WBBSE Solutions For Class 6 History Chapter 3 Ancient History Of The Indian Subcontinent Topic A Mehrgarh Civilisation Long Answer Type Questions
Question 1. Describe the oldest phase (or, first phase) of the Mehrgarh civilisation.
Answer:
The oldest phase (or, first phase) of the Mehrgarh civilisation:
The Mehrgarh civilisation was discovered in Baluchistan of present-day Pakistan. Mehrgarh is located at a small distance from the Bolan mountain pass.
Read and Learn More WBBSE Solutions For Class 6 History
Oldest Phase of the Mehrgarh Civilisation
1. Period:
The oldest or the first phase of Mehrgarh civilisation was approximately between 7000 and 5000 BC.
2. Agriculture:
The people of Mehrgarh grew barley and wheat.
3. Domestication of animals:
Goats, sheep and humped bulls were domesticated.
WBBSE Class 6 Mehrgarh Civilisation Notes
4. Archaeological specimen:
Stone vessels and stone grinders have been found in Mehrgarh. Knives made of stone and tools made of animal bones were found. However, metal tools have not been discovered in this phase of civilisation.
5. Houses:
Houses were made of burnt bricks. The houses had more than one room.
6. Granary:
The granary found in Mehrgarh is the oldest granary of the Indian subcontinent. Archaeologists believe that grains were stored in the granary.
Question 2. Describe the second phase of the Mehrgarh civilisation.
Answer:
The Mehrgarh civilisation belonged to the Copper-Stone Age.
Second Phase of the Mehrgarh Civilisation
1. Period:
The second phase of Mehrgarh civilisation was approximately between 5000 and 4000 BC.
2. Agriculture:
Along with wheat and barley cotton was also cultivated.
3. Use of sickle:
In the second phase of this civilisation, sickles were used for the first time in the entire subcontinent to harvest grains.
4. Earthen pottery:
In the second phase earthenware pottery came to be used. In the beginning, those were handmade. The use of the potter’s wheel was unknown. Towards the end of the second phase, the use of the potter’s wheel started.
5. Jewellery:
Different kinds of jewellery, made of stone and shell, were used.
Question 3. Describe the third phase of the Mehragarh civilisation.
Answer:
The Mehrgarh civilisation is the oldest civilisation in the Indian subcontinent.
Third Phase of the Mehrgarh Civilisation
1. Period:
The third phase of Mehrgarh civilisation lies between 4300 and 3800 BC.
2. Agriculture:
During this phase, different kinds of wheat and barley crops were cultivated.
3. Earthenware pottery:
In this phase, earthenwares were made with the help of a potter’s wheel. Those were burnt in fire and decorative patterns were painted on them. Earthenwares of single, double and multiple colours have been found among the ruins of Mehrgarh.
4. Settlement of people expanded:
In the third phase of Mehrgarh civilisation, the settlement of people expanded.
5. Use of copper:
In this phase use of copper also started. As it was not easy to extract copper from copper ores, stone tools were also used.
6. Use of seal:
People in this phase also started to use seals.
Thus the rural agrarian society of Mehrgarh got a complex shape.
Question 4. Discuss the various occupations of the people of Mehrgarh.
Answer:
The various occupations of the people of Mehrgarh:
Some of the occupations of the people of Mehrgarh were animal rearing, agriculture, trade and commerce.
Class 6 History WBBSE
1. Animal rearing:
An important occupation of the people of Mehrgarh was the rearing of animals like goats, sheep and humped bulls.
2. Agriculture:
The people of Mehrgarh grew barley, wheat and cotton.
3. Trade and commerce:
The people of Mehrgarh carried on trade and commerce. Shell and stone were brought from outside of Mehrgarh.
Question 5. Discuss the important features of the Mehrgarh civilisation.
Answer:
The important features of the Mehrgarh civilisation:
The important features of the Mehrgarh were burnt and decorative patterns were civilisation were:
1. Copper-Stone Age Civilisation:
Copper and stone were in use in the MehrgarhSo this is known as the Copper- Stone Age civilisation.
2. Agrarian Civilisation:
Mehrgarh civilisation was an agrarian civilisation. People grew barley, wheat and cotton.
3. Presence of graveyards:
Several graveyards have been found in the ruins of Mehrgarh. Things like shells, beads, etc. were buried with the dead bodies.
WBBSE Chapter 3 Topic A Mehrgarh Civilisation Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1. Mention two new facts which were added to the lives of the people of the Indian subcontinent in the New Stone Age.
Answer:
Two new facts which were added to the lives of the people of the Indian subcontinent in the New Stone Age were
- The introduction of agriculture and
- The use of metal along with that of stone.
Question 2. Why did the barter system begin?
Answer:
The barter system begin:
Civilised people felt the necessity of different commodities. But it was not possible for one individual to produce everything. Therefore the system of exchanging one commodity for another began which is known as the barter system.
Question 3. How were divisions created within the urban society?
Answer:
Among the primitive communities there had been a sense of equality. But in urban society, there was no such equality. To govern the society a ruling community emerged.
Another group of people emerged who performed sacrifices and religious ceremonies. In this way, different divisions were created within the urban society.
Question 4. Mention the time span of the Mehrgarh civilisation.
Answer:
The time span of Mehrgarh civilisation is divided into three phases:
1. First phase:
Approximately between 7000 beads, shells, jewellery, axe, etc. were buried and 5000 BC.
2. Second phase:
Approximately between 5000 and 4000 BC.
3. Third phase:
Roughly between 4300 and 3800 BC.
Practice Questions on Mehrgarh Archaeological Findings
Question 5. When and by whom was Mehrgarh civilisation discovered?
Answer:
The Mehrgarh civilisation was discovered in 1974 by the French archaeologist Jean Francois Jarrige. He was assisted by Richard Meadow.
Question 6. Where is Mehrgarh located?
Answer:
Location Mehrgarh:
Mehrgarh is located in Baluchistan of present-day Pakistan at a small distance from the Bolan mountain pass.
Question 7. What were the goods buried along with the dead bodies in the Mehrgarh civilisation?
Answer:
In the Mehrgarh civilisation goods like beads, shells, jewellery, axe, etc. were buried along with the dead bodies. Many domesticated animals were also buried along with the dead bodies.
Question 8. Give a brief idea about the burial system of Mehrgarh.
Answer:
A brief idea about the burial system of Mehrgarh:
Several graveyards have been found in the ruins of Mehrgarh. The dead bodies were wrapped in red shrouds and smeared with red colour and laid vertically or horizontally in the grave.
Things like shells, beads, gems, jewellery, axes and other articles of use were buried with the corpses. Many domesticated animals were also buried along with the people.
Question 9. Write what you know about the pottery of Mehrgarh.
Answer:
The pottery of Mehrgarh:
Earthenwares appeared in the second phase of Mehrgarh civilisation (5000-4000 BC). At first earthen pots were made by hand since the wheel had not been invented.
The potter’s wheel came into existence by the end of this phase and in the next phase, the wheel was widely used to make earthen pots.
The pots Were burnt and decorative patterns were painted on them. Erthnwares of single, double and multiple colours have been found among the ruins of Mehrgarh.
Question 10. Why did the fight over land begin in the New Stone Age?
Answer:
The fight over land begin in the New Stone Age:
In the New Stone Age humans began cultivation and produced their own food. They began to feel the need of permanent houses and land for cultivation. Gradually cultivation increased and the demand for cultivable land also grew.
They began to clear forests and tried to bring wasteland under cultivation. More cultivable land produced more crops. Thus began the fight over land.
Question 11. How did primitive men become civilised?
Answer:
Primitive men become civilised:
At first, primitive men used to wander desperately in search of food. Gradually they learnt to lead a settled life. They learnt to produce their own food, and began cultivation as well as animal husbandry.
At the end of the Stone Age, their lives revolved around a settled household, cultivation and animal husbandry. The change was implemented due to their own needs. Their own effort and mental prowess helped the primitive men to become civilised.
WBBSE Chapter 3 Topic A Mehrgarh Civilisation Very Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1. When did urban civilisation develop in the Indian subcontinent?
Answer: Around 3000 BC urban civilisation developed in the Indian subcontinent.
Question 2. Why did people of ancient times begin to clear forests and reclaim land?
Answer: People of ancient times began to clear forests and reclaim land for agriculture.
Question 3. Why is the coexistence of city and village necessary for any civilisation?
Answer: The coexistence of city and village is necessary for any civilisation because urban people depend on crops from the rural areas for their maintenance.
Question 4. What were the houses like in the Mehrgarh civilisation?
Answer: The houses of Mehrgarh were made off mudbrick, which had more than one room.
Question 5. Where the oldest granary has been found?
Answer: The oldest granary of the Indian subcontinent has been found in Mehrgarh.
Real-Life Scenarios Involving Early Settlements in India
Question 6. Why is the Mehrgarh civilisation named so?
Answer: The Mehrgarh civilisation is named so because it has been discovered around the geographical region of Mehrgarh.
Question 7. Who was Jean Francois Jarrige?
Answer: Jean Francois Jarrige was a French archaeologist who discovered the Mehrgarh civilisation in 1974.
Question 8. Where, in the Indian subcontinent, sickles were used for the first time to harvest grain?
Answer: In Mehrgarh, for the first time in the Indian subcontinent, sickles were used to harvest grain.
Question 9. Which metal was used in the third phase of Mehrgarh civilisation?
Answer: Copper was used in the third phase of Mehrgarh civilisation.
Question 10. Where do we find the oldest evidence of cotton cultivation in the world?
Answer: The oldest evidence of cotton cultivation was found in Mehrgarh.
Question 11. When did the use of the potter’s wheel start in Mehrgarh?
Answer: At the end of the second phase of Mehrgarh civilisation the use of the potter’s wheel started.
Question 12. Where is Mehrgarh at present?
Answer: At present Mehrgarh is in Baluchistan of Pakistan.
WBBSE Chapter 3 Topic A Mehrgarh Civilisation Fill In The Blanks
By selecting the appropriate expression from the brackets
Question 1. After wandering desperately in search of food, humans learnt to lead a __________ (civilised/settled/nomadic) life.
Answer: Settled
Question 2. In the New Stone Age, being engaged in cultivation, the man began to feel the need of ___________ (permanent/mud-brick/small) houses.
Answer: Permanent
Question 3. The use of _________ (stone/iron/script) is the most determining factor for any civilisation.
Answer: Script
Question 4. Primitive man became _________ (civilised/ uncivilised/ignorant) with the passage of time.
Answer: Civilised
Question 5. The period in which both stone and copper were used was called ______ (Old Stone / Copper-Stone / Iron) age.
Answer: Copper-Stone
Question 6. The Mehrgarh civilisation was discovered in ________(1964/1974/1984).
Answer: 1974
Question 7. Jean Francois Jarrige was assisted by ________ (Alexander Cunningham / John Marshal / Richard Meadow) in discovering the Mehrgarh civilisation.
Answer: Richard Meadow
Question 8. One of the most significant characteristics of the Mehrgarh civilisation is the presence of _________ (graveyards/granary/mud-brick houses).
Answer: Graveyards
Question 9. One new facet added to the lives of the people of the Indian subcontinent in the New Stone Age was the introduction of ____ (iron/agriculture/pottery).
Answer: Agriculture
Question 10. People of Mehrgarh did not know the use of ________ (iron/copper/stone).
Answer: Iron
WBBSE Solutions For Class 6 History Chapter 3 Ancient History Of The Indian Subcontinent Topic A Mehrgarh Civilisation True Or False
Question 1. The tradition of exchanging one commodity for another is known as a barter system.
Answer: True
Question 2. Specimens of temple architecture form a significant aspect of any civilisation.
Answer: False
Question 3. Blood and kinship ties formed the basis of modern community life.
Answer: False
Question 4. Seals were not found in the Mehrgarh civilisation.
Answer: False
Question 5. Initial earthenwares found in Mehrgarh were handmade.
Answer: True
Question 6. The Mehrgarh civilisation was discovered by Dayaram Sahni.
Answer: False
Question 7. There was widespread use of iron in Mehrgarh civilisation.
Answer: False
Question 8. There were many industries found in the Mehrgarh civilisation.
Answer: False
Question 9. In the third phase of Mehrgarh civilisation, the technique of making earthenware pottery with the potter’s wheel became widespread.
Answer: True