1 1 Jhajjar Through Ages *Dr. Jagdish Rahar Abstract Jhajjar is 35 KMs. to the south of Rohtak and 55 KMs. west of Delhi. The name of district is said to be derived from its supported founder, One Chhaju and Chhaju Nagar converted into Jhajjar. Another derivation connects the name with a natural fountain called Jhar Nagar. A third derivation is from Jhajjar, a water vessel, because the surface drainage of the country for miles runs into the town as into a sense. Introduction : Unfortunately, the archeologists have paid little attention to the region of the present study, therefore, the detailed information ancient people of Jhajjar (Haryana) region is not known. However, now an attempt has been made to throw welcome light on the ancient cultures of Jhajjar on the basis of information collected from explorations and as well as from the excavations conducted in the different parts of Haryana. Seed of Colonization: Pre-Harappan : The archeological discoveries proved beyond doubt that the region under present study was inhabited for the first time in the middle of the third millennium B.C. by a food producing farming and pastoral community known as ‘Pre-Harappan’. During the course of village to village survey of this region, six sites were discovered by the researcher which speaks of Pre- Harappan culture namely Mahrana, Kemalgarh, SilaniKesho, Raipur, Silana II, Surha.1 All these sites have cultural identity with Kalibangan-I1, Siswal2, Banwali3, Mitathal-I4 and Balu-A5, where Pre-Harappan peoples in the middle of the third millennium B.C. mode their settlements.. Terracotta bangles were also used as the ornaments. Agriculture6 and cattle keeping formed the economic base of these earliestpeasants.. They also seem to be acquainted with the art of writing towards the later phase as shown by graffiti marks on their earthen pots.7 As far as the religious beliefs are concerned, no evidence was found regard. These early Note - Research Paper Received in June 2015 and Reviewed in June 2015. *Associate Professor of History, Govt. College Balor, Bahadurgarh, Haryana 2 Dr. Jagdish Rahar Jhajjar Through Ages 3 colonizers appear to have come to Haryana from the south-west either from Punjab Besides pottery, Kushana copper coins and other minor fields were also recovered or Rajasthan.8 from the sites. Development of Colonization : Harappan Period : After the Pre-Harappans, Period of Transition : After Kushanas, Yaudheyas became again powerful. the region came under the occupation of Harappan in the last quarter of the third Their coins of 3rd-4th century A.D. were found in different part of Haryana. The millennium B.C. In the absence of excavated Harappan village settlements in cities declined in the region after 300 A. D. Towards the middle of the 4th century Haryana it is very hard to trace the difference in the life and conditions of Harappan A.D. the Yaudheyas was subjugated by Samudragupta.27The discovery of villagers and city dwellers. On the basis of excavated Harappan sites in the other Samudragupta gold coins from Mitathal28 also attests the rule of Samudragupta in parts of Haryana such as Balu-B9, Mitathal-IIA10 and Banawali-II11. Haryana. Coin-moulds and clay plaques found from Khokhrakot29 also suggest the Decadent Phase : Late Harappan :The third phase of colonization in the rule of Gupta’s over the region. region is marked by the decadent phase of the Harappan civilization, also termed Period of Harshvardhanas : During the early and late medieval times the as ‘late Harappan’. The remains of this phase have been recovered from 12 sites in region of Jhajjar block was thickly populated. The early medieval and late medieval this block. The excavation conducted in Mirzapur12, Daultapur13, Mitathal14, sites located in the block are 36 and 10 respectively. In the beginning of 7th century Banawali15, Balu16 and Bhagwanpura17 throw welcome light on the culture of late A.D., the region was under the control of Puspabhuti King Harsavardhana of Harappan phase. The classical Harappan shapes gradually disappeared. The evolved Sthaneshwar. He established peace and security in the region. BanaBhatt30, the shapes, inferior treatment of the surface and the simpler fewer decorations on the court poet of Harsavardhana and Chinese pilgrim Huein-Tsang31 gave enough pottery indicate a decadent stage of the culture. Discovery of t.c. and Faience made evidences about the socioeconomic advancement of the region. animal figurines from Mirzapur and other sites indicate the animal worship which Pratihara and Pal : Towards the end of the seventh century A.D. the region was also prevalent in the earlier phase of colonization in Haryana. On the basis of was ruled over by Yashovarman of Kanauj32 and Kashmiri King Lalitaditya archaeological grounds; the late Harappan phase of Haryana can be dated between Muktapida.33. It was Pratihara King VAT’s raja who conquered the region of Haryana 1800 B.C. And 1500 B.C.18 by defeating the successor of Lalitaditya. After some time Vatsaraja was defeated O.C.P. Phase : The next phase of colonization after the late Harappans is by Pala King Dharampala (770-810 A.D.) and occupied Kanauj34. The inscriptions marked by the presence of O.C.P. in this region. The evidence of this culture was found from Pehowa, Sirsa35 and Delhi36 clearly indicated that the region of Haryana found in five sites discovered by the researcher. This source of evidence has continued to be a part of Pratihara kingdom resemblance with the evidence of Atranjikhera19 in Uttar Pradesh and Ganeshwar20 Period of Tomaras : The Pehowa inscription37 indicates that the Tamara’s in Rajasthan. In Uttar Pradesh, copper-Hoard tools were found associated with were the feudatories of Pratihara kings. Soon after the death of Mahipala of Pratihara O.C.P. but except the site of Saipai, these tools were found in the nearby fields of dynasty, Tomaras established their own independent kingdom. The settlement report O.C.P. sites. In Rajasthan, the copper objectswhich were found with O.C.P. were of 188038 says that about the 9th – 10th centuries, many Rajput clans and community of Indus complex and none of the copper Hoard objects from western U.P.21The of Jats arrived in the region of Haryana in order to settle here on permanent basis. O.C.P. culture was an impoverished rural culture of post-Harappan period. They They cleared the jungles and started founding their villages in this region. Coins of cultivated the crops of barley, gram etc. and herded cattle. In Haryana, this post- Samanta Dev discovered from Mohanbari39 attest that Rajputs also ruled over this Harappan culture can be dated 1500 B.C. and 1000 B.C.22 region. The Harshanath inscription of Chahamana king Vigraharaja-II40tells us that Advent of Painted Grey Ware : The fifth phase of colonization in this block Tomaras developed conflict with powerful Chahamana king Simharaja in the 10th is marked with the advent of painted Grey Ware using people. The explorations century A.D. and defeated. The inscription found from Palam Baoli41 (now kept in have revealed only one site of this culture, i.e. Surha. The P.G.W. found in this site National Museum, Delhi) indicates that the country Haritanaka (Haryana) was is very limited, fragmentary and painted in black. It is of thick section and coarse ruled over by the Tomaras before the conquest made by Chahamanas. At their fabric. It can be possible only after excavations on this site. The excavations time, Delhi was the capital of this region consequently; Tomaras were again replaces conducted at Daulatpur23 and Bhagwanpura24 yielded sufficient evidence to throw by the Chahamanas.42. It seems that the Tomaras kept on ruling over this region as light on the lifeway of P.G.W. using people of Haryana. The discovery of Yaudheya the feudatories of the Chahamanas.43. coins from Khokhrakot by Birbal Sahni25 and from Naurangabad by Omanand Chahamana Dynasty : The most powerful ruler of the Chahamana dynasty Saraswati26 clearly shows that this region was also a part of Yaudheyas state. was Prithviraja-III (1176-1192 A.D.). At that time many foreign invaders from Influence of Kushanas : During the course of explorations five sites of Central Asia had started coming in order to hold over this region. Most prominent early historic period were discovered namely Hasanpur-I, Jhajjar-II, Nimana-IV, among them was Mohmmad Gauri who came and fought battle at Taraori in 1191 Sondhi-III and Surha. These sites have yielded red ware of early Christian era. A.D. with Prithviraja-III. 4 Dr. Jagdish Rahar Jhajjar Through Ages 5 Conclusion :Thus this region under study has witnessed many historical ups and Ram Chandran, K.S. (ed.), Mahabharata: Myth and Reality, p. 238. and downs and it has passed through many transitional phases since Pre-Harappan 18. Singh, U.V.., ‘Ancient Relics from the Kurukshetra Region’ in Indian History Congress, age to the medieval period. More excavations can help in establishing the historical Souvenir XLIII Session, Dec. 1982, Kurukshetra University. significance of this region. However, the present study has tried to throw light on 19. Gaur R.C., Excavations at Atranjikhera, Delhi, 1983. 20. Agrawal, R.C., ‘Recent Explorations in Rajasthan’ in Man and Environment, Vol. V, all the important aspects. 1981, pp. 60-63; Dikshit, K.N. and Sinha, A.K., The Ganeshwar Culture- An Appraisal’ in Puratattva, no. 11, pp. 120-22. 21. Agrawal, R.C. op. cit., p. 60. 22. Suraj Bhan, Haryana Archaeology’ in Shri Krishna Museum, Kurukshetra- An Reference: Introduction, 1991, p. 9. 1. Indian Archaeological Review(IAR), 1962-63, pp. 20-31. 23. IAR, 1968-69, pp. 8-9; 1976-77, p. 19; 1977-78, p.