VisionIAS - Video Classroom Lecture

Ancient and Mediaeval History Class 01

INTRODUCTION TO ANCIENT INDIA (08:05 AM)

Syllabus of Ancient History of India
Political, Economic and Social History
Art and Culture Syllabus overlaps with Ancient and Medieval History
Language
Religion and Philosophy
Sculpture
Painting
Coins
Dance and Drama
We study events across space and time.
In a GS Paper, there are 10 questions for 10 Marks and 10 Questions for 15 Marks
Sources to study Ancient and Medieval history- Literary, Archeological (08:20 am)
Literature sources include Indigenous and foreign sources
Archaeological sources include Monuments, Coins, Inscriptions, Pottery, Seals and Sealings etc
Prehistory (08:35 am)

	Pre History	Proto History
Available Sources of Information	Archaeological	Archaeological
Literary Sources	No	Yet to be deciphered
Time Period	Palaeolithic Period (2 mya) - Calcolithic Period (1500 BCE)	2600 BCE- 1900 BCE
		Indus Valley Civilisation

Ancient India Period	Medieval Period	Modern History Period
2 mya- 750 CE	750 CE- 1750s	The 1750s onwards

PREHISTORY (08:52 AM)

Creation of Universe- 13.5 Billion years ago
The creation of the universe was followed by the creation of Earth 4.5 billion years ago
Creation of life on earth- 3.5 billion years ago
Rise of Hominids (earliest ancestor of modern man)- 6 million years ago. The original homeland of Hominids is in Africa
2 million years ago- Rise of Homo Habilis- beginning of Paleolithic age
Homo Habilis evolved from Homo Erectus to Homo Sapiens to Homo Sapiens Sapiens (Modern man)
10000 BCE- End of Ice Age
Pre-History is divided into Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic and Chalcolithic Period

	Palaeolithic Period	Mesolithic Period	Neolithic Period	Chalcolithic Period
	Old Stone Age	Middle Stone Age	New Stone Age	Copper
	Further Divided into Lower Paelolithic, Middle Paleolithic and Upper Paleolithic Longest period in human history (Began by 2 mya)	In Between the Paleolithic and Neolithic Periods
Tools used	Large stone tools: Chopper Chopping toold. E.g. Handaxe, cleaver etc	Use of Microlithic	Polished Stone tools	Similar characteristics to Neolithic cultures
Primary Economic activity	Hunting And Gathering No Domestication of Animals or Practice of Agriculture	Hunting and gathering Domestication of Animals But no Food Cultivation	Hunting and Gathering Domestication of Animals Food Cultivation
	Cave Painting associated with the upper Paleolithic Period and Mesolithic Period E.g. Bhimbetka (Madhya Pradesh), Lakhudiyar (Uttarakhand)	It is also associated with cave paintings	Evidence of Pottery. E.g. Coarse Grey Ware (CGW) Introduction of Human Settlements for the first time Thatched Roof Primary Contribution Material- Reed Wattle etc Beginning	Pootery- Ochre-Coloured Pottery (OCP) Usage of Sun-dried Bricks and also iron (in the letter period)

PREHISTORIC SETTLEMENTS ACROSS THE INDIAN SETTLEMENTS (10:18 AM)

Palaeolithic Settlements across India
It is important to note that the Paleolithic period started at an earlier date in Africa as compared to India. E.g. Bori in Maharshtra is considered to be the earliest Paleolithic site in the country.
Some of the Paleolithic fossils are also found in Shivalik hills (Potwar Plateau in between India and Pakistan. Here two skulls have been found - Ramapithecus and Shivapithecus)
Some of the early Stone Age sites are found in:
a) Sohan/Son Valley, Punjab
b) Kashmir
c) Thar desert
d) Belan Valley, Uttar Pradesh
e) Narmada Valley
Important Palaeolithic sites include:
Hathnora, MP
Didwana, Rajasthan
Chirki Nevasa, Maharashtra
Nagarjunikonda, Andhra Pradesh
Bhimbetka, MP
The first remains of a full-fledged Homo Sapiens Sapien is found in Fa Hien Caves, Sri Lanka. It seems the migration of early men happened from South to North because of an early coastal migration
Sites such as Inamgaon in Maharashtra, Didwana in Rajasthan, and Renigunta in Andhra Pradesh show evidence of lower, middle and upper settlements in India.

TOPIC OF THE NEXT CLASS- MESOLITHIC PERIOD, INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION