II only

(b) II and III only

(c) I and III only

(d) I, II and III

Answer: (d) I, II and III

Explanation: Beads were made from carnelian, quartz, and steatite. Shapes included cylindrical, barrel-shaped, and disc-shaped beads. Specialised stone drills bored holes through hard beads. All three statements match known Harappan bead-making methods. So option (d), including all three, is correct. Concept Tested: Materials, shapes, and tools in Harappan bead-making

★ JOVIK Exam Insight: NDA often pairs a material with its shape and tool. Learn material-shape-tool combinations together for quick recall.

NDA 2025-II

Q. 3. In the Harappan Civilization, traces of canals have been found at

(a) Banawali

(b) Lothal

(c) Shortughai

(d) Dholavira

Answer: (c) Shortughai

Explanation: Shortughai lies far away in present-day Afghanistan. Canal traces were found there, unlike in Punjab or Sind. Banawali, Lothal, and Dholavira show other water features instead. So option (c) Shortughai is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Harappan site with evidence of irrigation canals

NDA 2025-I

Q. 4. Which among the following materials was used in making the Harappan seals?

(a) Sandstone

(b) Lapis lazuli

(c) Jasper

(d) Steatite

Answer: (d) Steatite

Explanation: Harappan seals were mostly carved from soft steatite stone. Steatite could be cut and carved with fine detail. Sandstone, lapis lazuli, and jasper were not typically used. So option (d) Steatite is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Material used for carving Harappan seals

NDA 2023-II

Q. 5. Consider the following statements:

1. Terracotta models of the plough have been found at sites in Cholistan and at Banawali (Haryana)

2. There is evidence of a ploughed field at Kalibangan associated with the mature phase of the Harappan civilization

3. The ploughed field at Kalibangan had two sets of furrows crossing at right angles to each other suggesting two different crops were grown together in it

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1, 2 and 3

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) None of the above

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only

Explanation: Statement 1 is correct: models come from Cholistan and Banawali. Statement 3 is correct: furrows crossed at right angles. This crossing pattern suggests two crops grown together. Statement 2 needs caution about its exact wording. Standard sources place this ploughed field in the Early Harappan phase. Not the mature phase, as statement 2 claims. Editorial flag: verify statement 2 against the official NDA answer key before publishing. Concept Tested: Evidence of ploughing at Kalibangan and Banawali

NDA 2022-II

Q. 6. At which among the following Harappan sites are fire altars found?

(a) Kalibangan

(b) Harappa

(c) Mohenjo-daro

(d) Rakhi Garhi

Answer: (a) Kalibangan

Explanation: Kalibangan is well known for its Harappan fire altars. These altars suggest some form of ritual practice. Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, and Rakhi Garhi lack this specific evidence. So option (a) Kalibangan is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Harappan site associated with fire altars

NDA 2021-I

Q. 7. Which one of the following Harappan sites was a specialised centre for making shell objects?

(a) Lothal

(b) Balakot

(c) Amri

(d) Kot Diji

Answer: (b) Balakot

Explanation: Balakot was a coastal site with an easy shell supply. Its location gave direct access to raw sea shells. Workshops there made bangles and other shell objects. Lothal, Amri, and Kot Diji were not shell-working centres. So option (b) Balakot is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Harappan site specialised in shell-object production

NDA 2017-II

Q. 8. In the Mesopotamian records, which one of the following terms was used for the Indus Valley (Harappans)?

(a) Dilmun

(b) Meluha

(c) Magan

(d) Failaka

Answer: (b) Meluha

Explanation: Mesopotamian texts refer to the Indus region as Meluhha. Dilmun and Magan named separate trading points nearby instead. Meluhha specifically pointed to the Harappan trade zone. So option (b) Meluha is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Mesopotamian term for the Harappan trade region

★ JOVIK Exam Insight: Dilmun, Magan, and Meluhha are often mixed up. Meluhha specifically means the Harappan or Indus region.

NDA 2016-II

Q. 9. The cylindrical stone seals were used in which civilization?

(a) Harappan

(b) Egyptian

(c) Roman

(d) Mesopotamian

Answer: (d) Mesopotamian

Explanation: Harappan seals were mostly square, not cylindrical, in shape. Cylindrical stone seals are instead a Mesopotamian feature. They were rolled on wet clay to leave a print. So option (d) Mesopotamian is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Seal shape as a marker of civilization

★ JOVIK Exam Insight: NDA often tests seal shape differences. Harappan seals were square; cylinder seals belong to Mesopotamia.

NDA 2015-I

Q. 10. Harappan crafts display an amazing degree of standardization. According to Kenoyer, what was the possible reason for such an achievement?

(a) Availability of raw materials at local level

(b) Centralized markets for crafts

(c) Specialized training centres for craftsmen

(d) State control

Answer: (a) Availability of raw materials at local level

Explanation: Kenoyer linked standardization to local raw material availability. Many regions had access to similar clay or stone. This shared material base created similar finished products. It did not depend mainly on strict state control. So option (a) reflects Kenoyer’s actual argument here. Concept Tested: Kenoyer’s explanation for craft standardization

★ JOVIK Exam Insight: Students often guess “state control” here. Kenoyer’s own explanation was material availability, not administration.

NDA 2014-II

Q. 11. Consider the following statements about Harappan Culture:

1. The Harappan Culture matured in Sind and Punjab.

2. It spread from there Southwards and Eastwards.

3. The area where it spread was bigger than Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3

Explanation: The Harappan culture first matured in Sind and Punjab. From there, it spread further south and east. Its total area was larger than Egypt or Mesopotamia. All three statements match established facts about its spread. So the correct answer includes all three statements. Concept Tested: Geographic maturation and spread of the Harappan culture

NDA 2012-I

Q. 12. The terra-cotta plough of the Harappan civilization was found at

(a) Mohenjo-daro

(b) Banawali

(c) Kalibangan

(d) Lothal

Answer: (b) Banawali

Explanation: Archaeologists found a terracotta plough model at Banawali. Banawali lies in present-day Haryana, in Fatehabad district. This model shows Harappans understood plough-based agriculture. Kalibangan instead gives evidence of an actual ploughed field. Mohenjo-daro and Lothal did not yield this specific model. Concept Tested: Site associated with the terracotta plough model

★ JOVIK Exam Insight: Banawali’s terracotta plough reappears in NDA 2023-II. NDA often repeats the same site-fact across different years.

NDA 2011-II

Q. 13. Which one among the following is not the characteristic feature of the Harappan settlement?

(a) Doorways and windows generally faced the side lanes and rarely opened onto the main streets

(b) Houses generally had separate bathing areas and toilets

(c) The citadel was walled but the lower town was not walled

(d) Drains and water chutes from the second storey were often built inside the wall

Answer: (c) The citadel was walled but the lower town was not walled

Explanation: Most Harappan cities had both parts walled. The citadel and the lower town were commonly fortified. So option (c) wrongly claims the lower town stayed open. Doors and windows usually faced side lanes, not main streets. Houses commonly had separate bathing areas and toilets. Drains from upper floors often ran inside the wall. These three features match known Harappan town planning. Only option (c) does not match the evidence. Concept Tested: Fortification pattern of the citadel and lower town

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