Ancient History Notes
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
History – : is a record of people, places and events of the past, Lothal – Ghaggar – Kathiyawar (GJ) arranged in chronological order. Their lifestyles, occupations, Kalibanga – Ghaggar – Ganganagar (RJ) customs etc. Banwali – Saraswati – Hissar (HR) Pre – history – : the period of before writing was invented. It is Dholavira – Luni – Kutch (GJ) studied & reconstructed with the help of archaeological remains such as bones, coins, tools jewellery, ruins of building etc. Area – 13 lakhs sq. km app. Cuneiform was the world’s first written language by the Sumerians Shape – triangular created it over 5000 years ago, into a slab of wet clay and then baked 1920 – excavation of IVC took place under Sir John Marshall. It is hard in a kiln. spread over Punjab, Haryana, Sindh, Baluchistan, Rajasthan, Guj. & The early writing was on rocks, stone walls, pillars, clay. fringes of western UP. Sources of history 1921 Harappa (Modern site) was discovered in the province of a) monuments & objects – old buildings, tools, weapons, pottery, western Punjab on the bank of river Ravi by Dayaram Sahni. In statues, ornaments, seals toys paintings etc. Montgomri dist. of Pakistan. b) coins – which display their empires, economics conditions, trade 1922 Mohen Jo Daro was excavated by R.D. Banerjee on the bank of art & religion of that era. river Indus. In Larkan district of Pakistan. c) inscriptions – written during the reign of great kings and are still Lothal (GJ) – dockyard, Harappa – graveyard intact in their original form. (R – 37), Mohan jo Daro – big granary store, bronze dancing girl (23 Literary sources – handwritten records of the past known as cm), statue of priest & shiva, swimming pool (39x23x8) ft. manuscripts like Ramayana, the Vedas, the Gita, puranas etc. Kalibanga (RJ) – pullowing field, surkotada (GJ) – horse skelton, Also secular literature like harshacharita, panchtantra, manusmriti, ropar (PB)– a man & dog buried, Chanudaro – bronze toy cart, beads indika etc factory, rice – Lothal, rangpur. The evolution of humans from apes to the present form started about Allahabad – paddy(dhan), Mehrgarh (baluchistan) – evidence of 1500 million years ago. We finally appeared about 40000 years ago. agriculture. Till 3000 B.C. early humans used stone on a large scale for various Alamgirpur – cloth, Banwali – barley, terrocotta sealings. purposes known as the stone age. Town planning – were divided into upper Citadel, lower citadel. roads Palaeolithic age or old stone age (500000 – 10000) B.C. – spread in were intersected at rt. Angles & were rectangular in shape. Grid all parts of India except Ganga & Indus plains. Don’t know how to system, lamp post at regular interval. Constructed such that the grow crops. Eat fruits, roots, eggs of birds raw flesh. Didn’t wear prevailing winds cleared them. Dwellings were made of burnt bricks clothes gradually learnt to use barks of trees, leaves to protect their extensive drainage system carried waste water outside the city. Well bodies from the cold and rain. Lived in small groups(nomadic life) planned houses made of burnt bricks elsewhere mud bricks. Houses moving from place to place. They were skilful artists, paint picutes on had a square port yard around which there were a no of rooms. cave walls. Were food gatherers, no knowledge of agriculture,made Double storeyed, 3-4 living rooms,a square courtyard, bathroom, tools of Quartzite. Homo sapiens first appeard in last of this phase. entry rear side, no window at front. Kitchen water from houses drains Belonged to Negrito race. Discovered fire later. outside the city. Drains were covered with stone slabs. Mesolithic age or middle stone age (10000 -8000) B.C. – it was a Dwelling houses – buldings to live in. transition period. Tools were more advanced, effective. They became Teracotta – reddish brown clay that has been baked. hunters and food gatherers. At the end learnt to grow crops. Social condition – an urban society of middle classes, high Neolothic age or new stone age (8000- 4000) B.C. life style improved . developed, civic life, division of labour on specialization of work like They built mud houses, grew crops, domesticated animals and craftsmen, jewelers, traders etc. the people cultivated rabi, kharif invented wheel, settle down and become producers. Developed art of crops. Wheat & barley were their staple food & dietry include fish, spinning & weaving, barter system, a code of conduct became wheat & milk. (also mustard). They wore dhoti, shawl, skirts made of necessary and village headmen were chosen. Started worshipping cotton fabric. Necklace, bangles, ear rings, anklets, made of gold & nature as they were afraid of natural disaster. Found in J & K , TN, silver were prevalent. (the earliest people ot produce cotton) AP, BR, etc. Copper, Bronze, silver, gold, lead were known but iron was not. Chalcolithic age or copper stone age (4000 – 2000) B.C. – learnt art of Axes spears, arrows were made of Cu, Bronze, Stone. making copper alloy. Major advancement took place. Not acquainted They also prefer indoor games to outdoor like dancing, singing, with burnt bricks, lived in thatched houses. Important sites were games similar to modern chess. Toys were usually made up of clay. Rajasthan, MH, WB, BR, MP etc. Economic condition, - they carried trade within & outside India. Iraq During Bronze age areas around the Indus valley, the Nile, the Tigris, record refer to trade relation with Meluha (ancient name of Indus Euphrates, Hwang Ho become centres of civilization. Mother region)Like Mesopotamia(iran), Persia(Iraq), Afghanistan. Seals of goddess, bull were worshipped. different civilization were found here & Harappan seals over there. Seals were artistic creations, made for stamping goods. Animals like Iron age began in about 1200 B.C. unicorn, lion, buffaloe, ox, bull, elephant etc. were depicted on them, but horse, cow were known not known. Barter system was prevalent. Cunningham – father of archaeology in India. Transport – bullock carts, boats, seals are small flat rectangular, 1905 – ASI was estb. By Lord Curzon HQ – Kolkatta made of clay. They are valuable source of information about life & Indus Valley Civilization or Harappan civilization (2350 – 1750 )B.C. culture of people. It forms a part of the pre historic period of Indian history & belongs to Humped bull, oxen buffaloe, goat etc are domesticated. Beads the bronze age. It was centred around the Indus river. With major made of Au, Ag, Cu etc were manufactured in factory at channudaro. centres Harappa, Mohen jo Daro, Ropar, part of lothal, Chanudaro, They were poor in stone artistic works. Banwali (Hisar), Baluchistan, GJ, RJ, Sindh etc. they were Dravidians Spinning & weaving of cotton & wool was very common. came Mediterrenean sea. Occupation – Agriculture, Business Harappa – ravi – montgomri – PB (Pak) Size of weigh were in multiples of 16 and bricks 4:2:1 Mohen jo daro – indus – larkan – Sindh (Pak) The shape of script is pictorial and undeciphered Channudaro – Indus – nawabshah - ….. Religious condition – no temple structure unearthed, but image Painted grey – related to LVA. worship was in vogue. Mother goddess, lingam, yoni, pipal tree were Nivi, adhinivi – clothes worshipped. Believe in life after death. They buried dead together Ushinya – cap, amazoo – unmarried women. with items as food, utensils. Bhag & bali – taxes, Sangrihitra – who collects taxes, Akshvapa – Indus – Hiranya ;Jhelum – bitastha accountant Chenab – Akshni ;Ravi – Parvshni Beas – Vipasa ;Sutlej – Satuadri Upanishad were composed, which means to sit down neary by guru. Saraswati – Ghaggar > 200 but Muktika gives a list of 108 Upanishad. These are Decline of IVC was invasion of Aryans, flood, earthquake, ecological philosophical texts of hindu religion. imbalance. Mundokupnishad – Satyamev Jayate Kathopnishad – conversion b/w yam (death) & Nachiketa (young Vedic age – to know ( 1500 – 600 )B.C. man) which asks about 3 boons – father, fire sacrifice, after death Aryans came to India through Iran from Central Asia. They entered what . result – freed from rebirth. India in stages & took several centuries to bring India bring their Brihadaranyak (biggest Upanishad) – discussion of Yagya Valagya (a control. They brought a new language Sanskrit. They were familiar saint of Mithila) & Gargi sowing, harvesting, threshing but not known to coins. First they Mandokya upnishad – smallest settle in Sapt Sindhu region called it Brahmvrat (land of gods). Then Chandogya upnishad – pancham veda gradually they moved to gangetic valley and named it Aryavrat (land Maitrani Upanishad – description about trimurti. of Aryan) Purana – Vishnu purana written in maurya period, matsya purana Early vedic age (1500 – 1000) B.C. – Rig Veda was compiled. Main written in satvahan period, vayu purana written in gupta period. Brahman was ‘Hotra’. It has 10 mandals / 1028 hymns. 3rd mandal – Gayatri mantra given by Vishwamitra. 4th mandal – Agriculture 4 Ashrams – Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha, Sanyasa (prithvanue called father of agriculture) 4 Purushartha in our Vedas – dharm, arth, kama, moksha. 9th mandal – lord som, 10th mandal – caste system (purush Upvedas Related with Sukta)mantra related to god. Etreya & kaushetki brahamans. Ayurveda RV 2, 7th mandal are the oldest. Gandharveda (music) Sam V 1st, 10th are added later on . Dhanurveda (Arhcery) Yajur V God – Indra (Purandhar, Madhav, Brithrahn), Agni, Varun Shipveda (wealth) Athar V Profession – animal husbandry Sabha – Samiti were political councils. After Vedas following books were