RAS question
Ahar-Banas culture of the Chalcolithic period is associated with which region?
Correct answer: (B) South-eastern Rajasthan.
The Ahar-Banas culture of the Chalcolithic period is associated with south-eastern Rajasthan, especially the Mewar region along the Banas River and its tributaries.
Explanation
The Ahar-Banas culture is placed in south-eastern Rajasthan because its known distribution is centred in the Mewar region along the Banas River and its tributaries. The cited INFLIBNET chapter describes 111 Ahar-Banas sites in this zone, including districts such as Banswara, Udaipur, Chittaurgarh, Bhilwara, Bundi and Ajmer. This matches the standard identification in the question: Ahar, the type site near Udaipur and ancient Tambavati, belongs to this cultural complex. The river-valley setting matters because Chalcolithic cultures in north-western and central India are often distinguished by their regional distribution and material culture. Therefore, the exam answer is not a broad western India label, but the specific south-eastern Rajasthan or Mewar-Banas region.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Western Maharashtra is linked in the source with Malwa and Jorwe cultural horizons, whereas Ahar-Banas is specifically located in the Mewar region of south-eastern Rajasthan.
- (C) Gujarat is mentioned as a wider Chalcolithic region with cultures such as Prabhas and Rangpur, but the Ahar-Banas distribution is given for south-eastern Rajasthan along the Banas system.
- (D) The Malwa region is associated in the source with Kayatha and Malwa cultures, not the core Ahar-Banas distribution in Mewar and the Banas River basin.
Concept
This tests the regional mapping of major Chalcolithic cultures, a recurring RAS Ancient History theme because culture names are often tied to river valleys, pottery traditions and type sites. Ahar-Banas is a high-yield Rajasthan example because it anchors the Chalcolithic phase in Mewar and around Udaipur.