1.3 Sources of Ancient Indian History
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13 MM VENKATESHWARA HISTORY OF INDIA FROM OPEN UNIVERSITY THE EARLIEST TIME TO 1526 AD www.vou.ac.in HISTORY OF INDIA FROM THE EARLIEST TIME TO 1526 AD 1526 TO TIME EARLIEST THE FROM INDIA OF HISTORY HISTORY OF INDIA FROM THE EARLIEST TIME TO 1526 AD BA [BAG-203] VENKATESHWARA OPEN UNIVERSITYwww.vou.ac.in HISTORY OF INDIA FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES TO 1526 AD BA [BAG-203] BOARD OF STUDIES Prof Lalit Kumar Sagar Vice Chancellor Dr. S. Raman Iyer Director Directorate of Distance Education SUBJECT EXPERT Dr. Pratyusha Dasgupta Assistant Professor Dr. Meenu Sharma Assistant Professor Sameer Assistant Professor CO-ORDINATOR Mr. Tauha Khan Registrar Authors: Dr Nirja Sharma, Assistant Professor, University of Delhi Units (1.5-1.5.1, 1.8, 2.2.7-2.2.11, 2.3.2, 2.4-2.4.5) © Dr Nirja Sharma, 2019 Vikas Publishing House: Units (1.0-1.4, 1.5.2-1.5.3, 1.6-1.7, 1.9-1.14, 2.0-2.1, 2.2-2.2.6, 2.3-2.3.1, 2.4.6, 2.5-2.10, Unit 3-5) © Reserved, 2019 All rights reserved. No part of this publication which is material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or transmitted or utilized or stored in any form or by any means now known or hereinafter invented, electronic, digital or mechanical, including photocopying, scanning, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system, without prior written permission from the Publisher. Information contained in this book has been published by VIKAS® Publishing House Pvt. Ltd. and has been obtained by its Authors from sources believed to be reliable and are correct to the best of their knowledge. However, the Publisher and its Authors shall in no event be liable for any errors, omissions or damages arising out of use of this information and specifically disclaim any implied warranties or merchantability or fitness for any particular use. Vikas® is the registered trademark of Vikas® Publishing House Pvt. Ltd. VIKAS® PUBLISHING HOUSE PVT LTD E-28, Sector-8, Noida - 201301 (UP) Phone: 0120-4078900 Fax: 0120-4078999 Regd. Office: A-27, 2nd Floor, Mohan Co-operative Industrial Estate, New Delhi 1100 44 Website: www.vikaspublishing.com Email: [email protected] SYLLABI-BOOK MAPPING TABLE History of India from the Earliest Times to 1526 AD Syllabi Mapping in Book Unit-I 1. Meaning and scope of History; Sources of Ancient Indian Unit 1: Ancient Indian History History. and Culture 2. Stone Age Culture – General Features. (Pages: 3-103) 3. Harappan Civilization: Origin and Extent; Town- planning; Social, Economic and Religious condition, Decline. 4. Vedic Culture: Polity, Society, Economy and Religion. 5. Social Institutions: Varna, Caste, Marriage, Untouchability and Gender Relations. 6. Sixteen Mahajanpadas and the rise of Magadha Empire. 7. Rise of Religious Movements: Buddhism and Jainism. Unit-II 8. Mauryan Empire: Polity, Administration and Land Revenue Unit 2: Mauryan and Gupta Period System, Ashoka’s Dhamma. (Pages: 105-199) 9. Post Mauryan Period – Kushanas polity, Social and Economic condition. 10. Gupta Empire: Polity, Administration, Land Revenue System, Art, Literature and Science. 11. Post Gupta period up to 1200 AD: Pushyabhutis, Pratiharas, Palas, Rashtrakutas and Cholas. 12. Socio-Cultural Trends: Society, Culture Economy during 600- 1200 AD. Unit-III 13. Invasions of Mahmud Ghaznavi and Muhammad Ghori; Unit 3: Invasions under the Causes and Impact. Delhi Sultanate 14. Rise and Expansion of Delhi Sultanate; Iltutmish, Balban, (Pages: 201-271) Ala-ud-din Khilji and Muhammad Tughlaq. 15. Fragmentation and Downfall of Delhi Sultanate. 16. Delhi Sultanate: Polity and Administration, Ruling Classes, Economy, Agriculture, Industry, Trade and Commerce and Technological Developments. 17. Bhakti and Sufi Movements. Unit-IV Maps 1. Important Sites of Harappan Culture. Unit 4: Maps 2. Extent of Ashoka’s Empire, Pillars and Edicts. (Pages: 273-277) 3. Extent of Kanishka’s Empire. 4. Extent of Harsha’s Empire. 5. Urban Centers of Delhi Sultanate. Unit-V Unit 5: Objective Type Questions Objective Type Questions (Pages: 279-282) CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 UNIT 1 ANCIENT INDIAN HISTORY AND CULTURE 3-103 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Unit Objectives 1.2 Meaning and Scope of History 1.2.1 Concepts of History and Historiography 1.3 Sources of Ancient Indian History 1.3.1 Archaeological Sources 1.3.2 Literary Sources 1.4 Stone Age Culture 1.4.1 Lower, Middle and Upper Paleolithic Sites and Settlements 1.4.2 Mesolithic Sites and Settlements 1.4.3 Neolithic Sites and Settlements 1.4.4 Chaleolithic Sites and Settlements 1.5 Harappan Civilization 1.5.1 Origin and Extent 1.5.2 Social, Economic and Religious Condition and Town Planning 1.5.3 Urban Decline of the Indus Valley Civilization 1.6 Vedic Culture: Polity, Society, Economy and Religion 1.6.1 Early Vedic Age 1.6.2 Later Vedic Age 1.7 Social Institutions of Ancient India 1.7.1 Varna and Jati 1.7.2 Caste System 1.7.3 Social Stratifications or Caste Distinctions in Different Periods 1.7.4 Marriage and Gender 1.7.5 Untouchability 1.8 Sixteen Mahajanpadas and Magadha Empire 1.8.1 Causes of Magadhan Success 1.8.2 Life in Magadha 1.8.3 The Haryanka Dynasty 1.9 Rise of Religious Movements 1.9.1 Mahavira and Jainism 1.9.2 Buddha and Buddhism 1.10 Summary 1.11 Key Terms 1.12 Answers to ‘Check Your Progress’ 1.13 Questions and Exercises 1.14 Further Reading UNIT 2 MAURYAN AND GUPTA PERIOD 105-199 2.0 Introduction 2.1 Unit Objectives 2.2 Mauryan Empire 2.2.1 Extension of the Empire 2.2.2 Administration and Polity 2.2.3 Society Under the Mauryas 2.2.4 Religious Conditions in the Mauryan Age 2.2.5 Art and Architecture under the Mauryas 2.2.6 Ashoka 2.2.7 Mauryan Administration 2.2.8 Socio-Cultural Trends 2.2.9 Trade and Commerce in the Mauryan Period 2.2.10 Art and Architecture and Ashoka 2.2.11 Disintegration of the Mauryan Empire 2.3 Post-Mauryan Empire 2.3.1 Indo-Greeks 2.3.2 Kushanas: Polity, Social and Economic Condition 2.4 Gupta Empire: Polity and Administration 2.4.1 Chandragupta I; 2.4.2 Samudragupta 2.4.3 Chandragupta II; 2.4.4 Skandagupta 2.4.5 Disintegration of the Gupta Empire 2.4.6 Art, Culture, Science and Literature During the Gupta Period 2.5 Post-Gupta Period 2.5.1 Pushyabhutis; 2.5.2 Pratiharas 2.5.3 Palas; 2.5.4 Rashtrakutas 2.5.5 Cholas 2.6 Summary 2.7 Key Terms 2.8 Answers to ‘Check Your Progress’ 2.9 Questions and Exercises 2.10 Further Reading UNIT 3 INVASIONS UNDER THE DELHI SULTANATE 201-271 3.0 Introduction 3.1 Unit Objectives 3.2 Invasions of Mahmud Ghaznavi 3.2.1 Impact of Mahmud’s Invasions 3.2.2 Causes of the Downfall of the Ghaznavi Empire 3.3 Invasions of Muhammad Ghori 3.3.1 Social Religious and Cultural Condition of India 3.3.2 Indian Invasions of Muhammad Ghori 3.3.3 Causes and Impact of Ghori’s Invasion 3.4 Rise and Expansion of Delhi Sultanate 3.4.1 Iltutmish; 3.4.2 Balban 3.4.3 Alauddin Khilji; 3.4.4 Muhammad Tughlaq 3.5 Fragmentation and Downfall of the Delhi Sultanate 3.6 Delhi Sultanate: Polity, Administration and Other Characteristics 3.6.1 Delhi Sultanate’s Theocratic Nature and Feudal Characteristics 3.7 Bhakti and Sufi Movements 3.7.1 Bhakti Movement 3.7.2 Sufi Movement 3.8 Summary 3.9 Key Terms 3.10 Answers to ‘Check Your Progress’ 3.11 Questions and Exercises 3.12 Further Reading UNIT 4 MAPS 273-277 UNIT 5 OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS 279-282 Introduction INTRODUCTION The culture and history of India are undoubtedly dynamic, unique and intriguing. NOTES Historical records trace the beginning of Indian civilization to the ancient Indus Valley Civilization. It is also called the Harappan Civilization as Harappa was the first site to be excavated. This was followed by the arrival of the Vedic Age which occupies an important place in Indian history. The religion, philosophy and social customs of the Hindus who constitute the majority of our country have their principal source in the Vedic culture. However, with the passage of time, Vedic religion had become quite ritualistic and the caste system had become predominant. This resulted in regional dissent among the masses, which led to the emergence of new classes and the rise of Jainism and Buddhism. Jainism and Buddhism represent a remarkable phase in the religious and cultural development of India. This was followed by the emergence of cities and territorial states, especially the Magadha Empire and the Nandas. Further, the small cities and territorial states were brought under the control of Chandragupta Maurya who laid the foundation of the Mauryan Empire. The decline of the Mauryan Empire led to the arrival and emergence of Indo-Greeks, Shungas, Kharavelas, Kushanas and Satvahanas. India was once again politically united in the Gupta Period. The Gupta Age is marked as an era of unprecedented progress in all aspects of polity, religion, art and literature. The disintegration of the Gupta Period led to the emergence of regional kingdoms. This was followed by the arrival of Arabs and Turks in India. India was plundered and invaded repeatedly by foreign rulers such as Timur and Mahmud Ghazni. These invasions laid the foundation for the establishment of Muslim rule in India by Qutub-din-Aibak. He was the first ruler of the Delhi Sultanate and also the founder of the Slave dynasty.