An Archaeological Study of Jind District Mr
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An archaeological study of Jind district Mr. Bajinder Singh Assistant Professor Guru Nanak College, Ferozpur, Punjab Email: [email protected] Jind is one of the districts of agricultural community whose pottery has Haryana. Jind was a separate Kingdom been recovered from a number of places before independence of India.1 The such as Anta, Morkhi, Beri Khera (tehsil geography of Jind district basically Safidon), Balu, Hatho, Rani Ran (Bata), includes vast upland plains stretching in Pahlwan, Dhakal (tehsil Narwana), the northwest to southeast direction of Birbaraban, Barsana, Pauli and Karsola in Haryana. The district lies between 29°03‟ Jind tehsil. It is not yet possible to state and 29°50‟ north latitudes and 75°57‟ and from where these people had moved here 76°47‟ east latitudes. Jind district includes or to throw light on their socio-economic the north-central part of Haryana. It is life. However, on the basis of the evidence evident from the fact that the general of the nearby pre-Harappan sites like elevation of the district ranges between Mitathal (Bhiwani district), Siswal, 218 meters and 239 meters above sea Banawali and Rakhigarhi (Hissar district), level.2 it may be stated that these people possibly The area in which the Jind district lived in mud brick and thatched roof lies formed an integral part of Kurukshetra houses, used wheel-made pottery, in the traditional geographical account. It terracotta and copper-made objects. derived its name after Jainti, an ancient Ritauli, Birbaraban, Pauli (Jind tehsil), and tirtha or sacred place founded in honour of Balu (Narwana tehsil) have yielded pottery Jainti, the goddess of victory as mentioned of the mature Harappa culture.3 in the Mahabharata and the Padma The Harappan site of Rakhigarhi in Purana. The antiquity of the district is Hissar district is about 15 kms from Jind established on the basis of the discovery of suggests the existence of such sites in Jind the pre-Harappa, the late-Harappa and the district also, but in the absence of Painted Grey Ware pottery at various excavations, it is not possible to go beyond places from the district and the mention of this surmise. After the Harappans, the it as tirtha in the Puranas further region was inhabited by the late-Harappan corroborates it. The district was first (1700 B.C.-1300 B.C.). The late Harappan occupied by a pre-Harappa Chalcolithic pottery has been recovered from many www.jespublication.com places in the district. No late-Harappan site kingdom of the Pandavas under whom it has so far been excavated in the district, touched the height of glory. The king but on the basis of the evidence from the Parikshit, grandson of the Pandavas had adjoining areas like Mitathal (Bhiwani his second capital at Asandivat presently district), Bhagwanpur and Mirzapur Asandh in Karnal district, very close to the located near Raja Karna Ka Kila, Jind district. Parikshit, however, lost his Kurukshetra district, it appears that the life in the struggle against the Nagas of people representing this culture lived in Taxila. This defeat, later avenged by his mud bricks houses, used oval ovens and son Janamejaya, is symbolised in the epic thick sturdy Red-Ware. The discovery of tradition of the snake sacrifice which painted and incised terracotta figurines possibly took place at Sarpi Devi of possibly indicates their belief in animal Safidon.4 worship. The archaeological remains of pre- About 1000 B.C. with the advent Mauryan and Mauryan period have been of the Painted Grey Ware people, a new recovered from a number of places in the era dawned upon this district. The people district. The discovery of an Ashokan representing this new culture settled on the edict at Topra, pillars at Hissar and banks of the rivers of the Sarasvati and the Fatehabad and stupas at Chaneti and Drishadavati and the region came to be Thaneswar in the adjoining districts known as the holy land of Kurukshetra. suggests that Jind area was also included Thus the district of Jind formed the in the Mauryan empire. After the fall of southern boundary of Kurukshetra is the Mauryas, the region witnessed the rise indicated by a later cultural development of several important republican tribes. in the form of the Yakshas or Dvarapalas at Among these the most important were of Ram Rai (Jind tehsil) and Barta (Narwana course the Yaudheyas, controlling tehsil). The sacred Drishadavati, probably, extensive area from Ludhiana to passed through places like Hat, Assan, Bharatpur in Rajasthan. The Yaudheyas Brah, Jind, Dhundwa and Ramrai. The later submitted to the superior power of mention of various tirthas of the Jind the Kushanas whose coins have been district in the Mahabharta and the found throughout Kashmir, Punjab, Puranas points to the continuance of Haryana, Mathura and other adjoining activities of the Aryans. The region came regions during the time of Kushanas. The under the sway of the Bharatas, Purus and discovery of Kushana coins from village the Kurus and was included in the Anta of Safidon tehsil confirms that area www.jespublication.com was under the Kushanas. The discovery of where traders came from different places Sonipat hoard of Kushana coins, Kushana for best quality horses. It possibly coin moulds from Narangabad in Bhiwani developed into important centre of district and crude imitation of coin types itinerant trade.6 of Vasudeva I from Jind district further Jind has number of archaeological support that region was important. The sites to name a few. Akalgarh village discovery of Kushana pottery from the located 29 Km away from Jind in the district suggests that the Kushanas were north-east direction, revealed an ancient ruling in this part of the country and their settlement within the revenue area of the mints were located in those places. After village. In the north side of the village the decline of the Kushanas power, the there is an ancient settlement which is 2 Yaudheyas again asserted their hectare in size. The shape of the independence some time during the third settlement seems to be oval. The mound century AD and were actively has been mostly disturbed and presently it participating in the political activities of is under cultivation. The sherds of late the region. Harappan pottery have been found from The coins of Yaudheyas have been the area. Amarheri village is 5 Km of the found throughout Haryana Sonipat, Jind city on the Jind- Kaithal road. It is Rohtak, Rania, Anawali, Karontha, Hansi, locally known as Khera. Amar Singh Sirsa, Hissar, Assan, Jaijaiwanti and Anta. reported late Harappan remains from this 8500 coin moulds of Yaudheyas have site. The early Harappan pottery remains been found from Narangabad alone.5 In in the form of dish-on-stand, bowls, jars, the fourth century A.D., they submitted to knobbed lids, storage jar and sand vases Samudragupta. After the fall of the Guptas have been found from this site. Some they were subjugated by the Hunas. In the terracotta and faience bangles were found seventh century AD Haryana formed part during the exploration.7 Anupgarh village of the region called Srikantha and was is located about 7 Km north of the Julana. under the Pushyabhutis of Thaneshwar. There are two archaeological sites in this Under the Pushyabhutis, the region area. It was also locally known as Khera. attained the pinnacle of glory. The The earlier works reported late Harappan archaeological ecxcavations have also remains at the site. Some faience bangles confirmed that place was of importance were also collected from the site. Another under king Harsa. Pehowa in the region of site lies about 1½ Km north of this Haryana became centre of horse trade village. The whole site is under cultivation www.jespublication.com spreading over an area of about 2 hectare. early Harappan and late Harappan It has the remains of mature Harappan periods.11 period. The shapes of pottery found Barar Khera village is located included dish-on-stand with a flaring rim, about 12 km northwest of Julana. It is an bowls and beakers.8 Asan village lies ancient settlement in the revenue area of about 13 km east side of the Jind city. the village. It spreads over an area of There are two archaeological sites Asan I about 1 hectare. It has yielded the remains and Asan II. Asan I is located roughly of the late Harappan and Medieval 500m south of the village and on the right times.15 Baroli village is situated about 14 side of the Asan-Birdhana cart-track. The km north of the Jind. An archaeological site spreads over an area of about 1 site is situated 600m southwest of the hectare. The site is locally known as village. The total area of the site Battha wala. It yielded the remains of approximately is 4 hectare. This site was early Harappan, late Harappan and initially discovered by Amar Singh. The Painted Grey Ware periods. The terracotta late Harappan and Painted Grey Ware bangles and beads were found from this pottery has been found from the area site. Asan II site of the village is situated mainly in the form of bowls, basins and about 1 km southeast of the village. It has dishes.12 yielded the remains of the historical Barsana village lies about 15 km period mainly „V‟shaped bowls, vases and northwest of Jind. An archaeological site storage jars.9 is located about 1 km southeast of the Ashragarh village is located about village. It has the remains of late 6 km east of Jind. The site lies about Harappan, Historical and Medieval 300m east of the village.