Ancient history of north india

**Bunny** · 25th May 2007, 04:51 AM

Ancient history of north india

India is the site of the famous civilisation of the anciant world,the others being in Mesopotamian ,Chines ,Egyption ,Greek and the Mayan (Central America)

The earliest known civilization in India dates back to about 3000 BC.Discovered in the 1920s ,It is the very confined to the valleys of the indus (which was flows through pakistan and ladakh , the name of few places ) hence it acquired the name the Indus Valley Civilisation.This civilization was predominantly an urban concentrated in and around two principal towns,Mohenjodaro and Harappa, the ruins of which still exist

Subsecuent archaeological excavation estabilished that this civilization was not restricted to the indus valley but encompassed a wide area in the present day north western and western india thus the civilisation is now familiarly known as the Harappan civilization ,its main sites in india being Ropar in Punjab ,Lothal in Gujrat and Kalibangan in Rajistan.

All the cities of indus valley civilisation were well planned and were built with baked bricks of the same size,the streets cut each other at right angles,and had a elaborate system of covered drains.There was a fairly clear division of locations and houses for the upper and lower strata of society.There was also public buildings.The most famous being the Great Bath At Mohenjodaro and the spacious granaries.The people of this civilisation knew that the use of copper ,bronze ,lead and tin.The discovery of bricks prove that burnet bricks were used extensively for both domestic and public buildings

The people of indus valley civilisation had domestic animals including camels ,goats ,buffaloes and fowls.The presence of several seals depicting a humped bull indicate that this animal was known in those ancient times.The Harappans cultivated weat ,barley ,peas and seasame and were probably the first to grow cotton for making yarn and clothes

Trade was an important activity at the indus valley and the numerous seals discoverd at the site suggested that the each merchant or merchantile family had its own seal.These seals are in various quadrangular shaps and sizes ,etched with human or animal figures.There is ample evidence that the harappan civilization had extensive trade relations with the near by regions in india,besides areas around the Persian Gulf including Sumer (modern Iraq)

The figures of deities on the seals indicate that the people of harappa worshiped a host of gods and had also involved a set rituals and ceremonies.No edifices or monuments survive,but a large no of human figures have been discovered,including a steatite (gray/grayish-green stone with a soapy feel) bust of a man (probably a priest)and a figure of dancing girl in bronze.

A large no of terracotta statues of mother Godess (shakti) have also been unearthed ,suggesting that she was commonly worshiped .several conical and ring like pieces of stone have also been found which are considered the rudiments of Shivalingas (phallic symbols of shiva)and yonis(vulva) depicting the cosmic creative forces

By about 1700 BC Harappan culture began to decline,due to repeated floodings of its towns located on the river banks,coupled with the ecological changes which forced the desert to engulf the arable land.Some historians also claimes that invasions by barbarian tribes of the north west also contributed to the decline of the Harappan civilization.

**Bunny** · 25th May 2007, 06:13 AM

The enetial migrations of Aryan people into india began around 1500 BC
The Aryans came down from the centeral india region and entered india through the Khyber pass.They intermingled with the local populace and assimilated themselves into the social framework.They took up the agricultural lifestyle of their predecessors and established small agrarian communities across the territory of modern Punjab.

The Aryans belived to have bought with them the horses,developed the sanskrit language and made significant inrods into the prevailing faiths of the times.These factors plays a crucial role in the shaping of indian culture

Sanskrit is basis of the majority of indian languages,the region of the Aryans,which sprung during the vedic era,with its rich pantheon of Gods and GOdesses and its store house of myths and legends,became the foundation of Hindu religion as we know it today.

The early religion of Aryans was basically nature worship.The object of nature the sun ,moon ,water ,earth ,fire ,each had a presiding deity ,who had to be propitiated for peace and general well being.

The Aryans developed a rich tradition .They composed the hymns of the four Vedas the great philosophical poem that are at the heart of Hindu philosophy.

A settled lifestyle brought in complex forms of goverment and social patterns.This period was the evolution of the cast system and the emerges of kingdoms and republics.The events describe in the two great epics,The Ramayan and the Mahabharat are likely have occured during the 1000 BC to 800 BC

**Bunny** · 26th May 2007, 05:31 AM

In course of time ,the ARYANS got devided into tribes which had setteled in different regions of northwest india.Tribal chieftainship gradually became hereditary,though the chief usually functioned in consultation with either a committee or the entire tribe.Still later,with the creation of diverse kinds of vocation the internal division of the Aryan society developed along caste lines.

Their social framework was composed mainly of the following groups:the Brahmana(priests and scholars),Kshatriya(warriors),Vaishya(farmers and traders)and Shudra (menial workers).it was the begining ,a division of occupations,as such it was open and flexibal .Much later,caste status and the corresponding occupation came to depend on birth,and change from one caste or occupation to another became far more difficult.

the sixth century BC was the time of turmoil,of political and social transformation in india.It was during the period of VARDHAMAN MAHAVIRA (599 BC-527 BC) founded Jainism while GAUTAMA THE BUDDHA (560 BC-480 BC) propounded Buddhism.

VARDHAMAN MAHAVIRA

GAUTAMA THE BUDDHA

Their religions ,preached non-violence towards all living creatures,tolerance and self-disciplin.in the senturies that followed,the Buddhist monk-missionaries and monk spread their religion to other Asian countries including Sri Lanka,china,japan,korea,to the name of few,where it is practiced till today.

With land becomming property and society being devided on basis of occupations and castes,conflicts and disorders were bound to arise.Organised power to resolve these issues therefore emerged,gradually leading to the formation of full-fledged state systems,growing into mighty empires.

By the end of the third century BC,most parts of northern india were knit together into an empire by CHANDRAGUPT MAURYA who ruled between 322-298 BC.

The Court of Chandragupt Maurya painted on dome

**Bunny** · 26th May 2007, 06:24 AM

In 327 BC ALEXANDER THE GREAT (356-323),of Macedonia (modern Greece)crossed into northwest India.He conquered a large part of the indian territory before his disgruntled generals,tired of war,forced him to return home.Alexander left behind Greek governors to rule over indian territories won by him.These regions gradually got merged with the indian states owing to wars and political upheavals.

ALEXANDER THE GREAT

hoeever ,the contact between the two cultures left an indelible impact on Indian art.The legendry Gandhara school of art flourished in the ghandhara region(modern Afghanistan).It was the hallmark of indu-greek fusion art

Indo-Greeks in the art of Gandhara

Chandraguptas son Bindusara (ruled between 298-272 BC) further extended the Mauryan empire over the entire subcontinent.The greatest Mauryan emperor was ASHOKA THE GREAT (286 BC-231 BC)the watershed of whose political career was the gory,gruesome war of Kalinga (modern orissa)

ASHOKA THE GREAT

Overcome by the horrors unleashed by this war,he renounced weapons and violence forever.He became a buddhist and zealously propagated and promoted the faith without any violence and coercin.he got his messages engraved on rocks and tablets using the local dialects and Brahmi apost-harappan script.

Following Ashokas death in 232 BC , the Mauryan empire began to desintegrate .This situation encourage d invaders from centeral asia to enter india in quest of power and fortune.As a result,several small kingdoms came into being ,which soon passed into oblivion.

**Bunny** · 26th May 2007, 07:33 AM

After the gap of few centuries another mighty empire which arose,was the GUPTA EMPIRE in the 4th century AD in fact this period is considered as the golden age of indian history.This empire lasted for more than two centuries,spanning a large part of indian subcontinent,with its administration much more decentralized than that of Mauryas.By means of war and matrimonial alliances with the smaller ,neighbouring kingdoms,the empires boundaries kept getting extended further.

THE GUPTA EMPIRE 400 AD

The Gupta rulers patronized Hinduism which led to the resurgence of orthodox Hinduism .A famous chines traveler FA HIEN,visited india during this period and recorded his experiences in the form of interesting chronicals.This world famous treasure troves of art namely Ajanta and Ellora caves were created during this period.

Ajanta and Ellora

The Gupta period witnessed the revival of literature and culture.Several important treatises were written on a waste range of subjects - grammer,mathematics,astronomy,medicine and erotic (the kamasutra).The luminaries of this period includes kalidasa the famous playwriter who created master pieces in sanskrit,Varahamihara (505 AD-587 AD)a famous astronomer and Aryabhatta (476 AD-550 AD),the renowned mathematician and astronomer.

**Bunny** · 26th May 2007, 08:00 AM

At the fag end of the Gupt period,there arose what maybe hailed as the last empire in northern India.Harshavardhan (590-647 AD) had inherited a small state in the upper ganges valley in the year 606 AD .But by the year 612 AD he had built up a vast army with which he forged nearly the entire territory living north of the river Narmada,into an empire,which he ruled efficiently,for almost 42 years.He was an outstanding military leader,who tosted defeat only once in a life time,at the hand of the Chalukya king Pulakesin II when he attempted to invade the Deccan in the year 620 AD

Harshas capital Kannauj (modern Utter Pradesh)was a flourishing centre of art and literature.Harsha himself was a distinguished poet and dramatist,He is well-known for two dramatic compositions Ratnavali and Naganda,written in sanskrit

Born hindu Harsha later became a devout Buddhist and forbade the killing of animals in his kingdom.His contribution to the society at large ,included the number stupas,monasteries,and several state hospitals to offer health service to the general public.The great Buddhist Convention,orgenised by Harsha at kannauj in the year 643 AD turned out to be grand event,reportedly attached by 20 kings and thousands of piligrims from all over the country.The life and time of Harsha are described in Harsha-Charita,a brilliant literacy work by Bana Bhatta,the former court poet,

After Harsha death the entire northern india once again pluged into anarchy and chaos,after nearly four decades of peace and stability.

The invasions of the Huns(nomadic herdsmen,war-like people from the grasslands of Mongolia who terrorise,ransacked and destroyed much of Asian and europeans between the 3rd and 5th centuries AD)from the west ,signalled the end of the glorious chapter of history,although they are initally defeted by the Guptas .After the decline of the Gupta empires,north india got fragmented into the no of preety kingdoms ruled by Hindu kings.the next wave of unification came only with the Muslims invasions..........///

**shadenights** · 10th October 2007, 02:31 PM

Nice info but its too long

i read only three threads sorry

amarjot · 15th October 2007, 07:44 AM

Thanks For The Post Its Quite A Knowledge Givingone And Interesting One Too..

**Bunny** · 15th October 2007, 05:52 PM

thanks shade for ur post reply ,but my posts r in brief,try to read the rest

thanks amarjot and ill try to post more

**Bunny** · 17th March 2008, 05:27 AM

thank u amarjot for ur reply,and ill try to post more whenever i get time

25th May 2007, 04:51 AM	#1 (permalink)
Bunny Global Moderator Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Somewhere Posts: 1,910	Ancient history of north india Ancient history of north india India is the site of the famous civilisation of the anciant world,the others being in Mesopotamian ,Chines ,Egyption ,Greek and the Mayan (Central America) The earliest known civilization in India dates back to about 3000 BC.Discovered in the 1920s ,It is the very confined to the valleys of the indus (which was flows through pakistan and ladakh , the name of few places ) hence it acquired the name the Indus Valley Civilisation.This civilization was predominantly an urban concentrated in and around two principal towns,Mohenjodaro and Harappa, the ruins of which still exist Subsecuent archaeological excavation estabilished that this civilization was not restricted to the indus valley but encompassed a wide area in the present day north western and western india thus the civilisation is now familiarly known as the Harappan civilization ,its main sites in india being Ropar in Punjab ,Lothal in Gujrat and Kalibangan in Rajistan. All the cities of indus valley civilisation were well planned and were built with baked bricks of the same size,the streets cut each other at right angles,and had a elaborate system of covered drains.There was a fairly clear division of locations and houses for the upper and lower strata of society.There was also public buildings.The most famous being the Great Bath At Mohenjodaro and the spacious granaries.The people of this civilisation knew that the use of copper ,bronze ,lead and tin.The discovery of bricks prove that burnet bricks were used extensively for both domestic and public buildings The people of indus valley civilisation had domestic animals including camels ,goats ,buffaloes and fowls.The presence of several seals depicting a humped bull indicate that this animal was known in those ancient times.The Harappans cultivated weat ,barley ,peas and seasame and were probably the first to grow cotton for making yarn and clothes Trade was an important activity at the indus valley and the numerous seals discoverd at the site suggested that the each merchant or merchantile family had its own seal.These seals are in various quadrangular shaps and sizes ,etched with human or animal figures.There is ample evidence that the harappan civilization had extensive trade relations with the near by regions in india,besides areas around the Persian Gulf including Sumer (modern Iraq) The figures of deities on the seals indicate that the people of harappa worshiped a host of gods and had also involved a set rituals and ceremonies.No edifices or monuments survive,but a large no of human figures have been discovered,including a steatite (gray/grayish-green stone with a soapy feel) bust of a man (probably a priest)and a figure of dancing girl in bronze. A large no of terracotta statues of mother Godess (shakti) have also been unearthed ,suggesting that she was commonly worshiped .several conical and ring like pieces of stone have also been found which are considered the rudiments of Shivalingas (phallic symbols of shiva)and yonis(vulva) depicting the cosmic creative forces By about 1700 BC Harappan culture began to decline,due to repeated floodings of its towns located on the river banks,coupled with the ecological changes which forced the desert to engulf the arable land.Some historians also claimes that invasions by barbarian tribes of the north west also contributed to the decline of the Harappan civilization. __________________

25th May 2007, 06:13 AM	#2 (permalink)
Bunny Global Moderator Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Somewhere Posts: 1,910	The enetial migrations of Aryan people into india began around 1500 BC The Aryans came down from the centeral india region and entered india through the Khyber pass.They intermingled with the local populace and assimilated themselves into the social framework.They took up the agricultural lifestyle of their predecessors and established small agrarian communities across the territory of modern Punjab. The Aryans belived to have bought with them the horses,developed the sanskrit language and made significant inrods into the prevailing faiths of the times.These factors plays a crucial role in the shaping of indian culture Sanskrit is basis of the majority of indian languages,the region of the Aryans,which sprung during the vedic era,with its rich pantheon of Gods and GOdesses and its store house of myths and legends,became the foundation of Hindu religion as we know it today. The early religion of Aryans was basically nature worship.The object of nature the sun ,moon ,water ,earth ,fire ,each had a presiding deity ,who had to be propitiated for peace and general well being. The Aryans developed a rich tradition .They composed the hymns of the four Vedas the great philosophical poem that are at the heart of Hindu philosophy. A settled lifestyle brought in complex forms of goverment and social patterns.This period was the evolution of the cast system and the emerges of kingdoms and republics.The events describe in the two great epics,The Ramayan and the Mahabharat are likely have occured during the 1000 BC to 800 BC __________________

26th May 2007, 05:31 AM	#3 (permalink)
Bunny Global Moderator Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Somewhere Posts: 1,910	In course of time ,the ARYANS got devided into tribes which had setteled in different regions of northwest india.Tribal chieftainship gradually became hereditary,though the chief usually functioned in consultation with either a committee or the entire tribe.Still later,with the creation of diverse kinds of vocation the internal division of the Aryan society developed along caste lines. Their social framework was composed mainly of the following groups:the Brahmana(priests and scholars),Kshatriya(warriors),Vaishya(farmers and traders)and Shudra (menial workers).it was the begining ,a division of occupations,as such it was open and flexibal .Much later,caste status and the corresponding occupation came to depend on birth,and change from one caste or occupation to another became far more difficult. the sixth century BC was the time of turmoil,of political and social transformation in india.It was during the period of VARDHAMAN MAHAVIRA (599 BC-527 BC) founded Jainism while GAUTAMA THE BUDDHA (560 BC-480 BC) propounded Buddhism. VARDHAMAN MAHAVIRA GAUTAMA THE BUDDHA Their religions ,preached non-violence towards all living creatures,tolerance and self-disciplin.in the senturies that followed,the Buddhist monk-missionaries and monk spread their religion to other Asian countries including Sri Lanka,china,japan,korea,to the name of few,where it is practiced till today. With land becomming property and society being devided on basis of occupations and castes,conflicts and disorders were bound to arise.Organised power to resolve these issues therefore emerged,gradually leading to the formation of full-fledged state systems,growing into mighty empires. By the end of the third century BC,most parts of northern india were knit together into an empire by CHANDRAGUPT MAURYA who ruled between 322-298 BC. The Court of Chandragupt Maurya painted on dome __________________

26th May 2007, 06:24 AM	#4 (permalink)
Bunny Global Moderator Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Somewhere Posts: 1,910	In 327 BC ALEXANDER THE GREAT (356-323),of Macedonia (modern Greece)crossed into northwest India.He conquered a large part of the indian territory before his disgruntled generals,tired of war,forced him to return home.Alexander left behind Greek governors to rule over indian territories won by him.These regions gradually got merged with the indian states owing to wars and political upheavals. ALEXANDER THE GREAT hoeever ,the contact between the two cultures left an indelible impact on Indian art.The legendry Gandhara school of art flourished in the ghandhara region(modern Afghanistan).It was the hallmark of indu-greek fusion art Indo-Greeks in the art of Gandhara Chandraguptas son Bindusara (ruled between 298-272 BC) further extended the Mauryan empire over the entire subcontinent.The greatest Mauryan emperor was ASHOKA THE GREAT (286 BC-231 BC)the watershed of whose political career was the gory,gruesome war of Kalinga (modern orissa) ASHOKA THE GREAT Overcome by the horrors unleashed by this war,he renounced weapons and violence forever.He became a buddhist and zealously propagated and promoted the faith without any violence and coercin.he got his messages engraved on rocks and tablets using the local dialects and Brahmi apost-harappan script. Following Ashokas death in 232 BC , the Mauryan empire began to desintegrate .This situation encourage d invaders from centeral asia to enter india in quest of power and fortune.As a result,several small kingdoms came into being ,which soon passed into oblivion. __________________

26th May 2007, 07:33 AM	#5 (permalink)
Bunny Global Moderator Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Somewhere Posts: 1,910	After the gap of few centuries another mighty empire which arose,was the GUPTA EMPIRE in the 4th century AD in fact this period is considered as the golden age of indian history.This empire lasted for more than two centuries,spanning a large part of indian subcontinent,with its administration much more decentralized than that of Mauryas.By means of war and matrimonial alliances with the smaller ,neighbouring kingdoms,the empires boundaries kept getting extended further. THE GUPTA EMPIRE 400 AD The Gupta rulers patronized Hinduism which led to the resurgence of orthodox Hinduism .A famous chines traveler FA HIEN,visited india during this period and recorded his experiences in the form of interesting chronicals.This world famous treasure troves of art namely Ajanta and Ellora caves were created during this period. Ajanta and Ellora The Gupta period witnessed the revival of literature and culture.Several important treatises were written on a waste range of subjects - grammer,mathematics,astronomy,medicine and erotic (the kamasutra).The luminaries of this period includes kalidasa the famous playwriter who created master pieces in sanskrit,Varahamihara (505 AD-587 AD)a famous astronomer and Aryabhatta (476 AD-550 AD),the renowned mathematician and astronomer. __________________

26th May 2007, 08:00 AM	#6 (permalink)
Bunny Global Moderator Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Somewhere Posts: 1,910	At the fag end of the Gupt period,there arose what maybe hailed as the last empire in northern India.Harshavardhan (590-647 AD) had inherited a small state in the upper ganges valley in the year 606 AD .But by the year 612 AD he had built up a vast army with which he forged nearly the entire territory living north of the river Narmada,into an empire,which he ruled efficiently,for almost 42 years.He was an outstanding military leader,who tosted defeat only once in a life time,at the hand of the Chalukya king Pulakesin II when he attempted to invade the Deccan in the year 620 AD Harshas capital Kannauj (modern Utter Pradesh)was a flourishing centre of art and literature.Harsha himself was a distinguished poet and dramatist,He is well-known for two dramatic compositions Ratnavali and Naganda,written in sanskrit Born hindu Harsha later became a devout Buddhist and forbade the killing of animals in his kingdom.His contribution to the society at large ,included the number stupas,monasteries,and several state hospitals to offer health service to the general public.The great Buddhist Convention,orgenised by Harsha at kannauj in the year 643 AD turned out to be grand event,reportedly attached by 20 kings and thousands of piligrims from all over the country.The life and time of Harsha are described in Harsha-Charita,a brilliant literacy work by Bana Bhatta,the former court poet, After Harsha death the entire northern india once again pluged into anarchy and chaos,after nearly four decades of peace and stability. The invasions of the Huns(nomadic herdsmen,war-like people from the grasslands of Mongolia who terrorise,ransacked and destroyed much of Asian and europeans between the 3rd and 5th centuries AD)from the west ,signalled the end of the glorious chapter of history,although they are initally defeted by the Guptas .After the decline of the Gupta empires,north india got fragmented into the no of preety kingdoms ruled by Hindu kings.the next wave of unification came only with the Muslims invasions........../// __________________

10th October 2007, 02:31 PM	#7 (permalink)
shadenights Super Moderator Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: me Posts: 5,543	Re: Ancient history of north india Nice info but its too long i read only three threads sorry __________________

15th October 2007, 07:44 AM	#8 (permalink)
amarjot Friendly Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: canada Posts: 39	Re: Ancient history of north india Thanks For The Post Its Quite A Knowledge Givingone And Interesting One Too..

15th October 2007, 05:52 PM	#9 (permalink)
Bunny Global Moderator Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Somewhere Posts: 1,910	Re: Ancient history of north india thanks shade for ur post reply ,but my posts r in brief,try to read the rest thanks amarjot and ill try to post more

17th March 2008, 05:27 AM	#10 (permalink)
Bunny Global Moderator Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Somewhere Posts: 1,910	Re: Ancient history of north india thank u amarjot for ur reply,and ill try to post more whenever i get time __________________

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Delhi Darshan	Bunny	Travel India	43	6th August 2008 02:56 AM
History of south india:The ancient period	Bunny	South India	9	17th March 2008 05:31 AM
Ancient India	shadenights	North India	5	30th October 2007 02:21 PM
History of India	shadenights	History Of India	0	10th October 2007 02:49 PM
History of Kannada Literature	shadenights	North India	0	10th October 2007 02:47 PM