Consider the following statements about Harappan cities : 1. Roads were not always absolutely straight and did not always cross one another at right angles. 2. A striking feature is the uniformity in the average size of the bricks for houses and for city walls. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Statement 1 is incorrect because Harappan cities were characterized by a highly organized 'grid' pattern where roads and streets were laid out to intersect at right angles [1]. While minor variations might exist in organic growth, the defining feature of Mature Harappan urban planning was geometric precision and straight streets. Statement 2 is correct as Harappan architecture exhibited an extraordinary degree of standardization. Bricks used for both domestic houses and massive city walls followed a uniform ratio of 1:2:4 (thickness:width:length) [3]. This uniformity was maintained across the entire civilization, from Jammu to Gujarat, despite bricks being produced at different centers [3]. This level of standardization in material quality and dimensions is a hallmark of Harappan civil engineering and centralized planning.

Sources

1. [1] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART I, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 1: Bricks, Beads and Bones > 3.1 Laying out drains > p. 6
2. [3] https://salbaricollege.ac.in/upload/dept_study_material/1743414677.pdf