RAS question
Rang Mahal, a post-Harappan site in Rajasthan, is located in which district?
Correct answer: (B) Ganganagar.
The Ancient Mounds of Rang Mahal are recorded by ASI Jodhpur Circle at Rang Mahal in Ganganagar district, Rajasthan.
Explanation
Rang Mahal is a post-Harappan site in the dry Ghaggar belt of northern Rajasthan, in the Sri Ganganagar-Hanumangarh tract. Its importance comes from painted pottery, terracotta figurines and Kushana-period material, with excavations by Swedish archaeologist Hanna Rydh in 1952-54. The official ASI Jodhpur Circle protected-monuments table is decisive for the district entry. Monument number JDHRJ048 is Ancient Mounds, the location is Rang Mahal, and the district is Ganganagar. Hanumangarh creates a common ambiguity because it was later carved out of Ganganagar, but Ganganagar remains the official ASI district entry for Rang Mahal.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Bikaner is not supported by the archaeological context or the ASI Jodhpur Circle table, which places Rang Mahal in the Ganganagar entry.
- (C) Hanumangarh is tempting because the site lies in the Sri Ganganagar-Hanumangarh tract and the district was later carved out of Ganganagar, but the official ASI listing for Rang Mahal records Ganganagar.
- (D) Jodhpur is the ASI circle for Rang Mahal, not the district where the Rang Mahal ancient mounds are listed.
Concept
Rajasthan's post-Harappan archaeological geography requires mapping sites to districts from official listings. RAS ancient-site questions often hinge on older administrative entries and district reorganisation traps.