Early Humans and Beginning of Civilisation — Class 9 MCQs with Answers
Class 9 CBSE Social Science · Chapter 4
76 practice questions · 24 Easy · 27 Medium · 25 Hard · Updated
Practise the most important Class 9 CBSE Social Science questions from Chapter 4, "Early Humans and Beginning of Civilisation". You get 9 timed quizzes made from 76 NCERT-based MCQs, with answers and explanations. The questions are split into 24 Easy, 27 Medium and 25 Hard. Warm up on the basics, then move on to the exam-level questions that set top scorers in CBSE Board exams apart.
To score well in "Early Humans and Beginning of Civilisation", focus on dates, cause and effect, and reading maps and sources. Each MCQ here is timed and uses exam-style marking (+4 correct, −1 wrong, 0 skipped). This trains you to stay accurate under time pressure, as real papers need. Every question has a short explanation, so a wrong answer becomes a quick lesson. It is the fastest way to fix gaps before a test.
Use this chapter for focused revision. Start with the Easy set to check your basics on Early Humans and Beginning of Civilisation, then move to Medium and Hard to practise applying them. Your accuracy, streaks and XP save automatically. This chapter also adds to your overall Class 9 Social Science mastery score. 14 sample questions are solved in full below, with the answer and a worked explanation. Sign in free to start practising.
Key concepts: Early Humans and Beginning of Civilisation (Class 9 Social Science)
Humans lived as hunter-gatherers for most of their history before learning to farm, and settled farming made cities and civilisations possible. This chapter traces that shift from the Stone Age through the Neolithic revolution to the Harappan and other early civilisations.
- Hunter-gatherers
- Early humans who lived by hunting animals and gathering plants, moving with the seasons and living in small groups.
- Palaeolithic age
- The Old Stone Age, characterised by rough stone tools, cave shelters, and the discovery and control of fire.
- Mesolithic age
- The Middle Stone Age, marked by small sharp microlithic tools and the beginnings of animal domestication.
- Neolithic revolution
- The change from food gathering to food PRODUCING through farming and herding — the single most important shift in early human history.
Early Humans and Beginning of Civilisation — important questions & MCQs with answers (Class 9 Social Science)
14 solved questions from this chapter's difficulty levels, each with its answer and explanation. The other 62 are timed and scored when you sign in.
- Q1Easy
The Stone Age is named so because the tools of that period were mainly made of which material?
A.IronB.Stone✓ CorrectC.BronzeD.ClayAnswer: B. Stone
Explanation: The earliest humans made their tools and weapons chiefly from stone, which is why the period is called the Stone Age.
- Q2Easy
The most important new activity that began in the Neolithic Age was:
A.Hunting large animalsB.Farming (growing crops)✓ CorrectC.Building pyramidsD.Making iron toolsAnswer: B. Farming (growing crops)
Explanation: In the Neolithic Age people learned to grow crops, which marked the beginning of agriculture and settled life.
- Q3Easy
Most of the earliest civilisations of the world grew up along the banks of:
A.DesertsB.MountainsC.VolcanoesD.Rivers✓ CorrectAnswer: D. Rivers
Explanation: Rivers provided water, fertile soil and transport, so early civilisations developed in river valleys.
- Q4Easy
The Harappan Civilisation is also known by which other name?
A.Indus Valley Civilisation✓ CorrectB.Egyptian CivilisationC.Greek CivilisationD.Vedic CivilisationAnswer: A. Indus Valley Civilisation
Explanation: It is called the Indus Valley Civilisation because many of its sites lay along the Indus river, and Harappan after the first site found.
- Q5Easy
How did people of the Palaeolithic Age obtain their food?
A.By hunting animals and gathering wild plants✓ CorrectB.By growing crops in fieldsC.By trading goods in marketsD.By keeping large herds of cattle in farmsAnswer: A. By hunting animals and gathering wild plants
Explanation: Palaeolithic people were hunter-gatherers who survived by hunting wild animals and gathering fruits, roots and nuts.
- Q6Easy
Which animal is believed to have been one of the first to be domesticated by humans?
A.LionB.TigerC.Dog✓ CorrectD.ElephantAnswer: C. Dog
Explanation: The dog is generally regarded as one of the earliest animals domesticated, used for hunting and guarding.
- Q7Medium
A Palaeolithic group needs to cut meat from a hunted animal and scrape its hide. Which kind of implements would they most likely use?
A.Polished stone axes with smooth edgesB.Iron knivesC.Bronze sicklesD.Rough flaked stone tools such as hand-axes and scrapers✓ CorrectAnswer: D. Rough flaked stone tools such as hand-axes and scrapers
Explanation: Palaeolithic people used roughly flaked stone tools like hand-axes, choppers and scrapers; polished tools and metals came much later.
- Q8Medium
Why is the shift to farming in the Neolithic Age called a 'revolution' even though it happened slowly?
A.Because it deeply transformed how humans lived, worked and organised society✓ CorrectB.Because it ended all use of stone tools at onceC.Because it involved a violent warD.Because it happened in a single yearAnswer: A. Because it deeply transformed how humans lived, worked and organised society
Explanation: It is called a revolution because of its far-reaching effects: settled villages, food production, surplus and new social organisation, not because it was sudden.
- Q9Medium
The Greek historian Herodotus called Egypt 'the gift of the Nile'. What does this phrase mean?
A.Egypt had no use for the riverB.Egypt gave the Nile as a gift to its neighboursC.Egyptian civilisation depended on the Nile's water and fertile flood-soil✓ CorrectD.The Nile destroyed Egypt every yearAnswer: C. Egyptian civilisation depended on the Nile's water and fertile flood-soil
Explanation: The Nile's regular floods left fertile silt for farming and supplied water and transport, so Egyptian civilisation owed its survival to the river.
- Q10Medium
What does the planned, covered drainage system of Harappan cities tell us about their people?
A.They had no idea of cleanlinessB.They did not build any housesC.They lived only in scattered hutsD.They cared about hygiene and had skilled town planners✓ CorrectAnswer: D. They cared about hygiene and had skilled town planners
Explanation: Covered drains running along streets and connected to house drains show a strong concern for sanitation and careful, organised town planning.
- Q11Medium
Read the case: 'Around 12,000 years ago the Earth's climate grew warmer. Forests and grasslands spread into land once under ice sheets, and people found more small game, fish and edible wild grains. Using tiny microlithic tools, they made fishing the mainstay of their way of life.' Which development does the chapter link to these changes?
A.The first movement of Homo erectus out of AfricaB.The first-ever population explosion in human history✓ CorrectC.The invention of bronze by mixing copper and tinD.The rise of the first city-states in MesopotamiaAnswer: B. The first-ever population explosion in human history
Explanation: The chapter says the warmer Mesolithic world offered a wider variety of resources and that, as a result, it witnessed the first-ever population explosion in human history. Homo erectus left Africa around 2 million years ago, while bronze-making and Mesopotamian city-states belong to the much later Bronze Age.
- Q12Hard
Archaeologists find a layer with microliths, bones of small fast animals and grinding stones, but no metal and no large polished axes. To which period does this layer most likely belong, and why?
A.Palaeolithic, because microliths are the oldest toolsB.Mesolithic/transition to Neolithic, because microliths and small-animal remains appear before metals and polished tools✓ CorrectC.Bronze Age, because grinding stones prove metal useD.Iron Age, because microliths are made of ironAnswer: B. Mesolithic/transition to Neolithic, because microliths and small-animal remains appear before metals and polished tools
Explanation: Microliths and remains of small, fast animals are typical of the Mesolithic, and the absence of metal places it before the Bronze Age while grinding stones hint at the move towards Neolithic food processing.
- Q13Hard
Read the statement: 'Once farmers could grow more food than they needed, society began to change.' Which chain of effects best follows from this?
A.Surplus → specialised crafts and trade → differences in wealth and the rise of leaders✓ CorrectB.Surplus → all tools were abandoned → return to cavesC.Surplus → people stopped storing food → famine everywhereD.Surplus → everyone became a hunter → no villagesAnswer: A. Surplus → specialised crafts and trade → differences in wealth and the rise of leaders
Explanation: A food surplus freed some people for crafts and trade, encouraged storage and exchange, and gradually led to differences in wealth and the emergence of leaders.
- Q14Hard
Assertion (A): The Mesopotamian and Harappan civilisations had strong trade contacts with each other. Reason (R): The early world civilisations, including the Egyptian and the Chinese, grew up in fertile river plains.
A.Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of AB.Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A✓ CorrectC.A is true but R is falseD.A is false but R is trueAnswer: B. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
Explanation: Both statements are true, but the chapter explains the Mesopotamia–Harappa link by geographical closeness, which facilitated strong contacts and trade. Growing up in river plains cannot be the explanation, because Egypt and China also grew in river plains yet show little tangible evidence of direct contact with the Harappans.
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What are the key concepts in Class 9 Social Science Early Humans and Beginning of Civilisation?+
Humans lived as hunter-gatherers for most of their history before learning to farm, and settled farming made cities and civilisations possible. This chapter traces that shift from the Stone Age through the Neolithic revolution to the Harappan and other early civilisations. Key ideas include Hunter-gatherers, Palaeolithic age, Mesolithic age, Neolithic revolution.
What does Class 9 Social Science Chapter 4 (Early Humans and Beginning of Civilisation) cover on XamBaaz?+
It has 76 NCERT-based MCQs on "Early Humans and Beginning of Civilisation": 24 Easy, 27 Medium and 25 Hard. Together they make 9 timed quizzes, and you never get the same set twice. Every question has an instant explanation. They help you prepare for CBSE Board exams.
Are these "Early Humans and Beginning of Civilisation" questions free to practise?+
Yes. Sign in with Google to practise "Early Humans and Beginning of Civilisation" free. Full unlimited access is ₹999/year on a launch offer until 1 December 2026. No chapter is charged separately.
How should I revise "Early Humans and Beginning of Civilisation" for the exam?+
Start with the Easy quiz to check your basics, then try Medium and Hard to practise applying them. There are 9 timed quizzes on this chapter, so you can come back for a fresh set instead of one you have seen. Read each explanation, retry the questions you miss, and track your accuracy until it stays high.
Are these "Early Humans and Beginning of Civilisation" MCQs available with answers?+
Yes. 14 sample questions are shown here in full, each with the correct option and a step-by-step "Why" explanation. Sign in free with Google to start practising, with instant scoring.
Is there negative marking in the "Early Humans and Beginning of Civilisation" quizzes?+
Yes. The timed quizzes use exam-style marking: +4 for a right answer, −1 for a wrong one and 0 for a skip. MHT-CET and CBSE board papers have no negative marking. Our mocks for those are scored their way.
What are the important questions from Early Humans and Beginning of Civilisation (Class 9 Social Science)?+
The questions that matter most test Hunter-gatherers, Palaeolithic age, Mesolithic age, Neolithic revolution. This page shows 14 solved important MCQs with answers and explanations; all 76 questions on the chapter are available as timed quizzes once you sign in.
Is there an online quiz for Early Humans and Beginning of Civilisation?+
Yes — Class 9 Social Science Early Humans and Beginning of Civilisation has timed online quizzes at Easy, Medium and Hard levels, with instant scoring and a worked explanation on every question. The first quiz on the chapter is free.