RAS question
Dholavira is unique among Indus Valley sites because it had:
Correct answer: (D) Three-part division: citadel, middle town, and lower town.
Dholavira is unique among Indus Valley sites for its three-part urban plan: a citadel, middle town and lower town.
Explanation
Dholavira stands out because its urban plan goes beyond the usual Harappan two-part division of citadel and lower town. Current Science describes its architectural framework as a citadel, made up of castle and bailey, along with a middle town and a lower town, all within massive defensive walls. This directly supports the option identifying the three-part division. Individual sections inside the city were also fortified, which reinforces why the settlement is treated as an unusually articulated Harappan fortified site. The exam contrast is that most Harappan sites are remembered through a citadel-plus-lower-town plan, while Dholavira adds the middle town as a distinctive planning feature.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Dholavira is identified through urban planning and fortification, not through any evidence of horse sacrifice rituals.
- (B) Dholavira was not a single undivided fortified area because Current Science specifically lists the citadel, middle town and lower town as separate components.
- (C) Current Science discusses Dholavira's location, walls and movement through gateways, but it does not identify a massive dockyard as the site's defining feature.
Concept
This tests Indus Valley urban planning, especially the site-specific features used to distinguish Harappan settlements. It recurs in RAS because Dholavira is a standard example where the town plan, not just the civilisation label, decides the answer.