50 Most Expected Indus Valley Civilization MCQs for UPSC Prelims 2025 | IVC Quiz with Answers

 1–10: Chronology & Sites

1. Which of the following is considered the earliest site of the Indus Valley Civilization?

A. Harappa

B. Mehrgarh

C. Mohenjo-daro

D. Rakhigarhi

Answer: B

2. The site of Mohenjo-daro is located on the banks of which river?

A. Ravi

B. Sutlej

C. Indus

D. Saraswati

Answer: C

3. Which is the largest Indus site in India?

A. Banawali

B. Kalibangan

C. Rakhigarhi

D. Dholavira

Answer: C

4. Which site is known for its elaborate water management system?

A. Harappa

B. Dholavira

C. Lothal

D. Kalibangan

Answer: B

5. The site known for a dockyard is:

A. Mohenjo-daro

B. Kalibangan

C. Lothal

D. Surkotada

Answer: C

6. Which site provides evidence of a ploughed field?

A. Lothal

B. Kalibangan

C. Harappa

D. Dholavira

Answer: B

7. Alamgirpur is located in:

A. Gujarat

B. Punjab

C. Uttar Pradesh

D. Haryana

Answer: C

8. Which IVC site is located in Maharashtra?

A. Daimabad

B. Banawali

C. Manda

D. Bhagwanpura

Answer: A

9. The southernmost site of the IVC is:

A. Daimabad

B. Lothal

C. Surkotada

D. Dholavira

Answer: A

10. Manda, the northernmost site, is located in:

A. Himachal Pradesh

B. Jammu & Kashmir

C. Uttarakhand

D. Punjab

Answer: B

11–20: Economy & Trade

11. The primary crop of the IVC was:

A. Rice

B. Wheat

C. Sugarcane

D. Banana

Answer: B

12. Evidence of rice cultivation has been found at:

A. Harappa

B. Mohenjo-daro

C. Lothal

D. Lothal and Rangpur

Answer: D

13. The weights used in IVC were made of:

A. Terracotta

B. Bronze

C. Chert

D. Limestone

Answer: C

14. IVC seals have been found in which Mesopotamian site?

A. Ur

B. Nineveh

C. Babylon

D. Akkad

Answer: A

15. Which of the following metals was not known to the Indus people?

A. Copper

B. Tin

C. Lead

D. Iron

Answer: D

16. Which IVC site is famous for bead-making and semi-precious stones?

A. Kalibangan

B. Banawali

C. Chanhudaro

D. Surkotada

Answer: C

17. Lothal’s dockyard indicates trade with:

A. Egypt

B. Mesopotamia

C. China

D. Rome

Answer: B

18. Which animal was not domesticated by the IVC people?

A. Elephant

B. Horse

C. Cow

D. Buffalo

Answer: B

19. Which crop suggests IVC contact with Africa?

A. Cotton

B. Barley

C. Sesame

D. Rice

Answer: C

20. The granary at Harappa was situated near:

A. Great Bath

B. Residential area

C. River

D. Citadel

Answer: D

21–30: Culture & Society

21. The IVC script is:

A. Brahmi

B. Kharosthi

C. Undeciphered

D. Devanagari

Answer: C

22. Which material was used for making the IVC seals?

A. Ivory

B. Steatite

C. Wood

D. Bone

Answer: B

23. The famous bronze "Dancing Girl" was discovered at:

A. Kalibangan

B. Harappa

C. Mohenjo-daro

D. Lothal

Answer: C

24. The fire altars are found at:

A. Mohenjo-daro

B. Dholavira

C. Kalibangan

D. Harappa

Answer: C

25. The people of IVC wore clothes made primarily of:

A. Silk

B. Wool

C. Cotton

D. Jute

Answer: C

26. A terracotta figure of a bearded man wearing a shawl was found at:

A. Mohenjo-daro

B. Harappa

C. Ropar

D. Lothal

Answer: A

27. Evidence of dice games has been found in:

A. Banawali

B. Chanhudaro

C. Harappa

D. Mohenjo-daro

Answer: D

28. Which of the following indicates belief in the afterlife?

A. Painted Pottery

B. Fire altars

C. Burial with goods

D. Seals

Answer: C

29. The IVC script is primarily found on:

A. Manuscripts

B. Scrolls

C. Seals and pottery

D. Copper plates

Answer: C

30. The ‘Pashupati’ seal suggests early worship of:

A. Vishnu

B. Shiva

C. Indra

D. Brahma

Answer: B

31–40: Decline & Polity

31. Which river’s drying up is linked to the IVC decline?

A. Yamuna

B. Indus

C. Saraswati

D. Beas

Answer: C

32. Which of the following is not a proposed reason for the decline?

A. Aryan invasion

B. Earthquake

C. Environmental degradation

D. Internal civil war

Answer: D

33. Which feature indicates some form of centralized administration?

A. Seals

B. Granaries

C. Standardized bricks

D. Weapons

Answer: C

34. Which type of governance best describes the IVC?

A. Monarchy

B. Republic

C. Decentralized civic administration

D. Military dictatorship

Answer: C

35. What is the likely reason why we do not know about the IVC rulers?

A. No rulers existed

B. They followed democracy

C. Script is undeciphered

D. Foreign invasions erased records

Answer: C

36. Which type of burial is not associated with IVC?

A. Complete burial

B. Cremation

C. Fractional burial

D. Secondary burial

Answer: B

37. Horse remains are found at:

A. Surkotada

B. Mohenjo-daro

C. Harappa

D. Chanhudaro

Answer: A

38. Which language family is the IVC script most likely unrelated to?

A. Indo-Aryan

B. Dravidian

C. Elamo-Dravidian

D. Sino-Tibetan

Answer: D

39. The “Great Bath” indicates emphasis on:

A. Fire rituals

B. Physical training

C. Cleanliness and ritual bathing

D. War preparation

Answer: C

40. Was the wheel used in IVC?

A. No

B. Yes, only for toys

C. Yes, for carts and pottery

D. Not confirmed

Answer: C

41–50: Miscellaneous

41. The primary building material in IVC was:

A. Stone

B. Wood

C. Baked bricks

D. Sun-dried mud bricks

Answer: C

42. Which item was not made by IVC people?

A. Terracotta toys

B. Iron tools

C. Beads

D. Bronze figurines

Answer: B

43. What do the straight roads and grid pattern indicate?

A. Military control

B. Colonial influence

C. Advanced civil engineering

D. Religious planning

Answer: C

44. Which is the earliest known urban culture in South Asia?

A. Vedic civilization

B. Mauryan Empire

C. Gupta Empire

D. Indus Valley Civilization

Answer: D

45. Which institution likely maintained IVC records?

A. Temples

B. Granaries

C. Seal makers

D. Unknown

Answer: D

46. The IVC people produced cotton cloth. This was also known to:

A. Egyptians

B. Mesopotamians

C. Romans

D. Greeks

Answer: B

47. Which site is famous for horse bones and a fort?

A. Surkotada

B. Banawali

C. Lothal

D. Chanhudaro

Answer: A

48. The absence of temples and palaces in IVC suggests:

A. No religion

B. No central authority

C. Possibly egalitarian society

D. All of the above

Answer: C

49. Which of these shows fire ritual

s before Vedic times?

A. Lothal seals

B. Kalibangan altars

C. Rakhigarhi ornaments

D. Mohenjo-daro granary

Answer: B

50. The IVC is also known as:

A. Bronze Age Civilization

B. Iron Age Civilization

C. Copper Age Civilization

D. Vedic Age Civilization

Answer: A