Around 2500 BC, the Harappan Civilization flourished mainly in which present day regions?

Introduction / Context:
The Harappan Civilization, also called the Indus Valley Civilization, was a Bronze Age civilization that developed along the Indus and its tributaries. For general knowledge and history exams, it is important to know which present day countries and regions contain the major Harappan sites. This question focuses on the approximate location around twenty five hundred BC.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The time period mentioned is around twenty five hundred BC, the mature Harappan phase.
• The options combine different modern regions and countries such as Pakistan, western India, Afghanistan, and China.
• The question asks which areas broadly correspond to the heartland of Harappan sites.

Concept / Approach:
Most major Harappan cities such as Harappa and Mohenjo daro are in present day Pakistan, while several other important sites like Dholavira, Lothal, and Kalibangan are in northwestern and western parts of India. There is limited Harappan relevance deep inside Afghanistan or China. Therefore, the best description of the core Harappan region is western India and Pakistan taken together.

Step by Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the locations of key Harappan sites: Harappa and Mohenjo daro are now in Pakistan. Step 2: Remember other major sites like Dholavira and Lothal in modern Gujarat and Kalibangan in Rajasthan, which lie in western India. Step 3: Note that while there were trade links with regions like Mesopotamia, there is no strong evidence for core Harappan cities inside China. Step 4: Some cultural traces appear near Afghanistan, but the densest concentration of cities is clearly in Pakistan and western India. Step 5: Therefore the option that best describes the Harappan heartland is western India and Pakistan.

Verification / Alternative check:
Any map of Harappan sites shows clusters along the Indus River system across present day Pakistan and into the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab in India. Afghanistan has very few related sites and China lies outside the main Indus basin. Because the question uses the phrase what we call today, it is asking about modern political geography, which confirms western India plus Pakistan as the correct combination.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Pakistan and Afghanistan: This excludes western India, despite many important sites in Gujarat and Rajasthan, so it underrepresents the civilization.

Afghanistan and Western India: This option leaves out the Indus heartland in Pakistan, which is central to Harappan culture, so it is incorrect.
India and China: China is not part of the Indus Valley region, so this pairing is historically inaccurate.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes focus only on Harappa and Mohenjo daro and assume the civilization was limited to modern Pakistan. Others may include too many surrounding regions because of knowledge of trade contacts. The best strategy is to visualize the Indus basin on a modern map, which quickly shows that the main Harappan zone spans Pakistan and western India.

Final Answer:
Around twenty five hundred BC, the Harappan Civilization flourished mainly in western India and Pakistan.