With reference to the difference between the culture of Rigvedic Aryans and Indus Valley people, whi

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Question

With reference to the difference between the culture of Rigvedic Aryans and Indus Valley people, which of the following statements is/are correct?Rigvedic Aryans used the coat of mail and helmet in warfare whereas the people of Indus Valley Civilization did not leave any evidence of using them.Rigvedic Aryans knew gold, silver and copper whereas Indus Valley people knew only copper and iron.Rigvedic Aryans had domesticated the horse whereas there is no evidence of Indus Valley people having been aware of this animal.Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Accepted Answer

Correct Answer: A — 1 onlySolution:Statement 1 — Rigvedic Aryans used coat of mail and helmet; IVC people did not: This is correct. Rigvedic literature mentions the use of protective armour including coat of mail (varman) and helmet (siras-trana) in warfare. Archaeological evidence from the Indus Valley Civilisation has not yielded comparable evidence of such military protective gear being used by its people. ✓Statement 2 — Rigvedic Aryans knew gold, silver and copper; IVC knew only copper and iron: This is incorrect. Harappan people did know and use gold, silver, copper, and bronze — beads, ornaments, and vessels made from gold and silver have been found at sites like Mohenjodaro and Harappa. However, iron was not known to the IVC people — it was the Rigvedic Aryans and later Vedic people who are associated with the Iron Age (c. 1200–600 BCE). The IVC predates widespread iron use. So the statement is wrong in two ways: IVC knew gold and silver, and they did not know iron. ✗Statement 3 — Rigvedic Aryans domesticated the horse; IVC had no awareness of the horse: This is incorrect. While horses are much more prominently featured in Vedic literature, there is limited but significant archaeological evidence of horses at IVC sites — including bones reported from Surkotada (Gujarat), a terracotta figurine from Lothal, and a few horse teeth from Rana Ghundai (Baluchistan). The IVC was therefore not completely unaware of the horse, though it was far less central to IVC culture than to the Aryan culture. ✗Why other options are incorrect:Options B, C, D: All include Statements 2 or 3, which are factually wrong.Key Concept: Differentiating Harappan (IVC) and Vedic (Aryan) material cultures is a standard UPSC History topic. Key contrasts: IVC — urban, literate (undeciphered script), maritime trade, drainage systems, no clear evidence of large armies; Vedic — semi-nomadic initially, pastoral, horse-centred, fire sacrifice (yajna), Sanskrit literature. Metals: IVC used copper, bronze, gold, silver (but NOT iron); Vedic/later Aryans introduced iron. The horse debate is important — the 'Out of India' theory vs. Aryan Migration Theory hinges partly on when horses arrived in South Asia.

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