M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2013

Historical Site Classification

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

Which of the following is not an Indus Valley Civilization site?

Solution & Analysis

Answer: C

Concept Indus Valley sites are concentrated in the North-West, while the 'Second Urbanization' (Magadhan period) shifted the focus to the East.

Explanation Kalibangan (Rajasthan), Ropar (Punjab), and Lothal (Gujarat) are well-documented Harappan settlements. Pataliputra (modern Patna) was established as a capital only in the 5th century BCE during the Haryanka dynasty.

Logical Breakup
Logic 1: Pataliputra post-dates the IVC by nearly 1,500 years.
Logic 2: It was located in the Middle Ganga valley, a region the Harappans did not inhabit.

Active Recall

Question

Who founded the city of Pataliputra?

Answer

Udayin, the successor of Ajatshatru, laid the foundation of Pataliputra at the confluence of the Son and Ganga rivers.

Core Insight

The geography of Indian civilization moved from the Indus system (IVC) to the Ganga system (Vedic/Mauryan) due to technological and environmental shifts.