Indus Valley Civilization

I. Fill in the blanks:

1. The Indus Valley Civilisation was the Earliest civilisation of India.

2. Harappa is situated in Sahiwal district in Pakistan.
3. The Indus Valley Civilisation stood on the bank of river Indus
4. The largest building discovered at Mohenjodaro is Great Granary.
5. Bronze metal was used by the people of the Indus Valley Civilisation.
6. Indus people used Burnt bricks for constructing buildings.
7. The Harappan culture came to an end by 1500 BC.

II. Match Column A with Column B

Column A Column B

Answer:

III. Answer the following questions?

Question 1.
Who discovered the Indus Valley Civilisation and when?
Answer:
Mr. Daya Ram Sahni discovered the ruins of Harappa in 1921. Next year, in 1922
Dr. Rakhal Das Bannerjee discovered the ruins of Mohenjodaro.
Question 2.
What does civilisation mean? Give four characteristics of a civilisation.
Answer:
The stage of development when man looks for more than just fulfillment of his
basic needs, is called civilisation.
Characteristics of a civilisation:

1. Surplus food production

2. Flourishing of many arts and crafts
3. Law and order exists
4. Presence of a government.

Question 3.
Why did the earliest civilisations grow up near rivers?
Answer:
The earliest civilisations grew up on the banks of rivers because of the following
reasons.

1. The rivers provided abundant supply of water for various purposes all
through the year.
2. The lands near the rivers were very fertile, hence good for growing crops.
3. Rivers provided means of transport and communication.

Question 4.
Name the different sites of the Indus Valley Civilisation.
Answer:
Various sites of the Indus Valley Civilisation were —The river valleys had warm
and pleasant climate which favoured permanent settlement of population.
Harappa, Mohenjodaro, Lothal, Kalibangan, Ropar, Alamgirpur, Banwali,
Sutkagendor and others.

Question 5.
Describe the town planning and the drainage system of the Indus Valley
Civilisation.
Answer:
The cities were divided into two parts. The upper part called ‘citadel’ was built on
a raised ground. It was inhabited by the upper class and had public buildings
such as granaries. The lower part was inhabited by the common people. Each
house had a courtyard, several rooms around it, a toilet and a well. All the
buildings were built of burnt bricks. Large blocks of houses were built along both
the sides of streets.The roads were wide and straight and cut each other at right
angles. Smaller streets led to bigger streets. The streets had lamp posts. The
drainage system was of the highest order ; even many of our present towns do
not have such excellent drainage system. House drains were connected to the
street drains which joined the main drains which emptied outside the city limits.
The drains were covered with stone slabs and had manholes at regular intervals.
They were cleaned regularly.The Indus people were veiy conscious of hygiene
and sanitation.

Question 6.
Describe the Great Bath. Where has it been found? What was it used for?
Answer:

1. The Great Bath was a sort of modem swimming pool, discovered at

Mohenjodaro. It is an example of excellent engineering’ work. It was built
of burnt brick. It measures 11 .-88 x 7.01 metres
2. The lands near the rivers were very fertile, hence good for growing crops.
3. Rivers provided means of transport and communication.
4. The river valleys had warm and pleasant climate which favoured
permanent settlement of population.

Question 7.
Describe the Great Granary. Where has it been found?
Answer:
The Great Granary was found at Mohenjodaro and it was the largest building
discovered there. It was used for storing grains in huge quantities for lean
periods. Brick platforms have been found near the granaries which were used for
threshing grain. Many two-room shelters have also been found nearby which
were perhaps used by labourers. Granaries were built close to river banks to
facilitate easier transportation of grains during emergencies.

Question 8.
Describe the religion of Indus Valley Civilisation
Answer:
The Harappans worshiped the pipal tree and humped bull which have been
found on hundreds of seals. They also worshiped Mother Goddess which were
beautifully depicted as terracotta figurines. The Harappans also worshiped
‘Shiva’ or ‘Pashupati’. A three-faced figure with horns has been found sitting in
the posture of a yogi. He is surrounded by a tiger, a rhinoceros, a buffalo, and an
elephant. But no temple or any other religious building has been found so far.
The Harappans believed in life after death and buried the dead with his
belongings.

Question 9.
Name the three social classes of the Indus Valley Civilisation.
Answer:
The three social classes were:

1. Rich merchants and priests e. the ruling class.

2. Small merchants, artisans and craftsmen.
3. Peasants and labourers.

Question 10.
What were the probable causes which could have brought about an abrupt end
to the Indus Valley Civilisation?
Answer:
There are many reasons attributed to the fall of the Indus Valley Civilisation.

1. The Harappan cities were destroyed by invaders who were probably the
Aryans.
2. Natural calamities such as floods, earthquakes and epidemics might have
destroyed the civilisation.
3. River Indus might have changed its course and turned the region into a
desert.

IV. Give reasons why we say that the people of the Indus Valley Civilisation
—

1. Had a good sense of cleanliness

2. Carried on trade with Mesopotamia
3. Produced surplus grains
4. Had an idea of metallurgy

Answer:

1. The arrangement of drains, wide roads and houses with toilets and drains
attest to their sense of cleanliness.
2. Mesopotamian seals have been found in Harappan cities and Harappan
seals have been discovered in cities of ancient Mesopotamia.
3. Big granaries and existence of towns prove the fact that they produced
surplus food grains.
4. A bronze figure of a dancing girl has been found. Several other images,
weapons, utensils and tools of copper and bronze have also been found.
Jewellery made of gold and silver has been found at various sites.

Textbook Keywords
 1. Dwelling houses are buildings, that people live in and but do not use as
offices, trading places, etc.
2. Public building These buildings are used by all the people and are not
privately owned.
3. Granaries were the store houses where the people of Indus valley
civilization stored their extra grain. The Great Granary was discovered at
Harappa.
4. Great Bath was a big tank at Mohanjodaro that was probably used by the
general public during religious ceremonies. Drainage system It is a
process by which water or liquid waste is drained out from an area.
5. Terracotta It is a reddish-brown clay that has been baked. Seals are the
clay tablets used by Harappan merchants to stamp their goods.
6. Mother Goddess was the female deity worshiped by the people of the
Indus Valley civilization. Many smoke- stained clay figures of the Mother
Goddess have been found

Additional Questions

A. Fill in the blanks.

1. The main river of the Harappan civilization was Ravi.

2. The Great Bath is located in Mohenjodaro.
3. The main occupation of the Harappan were farming.
4. The rich wore ornaments made of gold, silver and ivoiy.
5. The Harappan seals are made of clay, soapstone and copper.

B. Match the following:

Answer:
C. Choose the correct answer:

1. The Harappan civilization belongs to the Mesolithic/ Neolithic/Bronze

Ans. The Harappan civilization belongs to the Bronze Age.

2.Lothal/Ropar/Harappa was the first city to be discovered in the Indus Valley

region.
Ans. Harappa was the first city to be discovered in the Indus Valley region.

3. The Assembly Hall is in Mohanjodaro/Lothal/Harappa.

Ans. The Assembly Hall is in Mohanjodaro.

4. Wheat/Fish/Barley was the staple food of the Harappans.

Ans. Wheat was the staple food of the Harappans.

5. The neem/banyan/pipal tree was probably regarded as sacred by the

Harappans.
Ans. The pipal tree was probably regarded as sacred by the Harappans.

D. State whether the following are true or false.

1. The Harappan cities had an elaborate drainage system.

False.
Correct: The Harappan cities had well planned system.
2. Domestication of animals was the main occupation of the Harappans.
False.
Correct: Farming was the main occupation of the Flarappans.
3.The Harappans decorated their pottery with various designs.
True.
4.The Harappans built strong boats.
True.
5. The Indus Valley civilization was governed by kings and queens.
False.
Correct: The Indus Valley civilization was not governed by kings and queens
E. Answer the following questions in one or two words/ sentences:

Question 1.
What discoveries proved that India had a 4,500-year old urban civilization?
Answer:
The excavations carried out at various sites prove that around 4,500 years ago
highly civilized people lived in this region and gave to the world its earliest cities,
its first town planning, its first architecture in stone and clay and its first example
of sanitary engineering and drainage system.

Question 2.
Why is the Indus Valley Civilization also called the Harappan civilization?
Answer:
The Indus Valley civilization is also called the Flarappan civilizations because the
things found in all the sites were very much like the articles found at Harappa.

Question 3.
Why did the Indus Valley people build granaries close to the river bank?
Answer:
All the granaries were built close to the river bank so that the grains could be
easily transported with the help of boats.

Question 4.
Give one example to prove that the Indus Valley bronzesmiths were skilled
craftspeople.
Answer:
The bronzesmiths made tools, weapons and metal sculptures such as the
famous figure of the ‘dancing girl’. They were also engaged in other crafts like
brick laying, boat making, stone cutting, masonry and carpentry.

Question 5.
How do we know that the Harappans had trade relations with the
Mesopotamians?
Answer:
Trade relations with Mesopotamia have been proved with the discovery of
Mesopotamian seals in the cities of the Indus Valley Civilization and Harappan
seals in the ancient cities of Mesopotamia.

F. Answer the following questions briefly:

Question 1.
How were the Harappan cities planned? Explain briefly the main features of their
dwelling houses.
Answer:
The Harappan cities were well-planned. The main streets ran parallel to each
other, cut at right angles by smaller, streets, dividing the cities into rectangular
blocks. The main roads were straight and very wide. The streets were often
paved with baked bricks.Dwelling houses were building that people live in. They
were in different sizes. They were made of baked bricks of very good quality. But
they not used as office, trading place etc.

Question 2.
With reference to the engineering skills of the Indus Valley people, explain briefly
the features of
(1)The Great Bath and
(2) the drainage system
Answer:

1. The Great Bath: It was important building at Mohenjodero. This building

resembled a large swimming pool, It had six entrances,central bathing
pool, galleries and dressing rooms. It was probably used by the general
public during religious ceremonies.
2. The drainage system: The people of the Indus valley had an excellent,
well-planned drainage system. The Kitchens and the bathrooms had drains
connected to the street drains. The street drains ran along the side of the
streets and were usually covered. They had manholes at regular intervals.
The drainage system proves that the Indus Valley people paid great
attention to sanitation and cleanliness.

Question 3.
Give a brief account of

1. Great Granary
2. Assembly Hall

Answer:

1. Great Granary: The Great Granary at Harappa was a large building.

Historians believe that it was used to store surplus food grains. There were
two rows of granaries. Each row had six granaries.
2. Assembly Hall: The Assembly Hall was another striking building found in
Mohenjodaro. It was a pillared hall with thick walls and 20 pillars made of
burnt or baked bricks. This may have been and assembly hall, a prayer
hall or a palace.
Question 4.
Describe

1. The dress and

2. Ornaments of the Indus Valley people.

Answer:

1. Dress: People wore cotton and woolen garments. Two- piece dresses
were worn by both men and women. The men wore a garment similar to
the dhoti while the women wore skirts. The upper garments was a shawl
worn around the shoulder.
2. Ornaments: Both men and women wore ornaments. They wore
necklaces, amulets and finger rings. The women also wore a headdress,
earrings, bangles, girdles, bracelets and anklets. The rich wore ornaments
made of gold, silver and ivory. The poor wore shell, bone and copper
jewellery.

Question 5.
Describe the occupation and crafts of the Harappan people.
Answer:
The main occupation of the people of the Indus Valley was farming. Farmers
gr«w wheat, barley, fruits and vegetables. They also cultivated cotton. The land
was fertile. The second occupation of the people of the Indus Valley was
domestication of animals like goat, sheep, buffaloes, elephants, bulls, dogs and
cats.The Indus Valley people were excellent potters and skilled crafts people.
They made pottery of various shapes and sizes. They also made terracotta. The
goldsmiths made gold and silver jewellery, copper smiths made utensils and the
bronze smith made tools, weapons and metal sculptures. The people were also
engaged in other crafts like brick laying, boat making, stone cutting, masonry and
carpentry. Spinning and weaving were important occupations.

Question 6.
Write short notes on the following:

1. Trade
2. Seals of the Indus Valley

Answer:

1. Trade: The Indus Valley people carried on flourishing trade both within and
outside India. They traded with countries like Mesopotamia, (Iraq), Persia
(Iran) and Afghanistan. Trade was carried on both by land and sea routes.
 Bullock carts, boats and ships were probably used for transport. A
dockyard has been discovered at Lothal.
2. Seals of the Indus Valley: More than 2,000 seals have been unearthed
from various sites. They are generally small, flat, rectangular or square in
shape and made of clay, soapstone and copper. They are skillfully carved
with figures of humans and animals such as the unicorn, humped bull,
goat, tiger, elephant, etc. These seals were probably used by merchants
and traders to stamp goods.

Question 7.
The study of objects and artifacts found in the ruins of the Indus Valley cities help
us us to form an idea of Harrapan religion. Explain.
Answer:
Some of the objects found in the ruins help us to form an idea of the religion of
the Harappans. No temples have been found. Numerous smoke-stained clay
figures of a female deity have been found. This was probably the Mother
Goddess. A three faced figure, seated in a yogic posture and surrounded by
various animals is engraved on some seals. The pipal tree was probably
regarded as sacred and worshiped. The discovery of a large number of amulets
suggests that people probably wore them as lucky charms to ward off evil spirits.

Question 8.
How did the Harappan civilization end?
Answer:
These are some causes of the decay of the Harappan civilization.

1. The Harappan might have been destroyed by natural calamities like

earthquakes, floods.
2. The climate also began to change and the region became more and more
dry like a desert.
3. Perhaps the Aryans attacked their cities and destroyed them.
4. An epidemic or some terrible disease might have killed the people.

G Picture study.
This picture on the right-hand side shows a well-planned ancient city located on
the banks of a river.

1. Identify the civilization from the ruins in the picture.

Ans. This picture is about Harappa Civilization.

2. When and by whom were these ruins discovered?

Ans. These ruins were discovered by Dayaram Sahni in 1921.

3.These ruins are an important source of information about the

(a) town planning and
(b) drainage system of this period. Explain.
Ans.
(a) Town planning— The Indus Valley cities were very well- planned. The
streets were quite broad varying from a feet to 30 feet in breadth. The streets and
roads were straight and they cut one another at right angles. The streets had
rounded comers to enable the heavy carts to take a turn easily. Every street had
a lighting system. Such a system of town-planning was not to be found at that
time anywhere in the world.

(b) Drainage system— The people of the Indus valley had an excellent, well-
planned drainage system. The kitchens and the bathrooms had drains connected
to the street drains. The street drains ran along the side of the streets and were
usually covered. They had manholes at regular intervals. The drainage system
proves that the Indus Valley people paid great attention to sanitation and
cleanliness.

With respect to the Harappan Civilisation name the following

Question 1
Two Harappan sites.
Answer
(a) Harappa in Montgomery district in Punjab.
(b) Mohenjo-daro in the Larkana district.
Question 2
Two parts of a Harappan city.
Answer
(a) The Citadel.
(b) The Lower Town.
Question 3
Two Public buildings.
Answer
(a) The Great Bath.
(b) The Granaries.
Question 4
Two sites where Granaries have been found.
Answer
(a) Harappa
(b) Mohenjo-daro
Question 5
Two crops grown by the Harappans.
Answer
(a) Wheat
(b) Barley
Question 6
Two animals domesticated by the Harappans.
Answer
(a) Sheep
(b) Goat
Question 7
Two deities worshipped by the Harappans.
Answer
(a) Mother Goddess
(b) Pashupati Mahadeva
Question 8
Two items of art and craft.
Answer
(a) Dancing Girl
(b) Bearded Man
Match the following
Question 1

Column A Column B

1. Harappa (a) Lothal

2. Mohenjo-daro (b) Steatite

3. Kalibangan (c) Mohenjo-daro

4. Dockyard (d) R.D. Banerjee

5. Assembly hall (e) Rajasthan

6. Seals (f) Dayaram sahni

Answer
 Column A Column B

1. Harappa (f) Dayaram sahni

2. Mohenjo-daro (d) R.D.Banerjee

3. Kalibangan (e) Rajasthan

4. Dockyard (a) Lothal

5. Assembly hall (c) Mohenjo-daro

6. Seals (b) Steatite

Fill in the blanks

Question 1
The Indus Valley Civilisation is also known as Harappan civilisation.
Question 2
Mohenjo Daro was situated on the Indus river in Sind.
Question 3
A male deity shown on the Indus seals is Pashupati Shiva.
Question 4
Wheat was the staple food of the Harappans.
Question 5
The Harappan pottery was Reddish brown in colour with design in Black.
Question 6
The Harappans worshipped Mother Goddess and Pashupati Mahadeva.
Question 7
The Harappans were the first people in the world to grow Cotton.
Answer the following questions
Question 1
Why is the Indus Valley Civilisation also known as the Harappan Civilisation?
Answer
Indus Valley Civilisation is also known as Harappan Civilisation after the name of
a major site of this civilisation in Harappa.
Question 2
How was the Harappan Civilisation discovered? Name the two archaeologists
associated with this discovery.
Answer
In 1920, during the construction of a railway track near Harappa, the railway
authorities noticed that the bricks which were used from a nearby ruin belonged
to a very old Civilisation. The Archaeological survey of India working on this
information carried out extensive excavations at the site which lead to the
discovery of the Harappan Civilisation. The two archaeologists associated with
this discovery are Dayaram Sahni and R.D. Banerjee.
Question 3
Mention three important features of Harappan town planning.
Answer
The three important features of the Harappan town planning were
1. Each city was divided into two parts -
i. The Citadel was a raised platform where the rulers and the nobles
lived.
ii. The lower town had residential buildings for common people.
2. The streets were quite wide varying from 9 feet to 34 feet in width.The
streets intersected each other at right angles. Lamp posts discovered
along the roads indicate that the cities probably had street lights. The main
roads were wide and curved at the corners so that heavy carts could turn
easily.
3. The Harappans had a well planned drainage system. The house drains
emptied waste water into the street drains. The drains were covered with
bricks or stones. Manholes and inspection traps were provided at regular
intervals.
Question 4
Describe the organisation of the citadel in the town planning of Harappa.
Answer
The Citadel was a raised platform, rectangular in shape and about 12 meters
high. It was constructed with bricks and stones with watchtowers. It had massive
walls and its height acted as a protection against floods. It is believed that the
ruler along with his nobles lived here. Important public buildings like the great
bath, the granary, the assembly hall and the workshops were located here.
Question 5
Explain how the Harappans maintained an efficient drainage system.
Answer
The Harappans had a well planned drainage system. The house drains emptied
waste water into the street drains. The drains were covered with bricks or stones.
Manholes and inspection traps were provided at regular intervals.
Question 6
What were the occupations and crafts of the Harappan people?
Answer
The occupations and crafts of the Harappan people were:
1. Agriculture — Most of the Harappan people were farmers. They grew
wheat, barley, pulses, peas, rice, sesame, linseed and mustard. The
Harappans reared cattle, sheep, goat and buffalo.
2. Pottery — The Harappans knew the use of the potter's wheel. They made
pots with fine clay, glazed and decorated with beautiful black designs.
3. Crafts — They were skilled crafts persons and artists making all kinds of
things such as a large variety of clay toys, seals, beads, ornaments of
copper, bronze, gold and silver and statues.
4. Spinning and weaving — The discovery of spindle whorls made of
Terracotta and woven cloths attached to the lid of a silver vase suggests
that the Harappans were skilled in the art of spinning and weaving.
5. Building-Construction — The presence of large number of individual
houses and public buildings and the discovery of a number of kilns for
baking bricks found at a variety of Harappan sites indicate that building
industry provided employment to a large number of people.
Question 7
Explain briefly the nature of the Harappan trade.
Answer
The Harappans carried out both internal and external trade. The internal trade
was carried out through land routes by bullock-carts. Within India, they got
precious stones, metals and other articles from many towns.
The Harappans had commercial relations with Mesopotamia and other West
Asian countries. The Harappans used to obtain gold from south India and metals
like silver, tin and copper from Persia, Oman, Afghanistan and Mesopotamia. The
small boats depicted on the seals indicate that the external trade was carried out
by sea.
Question 8
What were religious beliefs and practices of the Harappans?
Answer
The religious beliefs and practices of the Harappans can be known from the
seals and objects of sculptures. The animals like humped bull, elephant,
rhinoceros, tiger, lion and trees like peepal and acacia depicted on the seals tell
us that these plants and animals were considered sacred by the Harappans.
Discovery of a large number of terracotta female figures show that worship of
Mother Goddess was quite popular. Among the male gods, the most significant is
a three-faced deity wearing a horned dress and surrounded by elephant, tiger,
buffalo and rhinoceros. This God has been identified as Pashupati Mahadeva.
Question 9
What factors were responsible for the decline of the Harappan Civilisation?
Answer
Various factors were responsible for the decline of the Harappan Civilisation.
Some of these are the followings
1. Natural Calamities like floods and earthquakes caused havoc and
destroyed human habitation.
2. The invading Aryans destroyed Indus settlements.
3. Deforestation due to the excessive use of wood for making copper and
bronze, to bake bricks, pottery, stone wear and to make boats and
furniture, led to drying up of land and rendered it infertile.
 4. Decrease in fertility because of increasing salinity of the soil caused by
the expansion of the neighbouring desert.
5. Changes brought about in the course of the river Indus lead to the flooding
of the hinterland of Mohenjo-daro and its ultimate decline.
Question 10
Write short notes on the following:
(a) Granaries.
(b) Dress and Ornaments worn by the Harappans.
Answer
(a) Granaries — Granaries were found at Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, Lothal and
Kalibangan. The largest granary was found at Mohenjo-daro which measured
45.71 metres in length and 15.23 meters in breadth. At Harappa, there were two
rows of six granaries with a wide passage between them. The granaries were
used to store surplus grain. Near these granaries, circular brick platforms have
been found. They were probably meant for threshing grain. These granaries were
built close to rivers so that grains could easily be transported by boats to other
places.
(b) Dress and Ornaments worn by the Harappans — The Harappans mostly
used to wear cotton clothes. The rich people used woollen clothes in winter. The
women wore some kinds of skirts and covered upper part of their body with a
cloak. They used to cover their head with a scarf. Men used to wear a dhoti, and
a shawl around the shoulders. Both men and women used to wear ornaments
made of beads or shell. The rich people wore gold and silver ornaments. These
included necklaces, amulets and finger rings. The women also wore head-
dresses, girdles bangles and ear rings.
Picture Study
Question 1
Study the picture and answer the following questions:
(a) Name the structure shown in the picture.
(b) Give its location.
(c) Describe the details of the structure.
(d) State its purpose.
Answer
(a) The structure shown in the picture is The Greatbath.
(b) This is located at Mohenjo-daro.
(c) The Great Bath at Mohenjo-daro is the most important building of the
Harappan civilisation. It was a huge rectangular tank with a flight of steps on the
northern and southern sides, leading to the bottom of the tank. The water for the
bath was provided by a well in an adjacent room. To make the pool watertight,
burnt bricks and mortar lined with bitumen and gypsum were used for
construction. The tank was surrounded by rooms which were either used as
living rooms by the priest or were meant for changing clothes.
(d) It is generally believed that this Great Bath was used on religious occasions
for ritual bathing.
 Egyptian Civilization
Name the following
Question 1
Three periods of Egyptian history
Answer
(a) The Old Kingdom
(b) The Middle Kingdom
(c) The New Kingdom
Question 2
The names of two Egyptian Pharaohs
Answer
(a) Pharaoh Akhenaten
(b) Pharaoh Cheops
Question 3
Two examples of Egyptian Architecture
Answer
(a) The Great Pyramid at Giza
(b) The Sphinx
Question 4
Two Gods worshipped by the Egyptians
Answer
(a) Ra (The Sun God)
(b) Osiris (The God of the dead)
Match the following
Question 1
 Column A Column B

1. Memphis (a) Sun God

2. Hyksos (b) Capital of the Old Kingdom

3. Cleopatra (c) Tomb of the King

4. Pyramid (d) Egyptian Queen

5. Ra (e) Nomadic Tribes from Western Asia

Answer

Column A Column B

1. Memphis (b) Capital of the Old Kingdom

2. Hyksos (e) Nomadic Tribes from Western Asia

3. Cleopatra (d) Egyptian Queen

4. Pyramid (c) Tomb of the King

5. Ra (a) Sun God

Fill in the blanks

Question 1
Egypt is known as the Gift of the Nile.
Question 2
The king in Egypt was known as the Pharaoh.
Question 3
Pyramids were the tombs of the kings.
Question 4
The Great Pyramid at Giza was built by Pharaoh Cheops.
Question 5
Sphinx is the mythological sculpture having the head of man and the body of a
lion.
Question 6
The Egyptians preserved the bodies of the dead by mummification.
Answer the following questions
Question 1
Why is Egypt called the 'Gift of Nile'?
Answer
The Egyptian Civilization emerged in the valley of river Nile and flourished for
more than 2000 years. The river Nile has proved to be such a great boon for
Egypt that the Greek historian, Herodotus called Egypt, "the Gift of Nile." If the
river Nile would not have been there, Egypt would have been a part of the vast
Sahara desert.
Question 2
Who were the Pharaohs? Why were they looked upon as Gods?
Answer
The rulers of Egypt were called the Pharaohs. They were the head of the
government and the administration having absolute powers.
It was believed that the Pharaoh had a direct connection to the Gods and acted
as a mediator between the divine realm and the earthly world. They were
believed to be the representative of God on earth and their statues adorned the
temples.
Question 3
What are the Pyramids? What is a Sphinx?
Answer
Pyramids — The Pyramids were the tombs containing the mummies of
Egyptians monarchs along with all kinds of precious goods. The Pyramids were
huge structures made of blocks of stone. They were decorated with paintings
depicting humans, animals and birds.
Sphinx — The Sphinx is a mythological figure with head of a man and the body
of a lion. Sphinx is a sculpture carved out of a single stone.
Question 4
What was special about the solar calendar of the Egyptians?
Answer
The Egyptians developed the world's first solar calendar. They concluded that the
year had 365 days. It was based on two things; first the average period between
two successive floods in the River Nile (which was 365 days) and second, the
appearance of the star, Sirius in the sky after 365 days. They then, divided the
year into 12 months with each month having 30 days. Five days were added for
religious festivals.
Question 5
How can we conclude that the Egyptians believed in life after death?
Answer
The Egyptians believed that after the death, the body and the soul live in a
different way. That is why they preserved the bodies of their dead by embalming
them. Such a preserved body is known as a mummy. The mummies were put in
the wooden boxes, enclosed in a stone coffin and buried in tombs along with
goods like clothes, food, drinks, jewellery, etc.
Question 6
State briefly the Egyptian achievements in architecture and medicine.
Answer
Architecture
1. The Egyptians built beautiful temples with pillared halls. The most famous
of these temples is The Great Temple of Abu Simbel, dedicated to the
Sun God and temple at Karnak. They decorated their temples with massive
columns and huge statues.
2. The Egyptians also built large Pyramids to bury their dead. The pyramids
were huge structures made of blocks of stone. The architectural and
engineering skills of the Egyptians can be still seen from 30 large pyramids
and a number of small ones which exist even today. The most famous
Pyramid is The Great Pyramid at Giza near Cairo. It is one of the Seven
Wonders of the world.
 3. Another remarkable example of Egyptian architecture is
the Sphinx. Sphinx is an Egyptian mythological sculpture carved out of a
single stone having a lion's body and a human head.
Medicine
1. The Egyptians were aware of the human anatomy and one of their books
provides a detailed analysis of the human circulatory systems.
2. The way by which the Egyptians used to preserve the bodies of the dead
by mummification is a marvel of science. The process shown their
knowledge of human body and their skill in surgery.
Picture Study
Question 1
Study the picture and answer the following questions:

(a) Identify the given picture. Where is it located?

(b) Who built this structure? What was his position in Egyptian society?
(c) How does this structure act as a source of information about the life of tha
ancient Egyptians?
Answer
(a) The structure shown in the picture is The Great Pyramid. It is located
at Giza near Cairo.
(b) It was built by Pharaoh Cheops (Khufu). He was the pharaoh of the Old
Kingdom around 2650 BCE.
(c) The paintings on the walls of the Pyramids are a great source of information
about the ancient Egyptians. The paintings depict hunting scenes, religious
ceremonies, wars and battles, kings and queens, and features of everyday living.