QUESTION 1
GS1
10 marks
Discuss the salient features of the Harappan architecture.
WRITE IN
7 min
150 words
What the examiner wants
Discuss the defining features of Harappan town planning and buildings with named sites.
DiscussExplain the different sides of the issue, use evidence, and finish with a balanced view.
Demand-wise check
- 1Town planning: grid streets, citadel and lower town, covered drains≈35 words
- 2Buildings: standard baked bricks (1:2:4), houses around courtyards, wells, Great Bath, granaries, dockyard≈35 words
- 3Site examples: Mohenjo-daro, Harappa, Dholavira (water reservoirs), Lothal (dockyard), Kalibangan≈35 words
Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.
Answer plan
IntroTown planningMaterials and housesPublic buildingsSite-specific featuresConclusion on civic order
Where marks usually go
- Writing about Harappan trade, seals or religion instead of architecture
- Not naming sites with their special features
Draw this
- Sketch plan of a Harappan city: citadel, lower town, grid streets, drains
Value addition
- FactDholavira (Gujarat) became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021, noted for its water management system.UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- FactHarappan bricks follow a standard ratio of about 1:2:4 across sites.NCERT Themes in Indian History Part I
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Ajay R Raj · AIR 109 · Page 13 ↗Reviewed PYQ reference
- Akansh Dhull · AIR 3 · Page 23 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Monika Srivastava · AIR 16 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Ajay R Raj · AIR 109 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 7 minutes, then get it checked.