Which of the following centres related to Indus Valley are situated in Uttar Pradesh? Select the correct answer from the codes given below: I. Kalibanga II. Lothal III. Alamgirpur IV. Hulas

The correct answer is D, meaning Alamgirpur and Hulas are the two Indus Valley (Harappan) sites in Uttar Pradesh.

• Alamgirpur (Meerut district, on the Hindon river) is the easternmost Harappan site, and it has yielded evidence of late Harappan pottery and a rolled-clay-and-terracotta-based settlement.
• Hulas (Saharanpur district, on the Yamuna) is a Harappan site with a substantial Mature Harappan settlement.
• Kalibangan (I) is in Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan, on the Ghaggar river, not in UP.
• Lothal (II) is in Gujarat, near Bhogava river at Dholka taluka, and is known for its dockyard.

The core concept here is the geographical spread of the Harappan culture, which extended into northwest India and, through the Ghaggar-Hakra and Yamuna-Hindon systems, into western UP. For Mains, this links to the debate on the decline of the Harappan civilisation and the shift of settlements eastward.

Trap: Aspirants often assume Kalibangan is in UP because of its association with the Ghaggar system, or confuse it with Lothal due to the presence of a dockyard at the latter. Know the state for each site separately.