Indian History
Ancient History
PRE- HISTORIC PERIOD
Palaeolithic Period:
- Homo sapiens first appeared towards the end of this phase.
- In this period, man barely managed to gather his food and subsisted on hunting.
- First stone tools made up of Quartzite.
- Domestication of animals.
- Characteristic tools were used, called as microliths.
- Mesolithic period site Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh.
- Neolithic people knew about fire and wheel.
- An important site of this age is Burzahom, which means the place of birch.
- Use of Copper and Stone made tools.
- Copper is first metal used by humans.
- Mother Goddess and worshipped the bull.
INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION
- Indus Valley Civilisation is one of the four earliest civilisations of the world.
- Systematic town planning was based on grid system; burnt bricks were used to construct houses: well-managed drainage system; fortified Citadel;highly urbanised; absence of iron implements.
- The Great Bath (Mohenjodaro) was used for religious bathing.
- Six granaries in a row were found in the Citadel at Harappa.
- Produced wheat, barley, rai, peas. seasum, rice and mustard.
- Indus people were the first to produce cotton, which the Greeks termed as Sindon (derived from Sindh).
- Barter system was prevalent.
- People used weights and measures in the multiples of 16.
- Unicorn was the most worshipped animal.
- Dead bodles were placed in North-South orientation.
- Fire altars are found at Lothal and Kalibangan.
- The script was written from right to left in the first line and left to right in the second line. This style is called Boustrophedon.
INDUS VALLEY SITE
- Harappa : Situated on river Ravi in Montgomery district of Punjab (Pakistan). It was excavated by Daya Ram Sahni in 1921-23. The Indus Civilisation is named after it as the Harappan Civilisation. Stone dancing Natraja and Cemetry-37 have been found here.
- Mohenjodaro (Mound of Dead) : Situated on river Indus in Larkana district of Sind (Pak). It was excavated by RD Bannerji in 1922. The main building includes the Great Bath, the Great Granary, the Collegiate Building and the Assembly Hall, The dancing girl made of bronze has been found here. Pashupati Mahadeva/proto Shiva seal; fragment of woven cotton, etc are other findings.
- Chanhudaro (Sindh, Pakistan): On river Indus; discovered by NG Majumdar (1931); only Indus site without citadel, bronze figurines of bullock cart and ekkas; a small pot suggesting a an ink pot.
- Lothal (Gujarat) (Port City): Discovered by SR Rao (1954); situated on river Bhogava. A part of the town was divided into citadel and the lower town and dockyard. Evidence of rice has been found here.