CDS History · Ancient India
Harappan Civilization
The Harappan sites and the states they lie in, what the cities, seals and crafts show, and how the Harappans farmed and ate.
Why this matters
Eleven questions, eight of them MODERATE. Site location is the favourite: Dholavira and Bhirrana each appear in three questions, and the 2026 (II) paper asked two Harappan map questions. Learn the map and most of this page is done.
Concept 1 of 3: Harappan sites and where they are
Harappan sites spread from Sindh and Punjab in Pakistan to Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat in India. CDS gives you a site and asks for its state or district, so treat this as a map to learn by heart.
Definition
- Dholavira stands on Khadir (Kadir) island in the Rann of Kutch, Gujarat. Its citadel and lower town have large cisterns and reservoirs for storing water.
- Rakhigarhi is in Hisar district, Haryana, one of the largest Harappan sites.
- Bhirrana and Banawali are in Fatehabad district, Haryana. Farmana is in Rohtak district, Haryana.
- Lakhmirwala is in Mansa district of Punjab (India). Ganweriwala is in the Cholistan desert of Punjab, Pakistan.
- Kot Diji in Sindh lies close to Mohenjo-daro and gives its name to the Early Harappan Kot Dijian phase.
- The Rohri and Sukkur hills of Sindh were factory sites where chert blades were made in bulk and sent to other settlements.
- The Bhogavo is a river of the Saurashtra peninsula in Gujarat.
| Site | Where | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Dholavira | Khadir island, Rann of Kutch, Gujarat | Cisterns and reservoirs in the citadel and lower townQ CDS 2022 (II): Dholavira, not Mohenjodaro, was the city of reservoirs. |
| Rakhigarhi | Hisar district, Haryana | One of the largest Harappan sites |
| Bhirrana | Fatehabad district, Haryana | A site in the Ghaggar plain |
| Banawali | Fatehabad district, Haryana | A terracotta model of a plough |
| Farmana | Rohtak district, Haryana | A large Harappan burial ground |
| Ganweriwala | Cholistan, Punjab (Pakistan) | One of the largest Harappan cities |
| Kot Diji | Sindh, near Mohenjo-daro | Gives its name to the Early Harappan Kot Dijian phaseQ |
| Rohri and Sukkur hills | Sindh | Factory sites for chert bladesQ |
| Bhogavo | Saurashtra, Gujarat | A river of the Harappan region in SaurashtraQ |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2026 · CDS (II) 2026 — General Knowledge · Q77Moderate
Example 1 · Ancient India · Harappan Civilization
How many of the following pairs is/are correctly matched ?
Select the answer using the code given below :
| Harappan site | Modern state/region |
|---|---|
| 1. Bhirrana | Haryana |
| 2. Ganweriwala | Punjab (Pakistan) |
| 3. Dholavira | Gujarat |
| 4. Farmana | Uttar Pradesh |
Farmana is in Haryana
Farmana is in Rohtak district of Haryana. An option placing it in Uttar Pradesh is the wrong pair.
Two Punjabs
Lakhmirwala is in Punjab in India; Ganweriwala is in the Cholistan desert of Punjab in Pakistan. Read which Punjab the option means.
Concept 2 of 3: Cities, script, metals and seals
The Harappans built the first cities of the subcontinent and wrote a script we still cannot read. They lived in the Bronze Age: copper and bronze, but no iron at all.
Definition
- The Harappan culture saw the first cities in the subcontinent.
- Its script was written from right to left and has not been deciphered.
- The Harappans used copper and bronze. They did not know iron, which came into use in India much later.
- They made the earliest known stone sculpture of the subcontinent, such as the bearded figure from Mohenjo-daro called the priest-king, and bronze figures such as the dancing girl.
- Seals show the unicorn (the most common), the humped bull, elephant, rhinoceros, tiger, buffalo and gharial (a crocodile). The lion never appears.
| Feature | Fact |
|---|---|
| Cities | The first cities of the subcontinent |
| Script | Written right to left; still not read |
| Metals | Copper and bronze; no iron at all |
| Sculpture | Earliest stone sculpture, such as the priest-king; the bronze dancing girl |
| Seal animals | Unicorn, humped bull, elephant, rhinoceros, tiger, buffalo, gharialQ CDS 2025 (I): the lion was the animal that does not appear. |
Practice this conceptself-check · 3 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2017 · CDS (II) 2017 — General Knowledge · Q94Moderate
Example 2 · Ancient India · Harappan Civilization
Which one of the following statements about the Harappan Culture is not correct?
No iron in Harappan India
The Harappans used copper and bronze only. Any statement crediting them with iron, for tools or for sculpture, is false.
Tiger yes, lion no
The big cat on Harappan seals is always the tiger. The lion does not appear anywhere in Harappan art.
Concept 3 of 3: Farming and food
Cities need farmers. The Harappans ploughed with oxen, grew several crops at once and stored water for their fields, and new studies of food remains keep adding to what we know they ate.
Definition
- A ploughed field was found at Kalibangan in Rajasthan, from the Early Harappan level. It has two sets of furrows at right angles, which suggests two crops were grown together.
- Terracotta models of the plough come from Cholistan and Banawali, and bulls on seals suggest oxen pulled it.
- Crops included wheat, barley, lentil, chickpea and sesame; millets are found in Gujarat.
- Canals were found at Shortughai in Afghanistan, and reservoirs at Dholavira.
- The Harappans were the first to grow cotton in Eurasia, and remains show they ate turmeric, ginger and banana.
| Evidence | Where | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Ploughed field | Kalibangan, Rajasthan | Furrows at right angles: two crops in one field |
| Terracotta plough models | Cholistan and Banawali | The plough was in use |
| Canals | Shortughai, Afghanistan | Irrigation |
| Cotton | Harappan region | The earliest cotton growing in EurasiaQ CDS 2026 (II): both the cotton and the turmeric, ginger and banana statements were correct. |
| Grains | Many sites | Wheat, barley, lentil, chickpea, sesame; millets in Gujarat |
Practice this conceptself-check · 3 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2025 · CDS (II) 2025 — General Knowledge · Q55Moderate
Example 3 · Ancient India · Harappan Civilization
Which one of the following periods has provided the evidence of a ploughed field at Kalibangan in Rajasthan ?
Kalibangan's field is Early Harappan
The ploughed field at Kalibangan lies at the Early Harappan level, below the later city. It is not Mature or Late Harappan.
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Reference tables (3)
Harappan sites and where they are9 rows
| Site | Where | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Dholavira | Khadir island, Rann of Kutch, Gujarat | Cisterns and reservoirs in the citadel and lower townQ CDS 2022 (II): Dholavira, not Mohenjodaro, was the city of reservoirs. |
| Rakhigarhi | Hisar district, Haryana | One of the largest Harappan sites |
| Bhirrana | Fatehabad district, Haryana | A site in the Ghaggar plain |
| Banawali | Fatehabad district, Haryana | A terracotta model of a plough |
| Farmana | Rohtak district, Haryana | A large Harappan burial ground |
| Ganweriwala | Cholistan, Punjab (Pakistan) | One of the largest Harappan cities |
| Kot Diji | Sindh, near Mohenjo-daro | Gives its name to the Early Harappan Kot Dijian phaseQ |
| Rohri and Sukkur hills | Sindh | Factory sites for chert bladesQ |
| Bhogavo | Saurashtra, Gujarat | A river of the Harappan region in SaurashtraQ |
Cities, script, metals and seals5 rows
| Feature | Fact |
|---|---|
| Cities | The first cities of the subcontinent |
| Script | Written right to left; still not read |
| Metals | Copper and bronze; no iron at all |
| Sculpture | Earliest stone sculpture, such as the priest-king; the bronze dancing girl |
| Seal animals | Unicorn, humped bull, elephant, rhinoceros, tiger, buffalo, gharialQ CDS 2025 (I): the lion was the animal that does not appear. |
Farming and food5 rows
| Evidence | Where | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Ploughed field | Kalibangan, Rajasthan | Furrows at right angles: two crops in one field |
| Terracotta plough models | Cholistan and Banawali | The plough was in use |
| Canals | Shortughai, Afghanistan | Irrigation |
| Cotton | Harappan region | The earliest cotton growing in EurasiaQ CDS 2026 (II): both the cotton and the turmeric, ginger and banana statements were correct. |
| Grains | Many sites | Wheat, barley, lentil, chickpea, sesame; millets in Gujarat |
Watch out for (5)
- Farmana is in Haryana→ Harappan sites and where they are
- Two Punjabs→ Harappan sites and where they are
- No iron in Harappan India→ Cities, script, metals and seals
- Tiger yes, lion no→ Cities, script, metals and seals
- Kalibangan's field is Early Harappan→ Farming and food
Test yourself on Ancient India
20 past CDS questions from this chapter, timed at 20 minutes and marked the way the exam marks it. You see your score and every answer the moment you finish. Free to start.