Which early civilization is renowned for Mohenjo-Daro's advanced drainage systems and city planning?

• A. Ancient Egypt
• B. Shang Dynasty
• C. Roman Empire
• D. Indus Valley Civilization

Answer: (D)

Early urban planning and sanitation: Mohenjo-Daro showcases a city laid out in a grid with uniform brickwork and a sophisticated drainage network that carried wastewater away from homes through underground channels and manholes. This combination reflects deliberate civic design aimed at health, order, and efficient management of water in an urban setting. The city is part of the Indus Valley Civilization, which flourished in the river valleys of the subcontinent and left behind these remarkable examples of planned urban infrastructure.

While Ancient Egypt is renowned for monumental monuments and Nile farming, its cities don’t emphasize Mohenjo-Daro-style street grids and sewer systems. The Shang Dynasty in China is notable for bronze work and early writing, not for this type of urban drainage. The Roman Empire later built impressive aqueducts and sewerage, but Mohenjo-Daro represents an earlier, distinct example from the Indus Valley Civilization.