............ .. CONTENTS Units Page No. Chapter 1: Pre-Historic and Earty Ancient India I. Prehistoric Cultures in India 03 II. Indus Valley Civilization 30 III. Megalithic Cultures 39 IV. Aryan and Vedic Period 46 Chapter 2: Ancient India I. The Mauryan Empire 68 II. Post Mauryan India (B,C.200-A.D. 300) 84 III. The Guptas and their Successors 110 IV. Early Medieval India : Major Dynasties 122 Chapter 3 : Medieval India I. Cultural Trend and Religious Conditions (750 AD to 1200 AD) 138 II. 13'^ and 14‘^ Centuries 154 III. 15‘" and 16'^ Centuries 173 IV. The Mughal Empire (1556 -1707) 194 Chapter 4: Later Medieval to British Era I. Decline of Mughal Empire (1707-1761) 211 II. British Expansion 222 III. Economic Impact of British Raj 233 IV. Cultural Encounter and Social Changes 245 SYLLABUS MH-414 M.A. History 1st Year Indian Hjstory 1st (up to 1857) Chapter-1 UNIT-1: Prehistoric Cultures in India: Sources: Archaeological and Indigenous to study of Early Indian History, Prehistory and Proto history: Geographical factors, hunting and gathering (Paleolithic and Mesolithic); Beginning of the agriculture (Neolithic and Chalcolithic). UNIT-II: Indus Valiev Civilization: The Mature phase: Origin, date, extent, characteristics, decline, survival and significance, art and architecture. UNIT-III: Meoalithic Cultures: Distribution of pastoral and farming culture outside the Indus region, development of community life, settlements, development of agriculture, crafts, pottery and Iron industry. UNIT-IV: Aryans and Vedic Periods: The vedic texts; change from the Rigvedic period to later Vedic period; Religion, Upnishadic thought, Political and social organization. State formation and urbanization from the mahajanapadas to the Nandas. Jainism and Buddhism. Factors for the spread of Buddhism. Evolution of monarchy and Varna system. Chapter-2 UNIT-I: The Maurvan Empire:, Chandragupta, Meghasthenees, Ashoka and his inscriptions, his', dharina, administration, culture and art, The Arthasastra. , ' UNIT-II: Post Maurvan India. B.C.200-A.D. 300: Society: Evolution of Jatis, The Salvahanas and state formation in Peninsula, Sangam texts , and society, Indo-Greeks, Sakas, Parthians, Kushans, Kanishka, Contacts with the outside world. Religion: Saivism, Bhagavatism, Minyana and Mahayana Buddhism, Culture and Art. .. UNIT-III: The Guptas and their Successors: Changes in political organization of empire, Economy and Society, Literature and Science Arts. UNIT-IV: Early Medieval India: Major Dynasties: The Chola empire, Agrarian and political structures, The Rajapurtras, Extent of social mobility, Position of womenrThe ara'bs in Sindh and in the Ghaznavides. Chapter -3 UNIT-t: Cultural Trend. Religious Conditions (750AD-120QAD: Importance of temples and monastic institutions. Sankaracharya; Islam, Sufism, Literature and Science. Alberuim’s "India", Art and Architecture. UNIT-lf: and Centuries; Ghorian invasions causes and consequences. Delhi Sultanate under the “slave” rulers Alauddin Khaiji; conquests; administerive; agrarian and economic measure, Muhammad Tughlaq’s innovations, Firoz Tughlaq and the decline of the 'Delhi Sultanate, Growth of Commerce and Urbanization, Mustic movements in Hinduism and Islam, Literature, Architecture, Technologies changes. UNIT-III: 15^ and 16'^ Centuries: Major provincial dynasties; Vijaynagar empire, The hoolis, first phase of the Mughal Empire: Babur, Humayun, The Suri empire and administration, The Portuguese. Monastic movement: Kabir, Guru Nanak and Sikhism; Bhakti, Growth of regional literatures. Port and Culture. - 4 UNiT>IV: The Muahal Empire (1556-1707) Akbar: conquests, administrative measures, Jagir and Mansab system; policy of Sulh-l-hul, Jahangir, Shahjahan and Auranggeb: Expansion in the Sevan: religious policies, Shivaji, Culture: Persian and regional literatures, Religious thoughts;. Abul Fazal; Maharashtra dharma. Painting, Architecture. Economy: conditions of peasant and artisans grov/th in<trade;. commerce with Europe, Social stratification and status of women. Chapter-4 UNIT-I: Decline of Muahal Empire (1707-61) • Causes behind decline. Maratha power under peshwa. Regional states. The afghans major elements of composite culture, Sawai Jai Singh, astronomers. Rise of Urdu language. UNIT«tl: British Expansion: The Carnatic wars, conquest of Bengal, Mysore and its resistance to British expansion; The three Anglo Maratha wars, Early structure of British raj regulating (1773) and Pitti's India Act (1784). I UNIT-III: Economic Impact of British Rai: Drain of wealth (Tribute): Land revenue settlements (Zamindari, ryotwari, Mahalwari); Deindustrialization; Railways and commercialization of agriculture. Growth of landlers labour, UNIT-IV: Cultural Encounter and Social Changes: introduction of western education, India Renaissance, social and religious reform movements, growth of Indian middle class. The press and its impact; rise of modem literature in Indian languages. Social reform.measures before 1857. Pre-Historic and Early CHAPTER- 1 Ancient India PRE-HISTORIC AND EARLY NOTES ANCIENT INDIA STRUCTURE i 1.1 Learning Objectives 1.2 Introduction 1.3 Sources of Ancient History: Archaeological and Indigenous — Inscriptions — Archaeology 1.4 Approaches to Study of Early Indian History 1.5 Geographical Factors Behind Prehistoric Settlements 1.6 Paleolithic Age 1.7 Mesolithic Age 1.8 Neolithic Age 1.9 Chalcolithic Age 1.10 Beginning of Agriculture 1.11 Origin and Extent of Indus Valley Civilization — Geographical Distribution 1.12 Mature Harappan and Characteristics 1.13 Declination of Indus Valley Civilization 1.14 Origin of Megalithic Culture 1.15 Distribution of Pastoral and Farming Culture Outside the Indus Region 1.16 Megalithic Community 1.17 Iron Industry 1.18 The Vedic Text 1.19 Change from Rig Vedic Period to Later Vedic Period 1.20 Political and Social Organization 1.21 State Formation and Mahajanapadas 1.22 The. Nanda Dynasty 1.23 Buddhism and Jainism 1.24 Origin and Spread of Jainism 1.25 Factors for the Spread of Buddhism 1.26 Evolution of Monarchy and Varna System 1.27 Summary 1.28 Review Questions 1.29 Further Readings Self-Instructional Material 1 0 Indian History— I" 1.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES f'Upio-1857) After going through this chapter, students will be able to: • discuss the archaeological and indigenous sources of Ancient Indian NOTES History; • describe the origin and geographical factors of Pre-history and Proto-history civilization; • understand the origin, characteristics, art and- culture of Indus Valley Civilization; • state the various aspects of Megalithic Cultures; • discuss the arrival of Aryans and Vedic Civilization. 1.2 INTRODUCTION Human colonization in India encompasses a span of at least half-a-million years and is divided into two broad periods, namely the prehistoric (before the emergence of writing) and the historic (after writing). The prehistoric period is divided into stone, bronze and iron ages. The stone age is further divided into palaeolithic, mesolithic and neolithic periods. As the name suggests, the technology in these periods was primarily based on stone. Economically, the palaeolithic and mesolithic periods represented a nomadic, hunting-gathering way of life, while the neolithic period represented a settled, food-producing way of life. Subsequently copper was introduced as a new material and this period was designated as the chalcolithic period. The invention of agriculture, which took place about 8000 years ago, brought about dramatic changes in the economy, technology and demography of human societies. Human habitat in the hunting-gathering stage was essentially on hilly, rocky and forested, regions, which had ample wild plant and animal food resources. The introduction of agriculture saw it shifting to the alluvial plains which had fertile soil and perennial availability of water. Hills and forests, which had so far been areas of atlTaction, now turned into areas of isolation. Agriculture.|ed to the emergence of villages and towns and brought with it the division of society into occupational groups. The first urbanization took place during the bronze age in the arid and semi-arid region of northwest India in the valleys of the Indus and the Saraswati rivers, the latter represented by the now dry Ghaggar-Hakra bed. This urbanization is known as the Indus or Harappan civilization which flourished during 3500-1500 B.C. The rest of India during this period was inhabited by neolithic and chalcolithic farmers and mesolithic hunter- gatherers. With the introduction of iron technology about 3000 years ago, the focus of development shifted eastward into the Indo-Gangetic divide and the Ganga valley. The location of the Mahabharata epic, which is set in the beginning of the first millennium B.C., is the Indo-Gangetic divide and the upper Ganga-Yamuna doab (land between two rivers). Iron technology enabled pioneering farmers to clear the dense and tangled forests of,the middle and lower Ganga plains. The focus of development now shifted further eastward to eastern Uttar Pradesh and western Bihar which witnessed the events of the Ramayana epic and rise of the first political entities known as Mahajanapadas as also of Buddhism and Jainism. 2 Self-Instructional Material The second phase of urbanization of India, marked by trade, coinage, script and Pre-tfistoric and Early birth of the first Indian empire, namely Magadha, with its capital at Pataliputra Ancient India (modern Patna) also took place in this region in the sixth century B.C. The imposition by Brahmin priests