Identify the correct statements in connection with the ‘Harappan Civilization’:
A. In Harappan seals, a figure shown in a “yogic” posture, has been regarded as a depiction of “proto-Shiva”.
B. Exchanges were regulated by a precise system of weights, usually made of a stone called chert.
C. Harappan seals usually have a line of writing, probably containing the name and title of the owner.
D. Terracotta models of plough have been found at sites in Cholistan and at Banawali.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → A, B, C and D
A. In Harappan seals, a figure shown in a “yogic” posture, has been regarded as a depiction of “proto-Shiva”. Correct. Some seals show a figure seated cross-legged in a “yogic” posture, sometimes surrounded by animals. Archaeologists have read it as “proto-Shiva”, an early form of one of the major deities of Hinduism.
B. Exchanges were regulated by a precise system of weights, usually made of a stone called chert. Correct. Harappan weights were usually made of chert, were generally cubical and carried no markings. Such a precise system of weights kept exchanges fair.
C. Harappan seals usually have a line of writing, probably containing the name and title of the owner. Correct. The seal carried a line of writing, probably the owner’s name and title, while the motif, usually an animal, may have conveyed a meaning to those who could not read.
D. Terracotta models of plough have been found at sites in Cholistan and at Banawali. Correct. Seals and terracotta sculpture show the bull, so oxen were probably used for ploughing. Terracotta models of the plough found at Cholistan and Banawali (Haryana) support this.
NCERT (2025-26): “11.2 Problems of interpretation … Some animals – such as the one-horned animal, often called the ‘unicorn’ – depicted on seals seem to be mythical, composite creatures. In some seals, a figure shown seated cross-legged in a ‘yogic’ posture, sometimes surrounded by animals, has been regarded as a depiction of ‘proto-Shiva’, that is, an early form of one of the major deities of Hinduism. Besides, conical stone objects have been classified as lingas.… 7.3 Weights … Exchanges were regulated by a precise system of weights, usually made of a stone called chert and generally cubical (Fig. 1.2), with no markings.… 7.2 An enigmatic script … Harappan seals usually have a line of writing, probably containing the name and title of the owner. Scholars have also suggested that the motif (generally an animal) conveyed a meaning to those who could not read.… 2.1 Agricultural technologies … Representations on seals and terracotta sculpture indicate that the bull was known, and archaeologists extrapolate from this that oxen were used for ploughing. Moreover, terracotta models of the plough have been found at sites in Cholistan and at Banawali (Haryana).…” |