Pre-Historic India | Ancient History of India Series | Lecture- 1 | UPSC | GS History by Aadesh

History is a Greek word derived from the word Historia which means inquiry, investigation or past knowledge. We all know that the study of the past is related to the study of the past as well as the research, study and interpretation of the past. And this is why historical sources play an important role in the reconstruction of history. These sources can be divided into two parts. First, non-literary sources and second, literary sources. In non-literary sources, coins, inscriptions, monuments and archaeological remains are included. According to historians, the study of the past has been divided into pre-history, proto-history and history. Pre-history is related to the part of history when writing was not invented. The available knowledge of this era is based on some archaeological evidences. Like pottery, artifacts, stone tools and metal implements from many prehistoric sites. On the other hand, along with archaeological sources, the era of written evidence creates history. Apart from this, the period between pre-history and history is known as proto-history. This indicates the time period whose written records are available, but historians have not been able to decode that information because their script is not deciphered. Today, we will discuss in detail about the prehistoric period of India. The time period from about 200,000 BC to 3,500-2,500 BC. It is believed that in this initial period, Indians were of the Negrito race and lived through activities such as hunting and gathering. In the prehistoric age, in different phases, humans gradually move towards settled life. So, let's understand this foundation age of human history in detail. Prehistoric Period In India, the prehistoric age begins with the stone age. Some archaeological evidences have been found about this initial period of mankind, in which stone tools have been found in the largest number. It is possible that people made tools and weapons of stone, wood and bone and used them. Among them, stone tools are the best preserved. That is why this period is called lithic age or stone age. Geological age Based on the types of stone tools and the lifestyle of the prehistoric people, the stone age has been mainly classified into three types. 1. Paleolithic Age i.e. Old Stone Age 2. Mesolithic Age i.e. Middle Stone Age 3. Neolithic Age i.e. New Stone Age Let's understand this period in detail. Paleolithic Age It is believed to be between 300,000 BC and 10,000 BC. The word Paleolithic is made up of two Greek words. Paleo means old and lithos means stone. This long period of the Paleolithic Age covers 99% of the history of mankind. The first discovery of archaeological evidence of the Paleolithic Age in India is given to the geologist Robert Bruce Foote of the Geographical Survey of India. He discovered the Pallavaram Handaxe in the Pallavapuram district of Tamil Nadu in 1863. This is why he is also called the father of prehistoric archaeology. Friends, based on the stone tools and climate differences used by the ancient people, this era has been divided into three phases. The first phase is the Lower Paleolithic Age, which covers the period from 300,000 BC to 100,000 BC. This period was of the Ice Age, and the humans of this period were mainly hunters and gatherers. According to the discoverers, at that time humans used rough and heavy stone tools without polishing, such as handaxes, choppers, and cleavers. Limestones were also used to make tools. A small city of Maharashtra, Bori, is one of the oldest Lower Paleolithic sites. In addition, Kashmir Valley, the Didwana Desert area of Rajasthan, and the Thar Desert have also found many sites, as stone tools were important in this era. That is why people tried to find such places where good quality stones are easily available. On such sites, the ancient people used to make stone tools, and those places were known as factory sites. Caves and shelters are also included in these, where people used to take shelter for a long time. These began to be called Habitation cum Factory Sites. People chose these natural caves because it provided them shelter from rain, heat, and strong winds. Natural caves and shelters are found in Vindhyas and Deccan Plateaus. These rock shelters are near the Narmada Ghati. The Bheembetka Caves and Rock Shelters in Madhya Pradesh are an important example of these sites. Various types of stone tools of this era are also found in the Bilang Ghati of Uttar Pradesh, which is located in the Vindhyas Foothills. Along with this, the Lower Paleolithic Age is also found in Nagarjuna Konda of Andhra Pradesh. The other main sites of this era include the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, Deccan Plateau, and Chota Nagpur Plateau. Now let's talk about the second phase, i.e. Middle Paleolithic Age, which was between 100,000 BC to 40,000 BC. Friends, in the Middle Paleolithic Age, humans started making sharp and pointed tools such as flakes, blades, and pointers. They used these tools for killing small animals and for meat cutting. In comparison to the Lower Paleolithic Age, the tools of this era were small, thin, and thin. The remains of this era are found on the banks of the Narmada River in many places and in the south of the Tungabhadra River in many places. Apart from this, the Luni Valley of Rajasthan, the Belan Valley of UP, and the Bhimbetka Caves of MP are also included in the main sites of this era. The third phase is the Upper Paleolithic Age, which was from 40,000 BC to 10,000 BC. Friends, the Upper Paleolithic Age coincided with the last phase of the Ice Age, when the climate was comparatively warmer and the humidity was reduced. This era is considered to be a symbol of the presence of modern people. With this age, the modern human being species, i.e. Homo Sapiens, was born. In today's stone tools, technological advancements can be seen. Needles, burins, fishing tools, parallel-sided blades, and boring tools were invented in this era. In India, the evidence of the use of blades and burins is found in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, MP, Southern UP, Jharkhand, and nearby areas. In the upper levels of Gujarat Sand Dunes, tools such as blades, scrappers, and flicks have been found. Along with this, specialties such as bone tools have been found only in the Kurnool and Mucchatala Chintamani Gavi cave sites of Andhra Pradesh. So friends, so far we have understood the Paleolithic Age. The evidence of climate change is found in the period from about 12,000 BC to 10,000 BC. The Mesolithic Age began at this time. Due to the increase in temperature and change in water and air, there were many changes in ice melting and flora fauna. And along with this, advancements were also seen in the lifestyle and tools used by humans. Let's take a look at the specialties of the Mesolithic Age. Mesolithic Age 10,000 BC to 6,000 BC The word Mesolithic is taken from two Greek words, Mezo and Lithos. Lithos means stone, which we have already understood. Mezo means middle. That is why this Mesolithic stage of prehistory is also known as the Middle Stone Age. Mesolithic culture is known for being more modern and diverse than Paleolithic. The first human colonization in the Ganga Plains took place during this period. Microliths were the main tools of this era. Microliths were a kind of miniature stone tools, which were usually made of finely grained rocks such as cryptocrystalline silica or chert. These microliths were used by humans to hunt small animals and birds. Apart from this, they were also used to make composite tools. These composite tools were used for work such as plant gathering, harvesting, grating, etc. In the rock shelters of Mirzapur district in Uttar Pradesh, the first discovery of microliths and other mesolithic tools was made. Apart from this, the Bagaur area of Rajasthan is one of the largest documented mesolithic sites. Bagaur is located on the Kothari River, where animal bones and shells were also found along with microliths in the excavation. Along with this, these microliths have also been found in some valleys of the Tapti, Sabarmati, Narmada and Mahi rivers. As we saw earlier, the beginning of the Mesolithic era was with climate change. Due to the increase in temperature, grasslands began to develop in many areas, as a result of which the number of animals living on deer, antelope, goat, sheep and cattle increased. Where humans were still living as hunters and gatherers, now they began to learn about animal domestication, their food habits and breeding seasons. In Madhya Pradesh's Adhamgarh, the oldest evidence of animal domestication is found. The first wild dog was among the domesticated animals. Apart from this, sheep and goats used to be the most commonly kept animals. Mesolithic humans had also started wearing animal skin clothes. Along with this, the Mesolithic age was that time when in different parts of the subcontinent, wheat, barley and rice, along with many other grains, began to grow naturally. Apart from this, the Mesolithic people were also art lovers and they started rock paintings. The theme of these paintings mostly depicts wild animals, hunting, dancing, etc. There are about 150 Mesolithic rock art sites in India, including the MP's Bhimbetka Caves, Karwar, Jaura, Odisha's Sambhalpur and Sundargarh, and Kerala's Erutu Guha. These rock paintings also depict the development of religious traditions. People of this era, contrary to the Paleolithic era, believed in life after death, and so they started the ritual of burying human and animal dead bodies with food items and other objects. Langnaj in Gujarat and Buranpur in West Bengal are also included in the important Mesolithic sites. These sites have been used to recover microliths from wild animals such as rhinoceros, black buck bones and human skeletons. Friends, the last phase of the Stone Age, from 6000 BC to 1000 BC, is known as the Neolithic Age. Let's take a look at the features of the Neolithic Period. Neolithic Age, 6000 BC to 1000 BC The word Neolithic has been taken from the Greek word neo, which means new. In this way, the Neolithic Age refers to the New Stone Age. The famous archaeologist Gordon Child has written in his book Man Makes Himself that the Neolithic Age brought a revolution in human life. This revolution was called the Neolithic Revolution. As we have seen that in the Paleolithic Age, humans were completely dependent on nature and were hunter-gatherers, and in the Mesolithic Age, animal domestication began by humans. In this series of change and modernity, humans became food gatherers and food producers in the Neolithic Age. The Neolithic Period is important for the start of agricultural practices. The Koldiva and Mahagara located near Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh, not only provide the oldest evidence of rice cultivation in India but also in the whole world. Contrary to the Old Stone Age, people started using polished stone tools and axes, which are often called calves. These tools look more refined than the previously crude flaked stone. Along with this, they also used tools made of bone, such as needles, scrapers, borers, arrowheads, etc. With the use of new polished tools, it became easier for humans to do agriculture, hunting and other tasks in a better way. Weapons made of bone were acquired from the Chiranth site in Bihar. If we talk about agriculture, people of the Neolithic Age used to grow ragi, cotton, rice, wheat, barley and horse gram with fruits. Along with this, cattle, sheep and goats were included in the domesticated animals. From a burial site of the Burza Home site in Kashmir, a dead body of a dog was also found with the human, which provides evidence of dog domestication. Other evidence of agro-pastoral society has been obtained from the Harloor, Maski and Brahmagiri sites of Karnataka. Since the beginning of the cultivation of plants and animals, a large number of food grains and animal food production had started. And to store these food grains and cooked food produced, clay vessels i.e. pottery making started. And in this way, clay vessels were first seen in the Neolithic Age. The pottery of this period was classified as greyware, black-burnished ware and matte-impressed ware. In the initial stage, handmade pottery was made, but later the invention of foot wheels was made. These people had also learned to make cotton and wool clothes. The oldest evidence of cotton was obtained from the Mehrgarh site, which is presently located in Pakistan. People of the Neolithic Age lived in rectangular and circular houses made of clay. And in this way, the foundations of the first settled society and the earliest Indian villages were kept in the Neolithic Age. Along with this, witnesses of pit dwelling have also been found in the Kashmir Valley, which tells that the Neolithic people lived in pits here. However, even in this period, people did not live far from mountainous areas and river valleys. Because even then they were completely dependent on stone tools and weapons. Along with this, they got natural resources from nature for agriculture, pottery and animal domestication. With the end of the Neolithic Age, the Stone Age also ended. And during this time, many cultures started using metals. Most of these metals were copper and low-grade bronze. This culture, based on the use of metals, was known as the Chalcolithic, i.e. Copper Stone Phase. Let's know about it. Chalcolithic Age 2000 BC to 500 BC This culture was mainly seen in the Pre-Harappan Phase, where animal rearing and rural settlement began. But in many places, this post-Harappan phase was also spread. Pre-Harappan phase represents the transition period between the Neolithic Age and the Harappan Age. Chalcolithic Age is the basis on which the gradual evolution of the Harappa civilization can be understood. In this era, using copper, tools such as axes, fishing hooks, chisels, pins, knives and rods were made. The houses of this era were made of stones and mud bricks. And till now, people were not familiar with burnt bricks. However, Gilund site, situated in Rajasthan, is the only place where some remains of baked bricks have been found. The culture of Chalcolithic society was not urban. And it is considered a village society. With this era, social inequalities also started. On one hand, village chiefs lived in rectangular-shaped houses. On the other hand, the common people lived in small round huts. Apart from houses, the burials of this era were of different types. In which, from single burials to small box-shaped burials and rock-cut tombs were also included. People used to bury dead bodies with pots and copper objects in the north-south direction on the floor of their houses. In the burials found in West Maharashtra, a large number of small children have been found to be buried. Which makes it clear that in the Neolithic age, the infant mortality rate was very high. In this era, art and craft developed. In which, copper smiths and stone workers were also included. They knew spinning, weaving and cloth manufacturing. However, till now, they did not know the art of writing. The main identity of the Chalcolithic era is polychrome painted pottery. Black and red pottery was quite popular in that era. Ochre colored pottery was also very popular. Ochre colored pottery is found in the regions of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and western UP. Along with this, people were also fond of ornaments. The women of this era wore jewellery made of shells and bones. They also made pearls from semi-precious stones such as steatite and quartz crystals. The Chalcolithic era is known for many cultures. The naming of these cultures is based on their geographical location. For example, the Ahar or Banas culture located in southeastern Rajasthan. Which is taken from the name of Banas Ghati. In which, most of the sites of this culture are located. This is one of the oldest Chalcolithic cultures in India. The major excavated sites of this culture are located in Udaipur, Bhilwara and Rajsamand district. Stone blades and rice cultivation evidence are found from here. Along with this, evidence of rich ceramic tradition is also found. The next name in the major culture is of Kayatha culture located in Ujjain, MP. This is located on the banks of the Chambal river tributary, Kali Sindh. Apart from this, the main Chalcolithic culture of central India is Malwa culture. Which is spread across the entire Malwa region on the banks of the Narmada river. From here, wheat, barley, oilseed, jowar, rice, legumes like food grains along with bull figurines made of terracotta were also found. Western Maharashtra's Jorwe culture is located on the banks of the Pravara river. Ahmednagar's Daimabad area is a major site of Jorwe culture. Here, bronze elephants, rhinoceros, two-wheeled chariots like objects were found. Other major sites include Bihar's Chirand, MP's Niwada, Gujarat's Rangpur and Maharashtra's Imamgaon and Nashik. In this way, in total, Chalcolithic sites in India show regional diversity. So far, we have learned about different phases of the Stone Age. In all these periods, the common thing was stone and tools. That is, the use of stone was done to make tools or weapons. But around 1000 BC, another period emerged in India, where the use of stones was done to make burials and memorials. And this phase is called the Megalithic Period. Let's see this phase in a little more detail. Megalithic Period, 1000-500 BC The literal meaning of Megalith is Big Stones. And in this culture, a single large stone was used to build burials or memorials. These megalithic structures can be divided into two categories. One polylithic type and the other monolithic type. To make a polylithic structure, more than one stone was used. And in monolithic structure, only one stone was used. Although these structures are found in many places in India, but the megalithic culture is especially special in Southern India. In South India, a large number of different types of megalithic graves and memorials have been found. In which, in the Maski and Gulbarga areas of Karnataka, Menhir Megalithic Burials, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala's Hood Stone Memorials, Kerala's Umbrella Stone Graves are included. Apart from this, in the Brahmagiri and Tamil Nadu of Karnataka, Dolmen-shaped tomb and Kochin's Rocket Cave Memorials have been found in Chengalapattu. Such megaliths have been found in Northern India, Vastal and Brah of Kashmir, And with it, in Banda, Allahabad, Mirzapur and Varanasi districts of Uttar Pradesh. Apart from this, in Maharashtra, most of the monuments have been found in Vidarbha region. Researchers found some common features in all these burials. Usually, red and black ware pots were buried along with the dead bodies. Apart from this, tools made of iron, weapons and stones, And gold ornaments were also found. Along with this, with some skeletons of burials, Horse and horse equipment were also found, Sometimes domestic animals such as buffalo, sheep and goat. For example, in the Brahmagiri site of Karnataka, 33 gold beads, 2 stone beads and 4 copper bangles were found along with the skeleton. On the other side, only a few pots were found from many sides. These objects found along with the skeletons, were probably associated with the same dead person. These discoveries show that there was a difference in social status among the people who buried them. Some were rich, some were poor. Some were chiefs, some were common people. In this era, the use of high-quality red and black pottery is its special feature. It is quite interesting to note that in both the north and south regions, black and red potteries were found along with the megalithic burials. Some regional variations were also found in these potteries. But the technique of making them was not much different in its decoration. Apart from this, in these megalithic burials, the discovery of iron objects shows that this cultural period must have been associated with the Iron Age. According to archaeological evidence, iron was used extensively in India from 1000 BC to 500 BC. Where iron tools and weapons had become common in this era, dated literature was also written along with it. In this way, the megalithic period marks the period of the Iron Age, where a transition phase of the end of prehistory and the beginning of history can be seen. Conclusion Friends, in India's prehistoric age, Stone Age, Copper Age and Iron Age were all included. Prehistoric India also saw the emergence of Homo Sapiens along with the Ice Age. Concluding this discussion, we can say that Prehistoric culture refers to the gradual and fundamental phase of human evolution and development. During the Chalcolithic phase of the prehistoric period, the foundation of Proto-historic period i.e. Harappan civilization was laid, which we will see in the coming video lectures.