CAPF AC 2021 Q40: Ancient History – Indus Valley Civilization
- (a) C. 2250 BCE
- (b) C. 2000 BCE
- (c) C. 1800 BCE
- (d) C. 1700 BCE
Answer: (c) C. 1800 BCE
Explanation
The end of the Mature Harappan phase
How to think: learn the three Harappan phases and the date where the mature phase ends.
The mature phase ran from about 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE.
NCERT then says that by about 1800 BCE most Mature Harappan sites in regions such as Cholistan had been abandoned.
| Phase | Period |
|---|---|
| Early Harappan | About 6000 to 2600 BCE |
| Mature Harappan | About 2600 to 1900 BCE |
| Late Harappan | About 1900 to 1300 BCE |
What changed at the end of the mature phase:
| What happened around 1800 BCE | Detail |
|---|---|
| Cholistan sites | Mostly abandoned |
| New settlements | Population grew in Gujarat, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh |
| Material culture | Seals, script, weights and long-distance trade disappeared |
Where is Cholistan: it is the desert region of Pakistan next to the Thar, along the dry bed of the Ghaggar-Hakra.
Answer: (c) C. 1800 BCE.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Around 2250 BCE the Harappan cities were at their height.
- (b) Incorrect. Around 2000 BCE the mature phase was still continuing.
- (c) CORRECT. NCERT states that by c. 1800 BCE most Mature Harappan sites in Cholistan were abandoned.
- (d) Incorrect. 1700 BCE is later than the date NCERT gives for the abandonment.
Key point
Mature Harappan: c. 2600-1900 BCE. By c. 1800 BCE most mature sites in Cholistan were abandoned, while settlements expanded into Gujarat, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh (NCERT, Themes in Indian History I).
Remember
Cholistan sites abandoned by c. 1800 BCE.
Common mistakes
- Marking 1900 BCE thinking in general, then choosing the nearest wrong option.
- Placing the abandonment at 2000 BCE, when cities were still occupied.
- Not knowing that Cholistan lies in present-day Pakistan near the Hakra bed.
Exam tip
Educated guess: the mature phase ends about 1900 BCE, so the abandonment must come just after that. Options (a) and (b) are too early; 1800 BCE is the first date after 1900.
Sources
- NCERT Class XII History — Themes in Indian History Part I, Chapter 1: Bricks, Beads and Bones (The End of the Civilisation)
- NCERT Class VI History — Our Pasts I (In the Earliest Cities)