From the statements given below, identify the statement which depicts the Harappan concern for privacy?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → There were no windows in the walls along the ground level.
Option (1) There were no windows in the walls along the ground level. — Correct. The houses of the Lower Town at Mohenjodaro show an apparent concern for privacy: there were no windows in the walls along the ground level, and the main entrance did not give a direct view of the interior or the courtyard.
Option (2) Many houses had wells. — Incorrect. This is true, but it tells us about water supply, not privacy. The wells were often in a room that could be reached from the outside and were perhaps used by passers-by.
Option (3) The courtyard was the centre of activities. — Incorrect. This too is true, but it describes daily life: many houses were built round a courtyard, where cooking and weaving were probably done in hot and dry weather.
Option (4) Every house had a drain. — Incorrect. This points to sanitation: every house had its own bathroom paved with bricks, with drains connected through the wall to the street drains.
NCERT (2026-27): “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. Every house had its own bathroom paved with bricks, with drains connected through the wall to the street drains. Some houses have remains of staircases to reach a second storey or the roof. Many houses had wells, often in a room that could be reached from the outside and perhaps used by passers-by. Scholars have estimated that the total number of wells in Mohenjodaro was about 700.” |