The following were the major developments in different parts of the subcontinent during the long span of 1500 years following the end of the Harappan civilization:
(A) The Rig Veda was composed.
(B) Agricultural settlements emerged in many parts of the subcontinent besides the emergence of pastoral population.
(C) New modes of disposal of the dead, including the making of megaliths emerged.
(D) Compilation of the Bhakti Literature.
(E) Land grants were made by Prabhavati Gupta.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → (A), (B), (C) only
(A) The Rig Veda was composed. Correct. This long span of about 1,500 years after the Harappan civilisation was also the period in which the Rigveda was composed by people living along the Indus and its tributaries.
(B) Agricultural settlements emerged in many parts of the subcontinent besides the emergence of pastoral population. Correct. Agricultural settlements emerged in north India, the Deccan Plateau and parts of Karnataka, and there is evidence of pastoral populations in the Deccan and further south.
(C) New modes of disposal of the dead, including the making of megaliths emerged. Correct. Megaliths, elaborate stone structures for the dead, appeared in central and south India from the first millennium BCE.
(D) Compilation of the Bhakti Literature. Incorrect. Bhakti compositions belong to a much later period; the songs of the Alvars, for example, were compiled into an anthology only by the tenth century CE.
(E) Land grants were made by Prabhavati Gupta. Incorrect. Prabhavati Gupta was the daughter of Chandragupta II (c. 375-415 CE), so her land grant is far later than the period after the Harappan civilisation.
NCERT (2026-27): “…There were several developments in different parts of the subcontinent during the long span of 1,500 years following the end of the Harappan civilisation. This was also the period during which the Rigveda was composed by people living along the Indus and its tributaries. Agricultural settlements emerged in many parts of the subcontinent, including north India, the Deccan Plateau, and parts of Karnataka. Besides, there is evidence of pastoral populations in the Deccan and further south. New modes of disposal of the dead, including the making of elaborate stone structures known as megaliths, emerged in central and south India from the first millennium BCE. In many cases, the dead were buried with a rich range of iron tools and weapons.…” |