Revision summary
UP Harappan sites lie in the western Yamuna–Hindon doab, not in eastern UP. Alamgirpur in Meerut is the easternmost accepted Harappan settlement. Hulas and Bargaon in Saharanpur are late Harappan village sites. Sanauli in Baghpat is a related late cemetery with carts and copper weapons. The map is an eastern edge, not another Mohenjo-daro.
Model answer
Introduction
Harappan and late-Harappan material in Uttar Pradesh sits on the Hindon–Yamuna doab of the west, not on the Ganga heartland of Kashi. Identification must name excavated places and say where the culture thins into Ochre Coloured Pottery.
Body
Core Harappan / late Harappan sites
- Alamgirpur (Meerut district), on the Hindon, is the easternmost widely accepted Harappan site; Y.D. Sharma’s excavation and later Banaras Hindu University work found Harappan pottery, bricks, beads, and an agricultural mix including barley, wheat, and rice.
- Hulas (Saharanpur district) is a late Harappan doab settlement on a Yamuna tributary, typical of small village sites rather than a Mohenjo-daro-scale town.
- Bargaon (Saharanpur) is another excavated doab site in the same late-Harappan / Chalcolithic cluster.
Related and contested neighbours
- Sanauli (Baghpat district) yielded a large cemetery, coffins, copper antenna swords, and solid-wheel carts in ASI work (2005–06 and 2018). It is often listed with late Harappan or with Ochre Coloured Pottery / Copper Hoard horizons; it is related to the Harappan east, not a third Harappa.
- Other small doab mounds along the Krishni and Hindon have late-Harappan pottery; they show a village scatter, not a second urban Harappa in Awadh or Purvanchal.
What this identification means
- UP’s Harappan map is western doab and late/eastern expansion, not the Indus cities themselves.
- Painted Grey Ware and early historic layers overlie some of the same mounds (as at Alamgirpur), so the sites are multi-period, not sealed Harappan towns.
Flow diagram
flowchart TD A[Alamgirpur Meerut] --> E[Eastern Harappan edge] H[Hulas Saharanpur] --> E B[Bargaon] --> E S[Sanauli Baghpat] --> L[Late Harappan OCP] E --> D[Hindon Yamuna doab]
Conclusion
Harappan-related sites in Uttar Pradesh are identified mainly as Alamgirpur (Meerut), Hulas and Bargaon (Saharanpur), and the late/related cemetery at Sanauli (Baghpat). They mark the civilisation’s eastern village edge in the Yamuna–Hindon doab.
Quick related
Students also ask
-
Discuss the role of Uttar Pradesh during the Non-cooperation Movement.
Next question in the 2023 paper (Q8). View answer →
-
Is there a Harappan city under Varanasi?
No accepted Harappan urban site sits in Purvanchal; the eastern edge is the Meerut–Saharanpur–Baghpat doab.
-
Is Sanauli purely Harappan?
It is related to the late Harappan east and to OCP/Copper Hoard; treat it as related, not as Harappa proper.
PYQ trend
When UPSC asked this
Related PYQs from other years, newest first. Open a question to read it.
-
2024 · Q1 · UPGS5 · 8 marks
Describe the cultural significance of 'Prayagraj' in ancient India. -
2024 · Q7 · UPGS5 · 8 marks
What are the key challenges in ensuring an efficient law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh? -
2023 · Q6 · UPGS5 · 8 marks
Discuss the architectural features of the monuments of Agra. -
2023 · Q8 · UPGS5 · 8 marks
Discuss the role of Uttar Pradesh during the Non-cooperation Movement. -
2023 · Q10 · UPGS5 · 8 marks
How much has the ‘Operation Kayakalp’ been significant in the efforts of converting the primary and upper primary schools into model schools? Analyse. -
2023 · Q16 · UPGS5 · 12 marks
Analyse the achievements of Baba Ramchandra as a Peasant Leader. -
2023 · Q18 · UPGS5 · 12 marks
Uttar Pradesh has an important place in the propagation of Buddhism. Explain. -
2023 · Q19 · UPGS5 · 12 marks
Discuss the nature and objectives of the first Ayush University established in Uttar Pradesh.
More from this paper
Q1 · UPSC Mains 2023 · UPGS5 · 8 marks
Critically examine the process of appointment of the Advocate General and his functions in Uttar Pradesh.
Public service and constitutional bodies in UP
Article 165 lets the Governor appoint a High-Court-qualified Advocate General for Uttar Pradesh. Ministers advise the choice; tenure is at pleasure, with no fixed term. Functions are advice, court appearance, and a non-voting voice in the Legislature. Prayagraj and the Lucknow Bench make the office large and politically close to government. The critical gap is independence when the State itself is the litigant.
Q2 · UPSC Mains 2023 · UPGS5 · 8 marks
Discuss the nature of regional parties in Uttar Pradesh. Throw light on their importance in the politics of the state.
Public service and constitutional bodies in UP
UP regional parties are State-facing social coalitions, not thin copies of national ideology. SP, BSP, and RLD are the main types; smaller caste parties join as allies. They governed the State from the 1990s through 2012 and still structure opposition. Importance is Assembly arithmetic, social justice language, and federal bargaining. Leader-centric organisation is both their strength and their limit.
Q3 · UPSC Mains 2023 · UPGS5 · 8 marks
Describe the major stages in the formulation of Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) in Uttar Pradesh.
Local self-government in UP
UP GPDP follows the People’s Plan Campaign through Panchayati Raj and eGramSwaraj. Stages start with IEC and PRA situation analysis, including ward and mahila sabhas. The draft matches gaps to Finance Commission, MGNREGA, and converged schemes. Gram sabha approval is the statutory heart under the UP Panchayat Raj Act. Block–district sanction and portal upload finish formulation.
Toppers' copies
Toppers' copies for this question will be uploaded soon.