Table of Contents
Insights into Ancient Indian Civilization
The study of the past can reveal a wealth of information about the lives of our ancestors. From the clothes they wore to the food they ate and the houses they lived in, evidence can tell us a lot about how people lived in ancient times. Through such sources, we can gain knowledge of the past lives of hunters, herders, farmers, rulers, merchants, priests, craftsmen, artists, musicians and scientists.
Where Did People Live?
Several thousand years ago, people lived near the banks of the Narmada river. These skilled gatherers had knowledge of the vast wealth of plants and collected roots, fruits and other forest produce for their food. People also hunted animals and raised sheep, goats and cattle. The region of Garo hills to the North-East and the Vindhyas in Central India were developed in rice production. Wheat and barley were grown about 8000 years ago near the North-West region where Sulaiman and Kirthar hills are located.
Development of Cities
The earliest cities in India, about 4700 years ago, flourished along the banks of the river Indus and its tributaries. In the later period, near about 2500 years ago, the cities were developed over the banks of river Ganga and its tributaries, like Son, Chambal and Yamuna rivers. The city developed to the South of the Ganga, over the bank of its tributary, was considered as the most powerful Mahajanapada named Magadha and its rulers were very powerful and set up a large kingdom. Other kingdoms were also established in other parts of the country as well.
The Purpose of Traveling
People traveled from one place to another in search of their livelihood, to escape from natural calamities (floods or droughts) and also to conquer other lands. Some people also traveled with the spirit of adventure to find new places. All these led to the sharing of ideas between peoples. Caravans or ships were the means of communication and transportation of food material for the merchants. Religious teachers moved from one place to another to deliver their religious understanding to the people.
Names of the Land
India and Bharat are two words often used for our country. The word India comes from the name of the river Indus, known as Sindhu in Sanskrit. The Iranians and the Greeks, who came through the North-West about 2500 years ago, called the Indus as the Hindos or the Indos. The land to the East of the Indos river was called India. The people who lived in the North-West and also who are mentioned in the Rigveda about 3500 years ago, are known as Bharata. Later the word ‘Bharat’ was used for the country.
Finding Out About the Past
There are many ways to discover information about the past. One way is to search for and read books that were written long ago, called manuscripts. Manuscripts were usually written on palm leaf or on specially prepared bark of a tree known as the birch, which grows in the Himalayas. Despite the preservation of many manuscripts in temples and monasteries, some have been eaten away by insects and some were destroyed. These books dealt with all kinds of subjects: religious beliefs and practices, the lives of kings, medicine and science. Many of these books were in the category of epics, poems, plays, which were either written in Sanskrit or in Prakrit and Tamil. Prakrit was the language which was commonly used by the ordinary people of that time.
Study of Inscription
In addition to manuscripts, inscriptions on hard surfaces such as stone or metal provide valuable sources for understanding the past. Some inscriptions contain orders given by kings to their subjects, while others record the day-to-day activities of ordinary people, including kings and queens. Kings often kept records of their military victories.
Study of Archaeological Finds
Archaeologists are experts who study objects recovered during excavations. They examine remains of buildings made of stone and brick, as well as paintings and sculptures. Archaeologists dig under the Earth’s surface to find objects such as weapons, tools, pottery, jewelry and coins. They also examine the bones of animals, birds and fish to learn about the diet of people in the past. Charred seeds and pieces of burnt wood provide information about plants that were used in the past.
One Past or Many?
Different groups of people experienced the past differently. For example, the lives of herders and farmers were different from those of kings and queens and the lives of merchants differed from those of craftsmen. People in different regions had different food sources depending on their geographical location. For instance, the people of the Andaman Islands obtained their food through fishing, hunting and collecting forest produce, while city dwellers relied on others for their food. While kings kept records of their victories, ordinary people such as hunters, fishermen, gatherers, farmers and herders did not keep records. Archaeologists reconstruct the patterns of life of ordinary people by analyzing objects found during excavation.
What We Can Learn About the Past
The study of the past allows us to learn about a wide range of topics, such as what people ate, the types of clothing they wore and the kinds of houses in which they lived. By examining manuscripts, inscriptions and archaeological finds, historians and archaeologists act as detectives to uncover clues about the past.
Points to Remember in this Chapter
- People have lived along the banks of rivers for several hundred thousand years and some of the earliest inhabitants were skilled gatherers who gathered food.
- About 8000 years ago, men and women began growing crops like wheat and barley in areas such as the Sulaiman and Kirthar Hills to the North-West. They also started rearing animals like sheep, goat and cattle and began living in villages.
- Rice was first grown in the North Vindhyas.
- People moved in search of livelihood or to escape from natural disasters like floods or droughts. Sometimes, men marched in armies to conquer other lands, while merchants traveled in caravans or ships carrying valuable goods and religious teachers walked from village to village and town to town, offering instruction and advice.
- Sharing of ideas between people took place over several hundred years, leading to the sharing of new ways of carving stones, composing music and even cooking food.
- The word ‘India’ comes from ‘Indus’, which means ‘Sindhu’, in Sanskrit.
- Manuscripts were usually written on palm leaves or on the specially prepared bark of a tree known as the birch, which grows in the Himalayas. These books covered a wide range of subjects, including religious beliefs and practices, the lives of kings, medicine and science.
- Inscriptions are writings on relatively hard surfaces such as stone or metal.
- Archaeologists study the remains of buildings made of stones and bricks, paintings and sculptures. They also explore and excavate to find tools, weapons, pots, pans, ornaments and coins. They also look for the bones of animals, birds and fishes to find out what people ate in the past.
- Dates before the birth of Christ are counted backwards and usually have the letters BC or BCE (Before Christ) added on.
