Class XII History – Sample Paper (Theme 1: Bricks, Beads
and Bones)
Subject Code: 027
Time Allowed: 3 Hours
Maximum Marks: 80
Section A – MCQs (1 Mark Each)
(Attempt all questions – Q1 to Q21)
1. Which of the following crops was rarely found at Harappan sites?
d) Lentil c) Barley b) Rice a) Wheat
2. The "Great Bath" was found at:
d) Kalibangan c) Mohenjodaro b) Dholavira a) Harappa
3. Which of the following animals is depicted on many Harappan seals?
d) Deer c) One-horned bull (Unicorn) b) Elephant a) Tiger
4. R.E.M. Wheeler tried to link the end of Harappan civilization with:
d) Floods c) Climate change b) Aryan invasion a) Earthquake
5. Harappan weights followed which system?
d) None c) Decimal b) Octal a) Binary
6. The most distinctive Harappan pottery was:
d) Black polished ware c) Black-on-red ware b) Painted grey ware a) Red ware
7. Which of the following was not a feature of Harappan cities?
d) Drainage system c) Iron tools b) Fortification a) Grid pattern roads
8. The Harappan civilization was discovered in the year:
d) 1901 c) 1947 b) 1935 a) 1921
9. Harappan seals were usually made of:
d) Ivory c) Bronze b) Steatite a) Terracotta
10. The term 'faience' refers to:
d) Mud bricks c) Glazed ceramic b) Semi-precious beads a) Stone tools
11. Lothal was an important center for:
d) Buddhism c) Rice farming b) Iron smelting a) Bead-making
12. The most common material used in Harappan construction was:
d) Marble c) Concrete b) Burnt bricks a) Stone
13. Which river was associated with most Harappan settlements?
d) Brahmaputra c) Ghaggar-Hakra b) Yamuna a) Ganga
14. The Harappan script was:
d) Brahmi c) Devanagari b) Pictographic a) Alphabetic
15. 'Citadel' in a Harappan city was meant for:
d) Villagers c) Public buildings b) Workers a) Farmers
16. Harappan terracotta figurines mostly represented:
d) Priests c) Women and animals b) Soldiers a) Kings
17. The major source of information about the Harappan economy is:
d) Foreign travelers c) Archaeological finds b) Religious texts a) Inscriptions
18. The practice of burying items with the dead is called:
d) Ritual purification c) Sacrifice b) Cremation a) Funerary practice
19. Harappan settlements were generally located:
d) On mountains c) In deserts b) Near rivers a) On coastal plains
20. The purpose of the Great Bath is believed to be:
d) Storage c) Entertainment b) Ritual purification a) Swimming
21. Which site had evidence of ploughed field?
d) Mohenjodaro c) Lothal b) Kalibangan a) Harappa
Section B – Short Answer Questions (3 Marks Each)
(Answer in 60–80 words – Q22 to Q27)
22. Describe the importance of seals in understanding Harappan trade and religion.
23. What do we learn from the weights and measures used in Harappa?
24. Explain the urban planning features seen in Mohenjodaro.
25. How do archaeologists reconstruct the lives of ordinary Harappans?
26. What materials were used by Harappans for craft production?
27. How does the location of Harappan sites indicate the importance of trade?
Section C – Long Answer Questions (8 Marks Each)
(Answer in 300–350 words – Q28 to Q30)
28. Describe the main features of town planning in Harappan civilization.
OR
How did the Harappans obtain and use raw materials for making tools and ornaments?
29. Discuss the significance of archaeological methods in reconstructing Harappan society.
OR
What are the difficulties faced by historians in interpreting the Harappan script?
30. Explain the possible causes for the decline of the Harappan civilization.
OR
Describe the different types of structures found on the Citadel.
Section D – Source-Based Questions (4 Marks Each)
(Q31 to Q33 – Each has 3 parts: 1+1+2)
31. Read the excerpt and answer the questions below:
“I am a water carrier: Even in the cold I have always gone down to the water frightened
of punishment...”
a) Who is the speaker in this poem? (1)
b) What does she criticize? (1)
c) What insight does this give into the lives of lower-class women? (2)
32. Passage:
“The ruler sent land and garden deeds to the Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya, who rejected
them saying — What do I have to do with land?”
a) Why did the saint reject the gifts? (1)
b) What values do Sufi saints promote? (1)
c) How did Sufis maintain independence from rulers? (2)
33. Passage:
“Govind Ballabh Pant said, there cannot be any divided loyalty in a democracy. All
loyalty must be to the state.”
a) What does the quote mean? (1)
b) What is the importance of unity in democracy? (1)
c) Explain how divided loyalties can weaken a nation. (2)
Section E – Map Work (5 Marks)
34. On the given outline map of India, mark and label the following sites:
a) Harappa
b) Mohenjodaro
c) Dholavira
d) Kalibangan
e) Lothal