Module: General Practice
Q1: Consider the following statements regarding the Town Layout and Brick Standardization in Mohenjodaro:
1. The settlement was primarily divided into two sections, with the Citadel being smaller but higher, and the Lower Town being larger but lower.
2. The Citadel owed its height to the fact that its buildings were constructed on mud-brick platforms.
3. The baked bricks used across Harappan settlements had a standardized ratio where the length and breadth were four times and twice the height, respectively.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
2. The Citadel owed its height to the fact that its buildings were constructed on mud-brick platforms.
3. The baked bricks used across Harappan settlements had a standardized ratio where the length and breadth were four times and twice the height, respectively.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
✅ Correct Answer: D
🎯 Quick Answer:
Option D is the correct answer, as all three statements are factually accurate regarding the urban layout of Mohenjodaro.Structural Breakdown: The city was physically separated into two main parts.
The Citadel was built on elevated mud-brick platforms and contained special public structures.
The Lower Town was much larger, situated at a lower elevation, and served as the primary residential area.
Both sections were surrounded by walls.
Historical/Related Context: Alexander Cunningham, the first Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India, noted the massive scale of brick-making when observing that stolen bricks from Harappa were enough to lay 100 miles of railway line.
The Harappans maintained strict uniformity in their building materials across the civilization.
Causal Reasoning: The standardization of bricks (ratio of 4:2:1 for length:breadth:height) and the deliberate elevation of the Citadel demonstrate a highly centralized planning authority capable of mobilizing labor on a massive scale before implementing construction.