RAS question
Which unique feature distinguishes Kalibangan from other Indus Valley sites regarding its citadel?
Correct answer: (C) The citadel had two equal parts.
Kalibangan's citadel is distinguished by its division into two almost equal but separately patterned parts, with ritual platforms in the southern part and residential buildings in the northern part.
Explanation
Kalibangan stands out because its citadel was not a single undifferentiated fortified area. The ASI excavation report describes KLB-1 as a roughly parallelogram-shaped fortified settlement made up of two almost equal, separately patterned rhombs. The southern rhomb had five to six mud and mud-brick platforms with approach steps, matching the explanation's ritual-area reading; the report also records fire-altars in the wider Kalibangan complex. The northern half, by contrast, consisted of residential buildings, probably for the elite, and had its own street plan and entrances. This planned bipartite arrangement is why option C captures the distinctive feature of the Kalibangan citadel.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The ASI report describes mud and mud-brick platforms and mud-brick fortification phases, so the distinctive point was not a stone-built citadel.
- (B) Kalibangan did have a citadel: the report identifies KLB-1 as a fortified citadel with a surrounding fortification wall.
- (D) The report describes the citadel plan as a roughly parallelogram-shaped layout of two rhombs, not a circular structure.
Concept
This tests the Harappan urban-planning portion of Rajasthan history, especially the distinctive layout of Kalibangan. It recurs in RAS because Kalibangan is Rajasthan's key Indus Valley site and exam questions often ask what sets it apart from larger Harappan centres.