Correct Answer: (C) Unicorn
Notes: The unicorn is the most frequent motif on Harappan seals. Though mythical, it likely held symbolic or religious importance, possibly representing elite identity, trade guilds, or ritual authority. Real animals like elephants appear less often, while horses were largely absent in the Indus cultural context.

Correct Answer: (B) Burial
Notes: Archaeological sites reveal extended burials with pottery, ornaments, and tools, indicating belief in an afterlife. Cemeteries like those at Harappa show systematic burial practices, while clear evidence of cremation or exposure is minimal or absent.

Correct Answer: (B) Egalitarian
Notes: Archaeological evidence shows standardized brick houses and limited variation in grave goods, suggesting minimal social stratification. The absence of monumental palaces or elite burials indicates a relatively egalitarian society compared to contemporary civilizations like Mesopotamia or Egypt.

Correct Answer: (C) Peepal
Notes: The Peepal tree frequently appears on Harappan seals and terracotta figures, often linked with deities or ritual scenes. Its recurring depiction suggests sacred status, possibly symbolizing fertility, life, and spiritual continuity in Indus religious beliefs.

Correct Answer: (C) Rakhigarhi
Notes: Rakhigarhi, situated in Haryana, is among the largest Harappan sites in the Indian subcontinent. Excavations reveal extensive urban planning, residential structures, and artifacts, highlighting its importance as a major urban and cultural center of the Indus Civilization.

Correct Answer: (C) Seals
Notes: Indus script is mainly found on steatite seals, sealings, and a few pottery pieces. The inscriptions are short and pictographic, suggesting use in trade, identification, or administrative purposes rather than long literary compositions.

Correct Answer: (B) Dockyard
Notes: The dockyard at Lothal is a significant indicator of maritime trade. Its advanced design suggests ship docking and trade with distant regions like Mesopotamia, highlighting the Harappans’ strong naval and commercial capabilities.

Correct Answer: (B) 1900 BCE
Notes: The civilization declined gradually around 1900 BCE due to factors like climate change, river shifts, and economic disruption. Urban centers were abandoned, and people moved to smaller rural settlements rather than facing a sudden collapse.

Correct Answer: (D) Multiple factors
Notes: The decline was gradual and likely due to a combination of factors—climate change, river course shifts (like drying of Saraswati), floods, and declining trade. No single cause fully explains the widespread urban collapse of the civilization.

Correct Answer: (B) Rejected largely
Notes: Modern research and archaeological evidence do not support a large-scale violent invasion. Instead, scholars favor gradual decline due to environmental and economic factors, making the Aryan Invasion Theory largely outdated in explaining the civilization’s fall.