Consider the following statements regarding the town planning of Harappan Civilisation. Identify the correct statements.
A. Harappan settlements were divided into two sections.
B. Roads and streets of Harappan cities were laid in approximate grid pattern.
C. There were windows in the walls along the ground level.
D. The Great Bath was a large square tank in Mohenjodaro.
E. Drainage systems were small and not planned.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → A, B only
A. Harappan settlements were divided into two sections. Correct. The settlement is divided into two sections: a smaller but higher one, the Citadel, and a much larger but lower one, the Lower Town.
B. Roads and streets of Harappan cities were laid in approximate grid pattern. Correct. Roads and streets were laid out along an approximate “grid” pattern, intersecting at right angles.
C. There were windows in the walls along the ground level. Incorrect. The houses show a concern for privacy: there are no windows in the walls along the ground level.
D. The Great Bath was a large square tank in Mohenjodaro. Incorrect. The Great Bath was a large rectangular tank, not a square one, in a courtyard surrounded by a corridor on all four sides.
E. Drainage systems were small and not planned. Incorrect. One of the most distinctive features of Harappan cities was the carefully planned drainage system; streets with drains seem to have been laid out first and houses built along them.
NCERT (2026-27): “…The settlement is divided into two sections, one smaller but higher and the other much larger but lower. Archaeologists designate these as the Citadel and the Lower Town respectively. The Citadel owes its height to the fact that buildings were constructed on mud brick platforms. It was walled, which meant that it was physically separated from the Lower Town.… 3.1 Laying out drains … One of the most distinctive features of Harappan cities was the carefully planned drainage system. If you look at the plan of the Lower Town you will notice that roads and streets were laid out along an approximate ‘grid’ pattern, intersecting at right angles. It seems that streets with drains were laid out first and then houses built along them. If domestic waste water had to flow into the street drains, every house needed to have at least one wall along a street. 3.2 Domestic architecture … The Lower Town at Mohenjodaro provides examples of residential buildings. Many were centred on a courtyard, with rooms on all sides. The courtyard was probably the centre of activities such as cooking and weaving, particularly during hot and dry weather. What is also interesting is an apparent concern for privacy: there are no windows in the walls along the ground level. Besides, the main entrance does not give a direct view of the interior or the courtyard.… 3.3 The Citadel … The Great Bath was a large rectangular tank in a courtyard surrounded by a corridor on all four sides.…” |