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Saturday, October 3, 2020

Important Indus Valley Sites and Archaeological Discoveries

Important Indus Valley Sites and Archaeological Discoveries

 The Indus Valley Civilization covered parts of Sind, Baluchistan, Afganistan, West Punjab, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Maharashtra.

Over 1000 Indus Valley Civilization sites have been discovered.

It’s not easy to connect the archaeological finds with their respective Harappan cities. But in exams questions are repeatedly asked from this topic.

This post is a humble attempt to compile the important Indus Valley Sites and the archaeological discoveries from there. Readers may note that a few of the major sites are already covered in our notes on the features of Indus Valley Civilization.

Harappa

  1. Cemetery H & R37.
  2. Coffin burial.
  3. Granary outside the fort.
  4. Phallus worship.
  5. Graveyard.
  6. Mother goddess.

Mohenjo-Daro

  1. Prepared Garments.
  2. Temple-like Palace.
  3. Pashupati seal.
  4. Statue of a dancing girl.
  5. Ivory weight balance.
  6. The Great Bath.
  7. The Great Granary.
  8. Priest-king statue.

Kalibangan

  1. Lower fortified town.
  2. Fire Altar.
  3. Boustrophedon style.
  4. Wooden drainage.
  5. Copper Ox.
  6. Evidence of earthquake.
  7. Wooden plough.
  8. Camel’s bone.

Lothal

  1. Port Town.
  2. Evidence of Rice.
  3. Fire Altar.
  4. Graveyard.
  5. Ivory weight balance.
  6. Copper dog.

Rangpur

  1. Evidence of Rice.

Surkotada

  1. Horse bone.
  2. Stone covered grave.

Malavan

  1. Canals.

Chanhudaro

  1. Bangle factory.
  2. Inkpot.
  3. The only city without citadel.
  4. Carts with a seated driver.

Balakot

  1. Bangle factory.

Daimabad

  1. Bronze Buffalo.

Amri

  1. Actual remains of Rhinoceros.

Alamgirpur

  1. Impression of cloth on a trough.

Ropar

  1. Buildings made of stone and soil.
  2. The dog buried with humans.
  3. One inscribed steatite seal with typical Indus pictographs.
  4. Oval pit burials.

Banawali

  1. Oval shaped settlement.
  2. The only city with radial streets.
  3. Toy plough.
  4. The largest number of barley grains.

Dholavira

  1. Only site to be divided into three parts.
  2. Giant water reservoir.
  3. Unique water harnessing system.
  4. Dams.
  5. Embankments.
  6. A stadium.
  7. Rock – cut architecture.
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Indus Valley Civilization

Indus Valley Civilization

Indus Valley Civilization was the first major civilization in South Asia,  which spread across a vast area of land in present-day India and Pakistan (around 12 lakh sq.km).
The time period of mature Indus Valley Civilization is estimated between BC. 2700- BC.1900 ie. for 800 years. But early Indus Valley Civilization had existed even before BC.2700.

Features of Indus Valley Civilization

  • BC. 2700- BC.1900 ie for 800 years.
  • On the valleys of river Indus.
  • Also known as Harappan Civilization.
  • Beginning of city life.
  • Harappan Sites discovered by – Dayaram Sahni (1921) – Montgomery district, Punjab, Pakistan.
  • Mohanjodaro discovered by – R. D. Banerji – Larkana district, Sind, Pakistan.
  • The city was divided into Citadel(west) and Lower Town(east).
  • Red pottery painted with designs in black.
  • Stone weights, seals, special beads, copper tools, long stone blades etc.
  • Copper, bronze, silver, gold present.
  • Artificially produced – Faience.
  • Specialists for handicrafts.
  • Import of raw materials.
  • Plough was used.
  • Bodies were buried in wooden coffins, but during the later stages ‘H symmetry culture’ evolved where bodies were buried in painted burial urns.
  • Sugar cane not cultivated, horse, iron not used.

Indus Valley Sites and Specialties

Harappa

  • Seals out of stones
  • Citadel outside on banks of river Ravi

Mohenjodaro

  • Great Bath, Great Granary, Dancing Girl, Man with Beard, Cotton, Assembly hall
  • The term means ” Mount of the dead”
  • On the bank of river Indus
  • Believed to have been destructed by flood or invasion(Destruction was not gradual).

Chanhudaro

  • Bank of Indus river. – discovered by Gopal Majumdar and Mackey (1931)
  • Pre-Harappan culture – Jhangar Culture and Jhukar Culture
  • Only cite without citadel.

Kalibangan

  • At Rajasthan on the banks of river Ghaggar, discovered by A.Ghosh (1953)
  • Fire Altars
  • Bones of camel
  • Evidence of furrows
  • Horse remains ( even though Indus valley people didn’t use horses).
  • Known as third capital of the Indus Empire.

Lothal

  • At Gujarat near Bhogava river, discovered by S.R. Rao (1957)
  • Fire Altars
  • Beside the tributary of Sabarmati
  • Storehouse
  • Dockyard and earliest port
  • double burial
  • Rice husk
  • House had front entrance (exception).

Ropar

  • Punjab, on the banks of river Sutlej. Discovered by Y.D Sharma (1955)
  • Dog buried with humans.

Banawali

  • Haryana
  • On banks of lost river Saraswathi
  • Barley Cultivation.

Dholavira

  • Biggest site in India, until the discovery of Rakhigarhi.
  • Located in Khadir Beyt, Rann of Kutch, Gujarat. Discovered by J.P Joshi/Rabindra Singh (1990)
  • 3 parts + large open area for ceremonies
  • Large letters of the Harappan script (signboards).

The religion of Indus Valley People

  • Pashupathi Mahadev (Proto Siva)
  • Mother goddess
  • Nature/ Animal worship
  • Unicorn, Dove, Peepal Tree, Fire
  • Amulets
  • Idol worship was practised ( not a feature of Aryans)
  • Did not construct temples.
  • The similarity to Hindu religious practises. (Hinduism in its present form originated later)
  • No Caste system.

Indus Valley Society and Culture

  • The systematic method of weights and measures ( 16 and its multiples).
  • Pictographic Script, Boustrophedon script – Deciphering efforts by I. Mahadevan
  • Equal status to men and women
  • Economic Inequality, not an egalitarian society
  • Textiles – Spinning and weaving
  • 3 types – burial, cremation and post-cremation were there, though burial was common.
  • Majority of people Proto-Australoids and Mediterranean (Dravidians), though Mongoloids, Nordics etc were present in the city culture.

Reasons for Decline of Indus Valley Civilization

Though there are various theories, the exact reason is still unknown. As per a recent study by IIT Kharagpur and Archaeological Survey of India, a weaker monsoon might have been the cause of the decline of Indus Valley Civilization. Environmental changes, coupled with a loss of power of rulers (central administration) of Indus valley to sustain the city life might be the cause (Fariservis Theory). There might be a resource shortage to sustain the population, and then people moved towards south India. Another theory by Dr Gwen Robbins Schug states that inter-personal violence, infectious diseases and climate change had played a major role in the demise of the Indus Valley Civilization.

Other theories:

  • Aryan Invasion: Motimer Wheeler
  • Tectonic Movements/ Flood – Robert Raikes
  • Change of course of river Indus – Lambrick.

 

Image Source : Slideshare

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Friday, October 2, 2020

Timeline on the History of British East India Company

 Timeline on the History of British East India Company


 Source : Inglorious Empire by Shashi Tharoor

This timeline explains the rise and fall of British east India Company from 1600 to 1857
  • 1600-East India Company was formed
  • 1614-Factories are setup in Masulipatnam and Surat
  • 1739-Delhi is sacked by Nadar Shah from Persia
  • 1746-Siege of Madras by French.First time a fort besieged by an European nation
  • 1751-Robert Clive captures Arcot. Turning point in Indian history where British got upper hand on French
  • 1757-Battle of Plassey. Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula lost to British East India Company
  • 1765-Mughal emperor gives rights to EIC for revenue collection in Bengal
  • 1767-First Anglo Mysore War between Hyder Ali and EIC
  • 1773-British EIC gets monopoly to sell opium in Bengal
  • 1799-Tipu Sultan killed at Battle of Srirangapatnam
  • 1803-Second Anglo Maratha war and fall of Delhi
  • 1806-Vellore Sepoy Mutiny
  • 1825-Massive migration of Indians to Reunion and Mauritius
  • 1835-English made official court language
  • 1843-Doctrine of lapse came into force to capture Sindh province
  • 1853-First Railway line between Thane and Bombay
  • 1857-Indian Sepoy Mutiny
  • 1858-India comes under the crown ending East India Company rule

Note: Please comment your suggestions under comment section

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Indian History Timeline (9000 B.C. - 1947 A.D.)

This timeline of Indian History, from ancient India to free and divided India. This timeline of Indian History covers every major milestone in the history of India.

Click here to View Full size  (Image Source : Amazon)

DateEvent
9000 BC to 7000 BCThe Rock Shelters at Bhimbetka. These are situated at the foothills of the Vindhyan Mountains. There are five groups of rock shelters that are adorned with paintings are date from the Mesolithic Period.
7000 BC to 3300 BCMehrgarh Culture. This dates back to the Neolithic period. Oldest site to introduce farming and herding. Situated in Baluchistan.
3300 BC to 1700 BCIndus Valley Civilization
3300 BC to 2600 BCThe Early Harappan Phase, which lasted for about 700 years, starting with the Ravi Phase.
2600 BC – 1700 BCMature Harappan Phase, wherein large cities and urban areas emerged and the civilization expanded.
1700 BC – 1300 BCThe Late Harappan Phase began.
1700 BC – 500 BCVedic Period, when the sacred Vedic Sanskrit Texts in India were compiled.
1700 BC – 1000 BCEarly Vedic Period.  The period of the compilation of Rig Veda. Caste system becomes rigid and families become patriarchal.
1700 BCThe Late Harappan and the Early Vedic Period coincide
1300 BCThe end of the Cemetary H Culture
1000 BCIron Age in India
1000 BC – 500 BCLater Vedic Period. Agriculture became the predominant economic activity. There was a change in the political organization and the involvement of people in administration.
600 BCFormation of the Sixteen Maha Janapadas – The Great Kingdoms
599 BCThe founder of Jainism – Mahavira was born.
563 BCThe founder of Buddhism – Siddhartha Gautama was born
538 BCCyrus the great conquered parts of Pakistan
500 BCPanini standardized grammer and the morphology of Sanskrit. Converted it into classical Sanskrit. The earliest written records in Brhami exist. The end of the Vedic Period.
333 BCDarius III was defeated by Alexander the Great. The Macedonian Empire was established
326 BCIn the Battle of the Hydaspes River, The King of Taxila, Ambhi, surrendered to Alexander
321 BCChandra Gupta Maurya established the Maurya Empire
273 BCEmperor Ashoka took over the Maurya Empire
266 BCAshoka conquered most of South Asia, Afghanistan and Iran
265 BCEmperor Ashoka embraced Buddhism after the Battle of Kalinga
232 BCAshoka died and was succeeded by Dasaratha
230 BCSatavahana Empire was established
200 to 100 BCTholkappiyam standardized grammar and morphology of Tamil
184 BCThe assassination of Emperor Brihadrata ended the Mauryan Empire and the establishment of the Sunga dynasty
180 BCEstablishment of the Indo-Greek kingdom
80 BCEstablishment of the Indo-Scythian kingdom
10 BCEstablishment of the Indo-Parthian kingdom
68 ADThe  Kushan Empire is established by Kujula Kadphises
78 ADThe Satvahana Dynasty was  taken over by Gautamiputra Satkarni
240 ADEstablishment of the Gupta Empire by Sri-Gupta
320 ADChandragupta I took over the Gupta Empire
335 ADSamudragupta took over the Gupta Empire and started expanding it
350 ADEstablishment of the Pallava Empire
380 ADChandragupta II took over the Gupta Empire
399 to 414 ADChinese scholar Fa-Hien traveled to India
550 AD to 1300 ADThe Early Medieval Period
606 ADHarshavardhana became the King
630 ADHiuen Tsiang traveled to India
761 ADMohammed Bin Qasim, the first Muslim Invader invades
800 ADThe birth of Shankaracharya
814 ADNripatunga Amoghavarsha I became Rashtrakuta king
1000 ADInvasion by Mahmud of Ghazni
1017 ADAlberuni traveled to India
1100s ADMajority of India was ruled by the Rashtrakutas, Chandelas, Cholas, Kadambas.
1120 ADKalyani Chalukya Empire attained peak, Vikramaditya VI introduced Vikrama Chalukya Era
1191 ADMohammed Ghori & Prithivi Raj Chauhan III fight the First battle of Tarain
1192 ADSecond battle of Tarain between Ghauri and Prithivi Raj Chauhan III
1194 ADThe Battle of Chandawar took place between Ghauri and Jayachandra
1288 ADMarco Polo came to India
1300 AD to 1500 ADLate Medieval Period
1300 ADEstablishment of the Khilji Dynasty
1336 to 1565 ADVijayanagar Empire
1498 ADFirst voyage of Vasco-da-Gama to Goa
1526 AD to 1818 ADPost Medieval Era
1526 ADSultan of Delhi, Ibrahim Lodi was defeated by Babur, the Mughal ruler of Kabul.
1527 ADBattle of Khanwa, in which Babur annexed Mewar
1530 ADBabur died and was succeeded Humayun
1556 ADHumayun died and was succeeded by his son Akbar
1600 ADThe formation of The East India company in England
1605 ADAkbar died and was succeeded by Jehangir
1628 ADJehangir died and was succeeded by Shah Jahan
1630 ADShivaji was born
1658 ADShah Jahan built Taj Mahal, Jamia Masjid and Red Fort
1659 ADShivaji defeated Adilshahi troops at the Battle of Pratapgarh
1674 ADMaratha Empire was established
1680 ADShivaji died
1707 ADAurangzeb died and was succeeded by Bahadur Shah I
1737 ADBajirao I conquered Delhi
1740 ADBalaji Bajirao took over after Bajirao I’s death
1757 ADBattle of Plassey was fought
1761 ADThird battle of Panipat ended the expansion of Maratha Empire
1766 ADFirst Anglo-Mysore War
1777 ADFirst Anglo-Maratha War
1780 ADSecond Anglo-Mysore War
1789 ADThird Anglo-Mysore War
1798 ADFourth Anglo-Mysore War
1799 ADTipu Sultan died, Wodeyar dynasty was restored
1803 ADSecond Anglo-Maratha War
1817 ADThird Anglo-Maratha War begins
1818 ADEnd of the Maratha Empire and British control over most of India
1857 ADFirst Indian war of Independence, known as Indian Mutiny
1885 ADIndian National Congress was formed
1930 ADDandi Salt March, Simon Commission, First Round Table Conference
1919 ADMassacre at Jallianwala Bagh
1921 ADCivil Disobedience Movement
1930 ADDandi Salt March Took Place; First Round Table Conference, Simon Commission
1931 ADBhagat Singh was hanged by the British, Second Round Table Conference, Gandhi-Irvin Pact
1942 ADQuit India Movement, Rise of Subhash Chandra Bose
1946 ADThere was pressure from the Muslim League for the formation of Pakistan
1947 AD*India gained independence and witnessed partition
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