Module: | Society, Religion & Burial Practices
Q40: Consider the following statements regarding the competing historical theories on Harappan political authority:
1. One archaeological theory suggests that the Harappan society had no absolute rulers, and that everybody in the civilization enjoyed a perfectly equal social status.
2. A second theory posits that there was no single centralized state, but rather several independent rulers governing different urban centers like Mohenjodaro, Harappa, and Dholavira.
3. The third theory, which argues for a single centralized state, is supported by the extreme standardization of bricks across the civilization and the strategic establishment of settlements near raw materials.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
2. A second theory posits that there was no single centralized state, but rather several independent rulers governing different urban centers like Mohenjodaro, Harappa, and Dholavira.
3. The third theory, which argues for a single centralized state, is supported by the extreme standardization of bricks across the civilization and the strategic establishment of settlements near raw materials.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
✅ Correct Answer: D
🎯 Quick Answer:
Option D is the correct answer, as all three statements accurately reflect the primary competing theories among historians regarding Harappan governance.Structural Breakdown: The academic debate is split into three camps.
Theory 1: A completely egalitarian society with no rulers (highly unlikely given the complex urban planning). Theory 2: A decentralized system of allied city-states, where Mohenjodaro and Harappa had their own separate kings.
Theory 3: A massive, unified empire controlled by a single, powerful state authority.
Historical/Related Context: The sheer geographical scale of the Harappan civilization makes the concept of a single ruler staggering, yet the physical evidence heavily leans in that direction.
Causal Reasoning: The third theory is currently considered the most plausible by many leading archaeologists.
The reasoning is based on logistics: the standardization of the 4:2:1 brick ratio from the Himalayas to Gujarat, the uniform weight system, and the coordinated mass-mobilization of labor required to build platforms and massive drainage systems strongly indicate that a single, uncompromising central authority dictated municipal standards across the entire civilization.