PRESHISTORY:

Three cultural stages

1) Paleolithic: (Old stone age) first stone tools (Fire)

2) Mesolithic: Hunting and food gathering

3) Neolithic: Man-made tools made by grinding and polishing, agriculture (Indus

Valley)

4) Chalcolithic: Use of metals eg copper

PROTOHISTORY: Indus valley civilization belongs to Bronze Age also called

Harappan civilization.

Indus valley period: 2400 to 1700 B.C.

Town planning:

* Grid system
* Klin Burnt Bricks
* Excellent underground drainage system

Important sites:

*Mohanjodara: Larkana (Sindh)

* Harappa: Montgomery (Punjab, Pak)
*Banawali: Hisar (Haryana)
* Dholavira: (Gujarat, Rann of Kachch)

Social condition:

Food: Barley and wheat

Garments: Cotton and wool
Pottery: Wheel turned
Metal: No iron
Utensils: Copper and Bronze
Entertainment: Dice playing, hunting

Economic Condition:
- Mainly agrarian
-No canal irrigation

Trade and commerce:- Barter trade

Script: Boustrophedon (pictographic): from right to left then left to right.

Seals: Soft stone called “Steatite”

Religion:
- ‘Primitive Animism’
- Linga and yoni
- Prototype of Shiva
- Pipal, Neem and Tulsi

Burials:
- Cremation
-Partial Burial
-Full Burial

Decline:
- Natural Causes
-Foreign invasion
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Notes on Early Vedic Age

EARLY VEDIC AGE (1500- 1000B.C)
-Knew nothing about sea

Social Condition
- Semi nomadic and pastoral people
- Women equal to man
- Well established institution of marriage
- Division of class ‘ Aryan and Dasyu’

Staple crop: Barley and barley only (Yava)

Coins Unknown: Barter system was practiced.

War: Known as ‘Gavishthi’- in search of cows

‘Ayas”:- For copper and bronze

- No clear evidence of trade
- Knew Gold but not silver

Religion:- Primitive Animism

Indra: Greatest God- 259 Hymn in Rigveda, called ‘Purandara’ or Breaker of forts
Sindhu:- River par excellence for Aryans
Agni:- 200 hymns
Varuna:- Personified water “Ethically the highest”
Savitri:- A solar deity to whom the famous Gayatrimantra is attributed.
Male Gods dominated.

Rigveda: Presents the earliest specimen of Indo European language.

Aryans entered India through Khyber Pass.

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Notes on INDIAN NATIONAL MOVEMENT for Prelims

Drain of wealth theory:
R C Dutt: Economic history of India
Dadabhai Naoroji: Poverty and unbritish rule in India.

Drain of wealth refers to a portion of national product of India, which was not available
for consumption of its people.

Dayanand
-Earliest Neo-nationalist
-“Go back to Vedas”
-Wrote “Satyartha Prakash”

Ram Krishna Paramhans

Original name : Gadoidhar Chattopadhyay

Swami Vivekananda(63-02)
-Original name: Narendranath Dutta
-Attended Parliament of religions held at Chicago in 1893 and Published – Prabhudha
Bharata in English and Udbodhana in Bengali.
-Founded “Ramakrishna Mission”

THE INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS

First meeting organized by A.O Hume at Gokaldar Tejpal Sanskrit College on 28th Dec
1885 (Bombay). Its first president was W C Bannerjee.

Leaders Journals

Barinder Ghosh -Yugantar

K K Mitra Sanjivani
History Notes for Prelims - Later Vedic Age

Later Vedic Age ( 1000-600 BC)

- Later Vedic Age- Also known as PGW (Painted Grey Ware)- Iron Age

- They knew two seas- The Arabian and the Indian Ocean

- Gandak was known as 'Sadanira'

- Position of Women Declined

- Earliest reference to four ashrams or four stages of life- found in 'Jabala

Upanishad'

Eight Types of Marriages

1. Brahma: Marriage of a duly dowried girl to a man of the same verna.
2. Daiva: Father gives the daughter to the priest as a part of his fee.
3. Arsa: A Token bride price of a cow and a bull is given as dowry.
4. Prajapati: Marriage- without dowry and bride price.
5. Gandharva: By consent of two parties analogous to modern love marriage.
6. Asura: Marriage by Purchase
7. Rakshsa: Marriage by Capture
8. Paishacha: Seduction of a girl while asleep, mentally deranged or drunk.

Marriage on the Basis of Varna

1. Anuloma: Marriage of a man in his verna or below his verna

2. Pratiloma: Marriage of a girl or woman in lower rank than his own verna.

Polity: The term 'Rastra' First appeared in this period.

Economy: Rice is called 'Vrihi'
- Niksha, Satmana, Krsnala-were used as convenient units of values, but were not
coins.

Four Types of Pottery

- Black and Red ware

- Black and Slipped ware

- Painted grey ware

- Red ware
Religion:

Prajapati ( the creator) comes to occupy supreme position.

- Rudra and Vishnu gained their position

Vedas: First three vedas are called "Trayi"-three fold knowledge.

Rigveda: Recited by Priest 'Hotri'-1028 Hyms (10 Mandals) -Atraya and
Kaushitak Brahamns are attached to it.
Samveda: Receited by Priest 'Udgatri'- All the verses except 75 taken from
Rigveda- Tandayam and Janmejaya Brahamns are attached to it.
Yajur Veda: Receited by 'Ardhyawahu'- Procedure for performance of sacrifice.
Shatpath and Taitriya Brahamns are attached to it.
Athrva Veda: Magical Formulae

Brahamnas: Science of Sacrifice

Aranyaks: Forest Books: Meant for forest dwelling hermits
Upanishads

Vedangas

- Shiksha ( Phonetics)

- Kalpa ( Ritualistic Science)

- Jyotish ( Astronomy)

- Vyakarana ( Grammar)

- Nirukta ( Etymology)

- Chhanda (Metrics)

Nirukta from Yaksha is the oldest Indian Linguistic Text

Sutra:

Shranta Sutra: Large public sacrifices

Guhya Sutra: Birth, Naming, Marriages

Salva Sutra: Measurement

Upaveda:
- Aurveda
- Dhaurveda

- Gandharvaveda

- Shilpaveda

Rituals and Sacrifices

Rajasuya: Royal consecration, conferred supreme powers on him

Ashwamedha
Vajpaye: Race of horces (chariots)
Vritasyoma: to convert a Nishd into Arya