1st-part
India’s first major civilization flourished nearly 5,000 years ago in the valley along the Indus River. A society known to possess a sophisticated lifestyle, aesthetics, and knowledge of town planning that holds true even today. It existed at the same time as the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Sumer, but managed to out last them. It survived for nearly 1000 years before declining due to reasons still debated.
THE INDUS VALLEY
Modern India can trace its roots to the first Indian civilization in the Indus valley in about 2,600 BC. It’s the earliest known urban culture of the Indian subcontinent, first identified in 1921 at Harappa in Punjab and then in 1922 at
Mohenjo-daro, near the Indus River in Sindh—both of which are now in Pakistan. Indologists have concluded that the original inhabitants of this highly advanced civilization were of Dravidian descent. By 5,500 the people of the Indus valley had invented pottery. It was a prosperous farming society and the farmers used bronze tools. The people of the valley spun cotton and traded with other cultures such as modern day Iraq. With time the people of the Indus Valley began to live in towns—two of the largest were at Mohenjo-daro and Harrapa.
It was obviously advanced for its time, with planned cities, a standardized system of weights and bricks. By the standards of the ancient world, Mohenjo-daro had a large population of around 35-50,000. It consisted of two parts. One part was a citadel, containing a public bath and assembly halls. It also held a granary where grain was stored. The lower part of the town had streets laid out in a grid pattern. The houses were up to 3 stories high and were made of brick. The bricks were of a standard size and the Indus Valley civilization also had standard weights and measures. The streets had networks of covered drains.
The Indus Valley civilization had a form of writing but till date the code hasn’t been cracked. As a result little is known of their political system or their religion. But a number of engraved seals and terracotta figurines give us some clues about what life must’ve been like. The Indus Valley civilization was at its peak during 2,300-1,700 BC, after which it declined. The reasons for the decline are not clear. While some scholars say tectonic upheavals caused a series of floods others attribute it to climatic change, as the area grew cooler and drier. It has also been suggested that rivers changed course. In those days less rainfall or a changed in the course of a river would have had severe consequences for farming and consequently on trade and commerce. Like all early civilizations the Indus Valley depended on farming.
The Indus Valley civilization vanished and it was forgotten until rediscovery in the 1920s.
THE ARYANS
After the collapse of the Indus Valley civilization a new wave of people entered India. The Aryans came from central Asia and entered India through Afghanistan after 1500 BC. Their entry into the Indian sub-continent was probably through a series of invasions from the North over a period of time. The Aryans were a semi-nomadic race of pastoralists. By 1,000 BC they had learned to use iron. However in time the Aryans settled down and became farmers.
Slowly a more ordered and settled society evolved. Tribes went on to become kingdoms. The Aryans became the priests, rulers and warriors, free peasants and merchants. The subdued people became the slaves, laborers and artisans. In time this stratified society crystallized into the present day caste system.
RELIGIONS IN INDIA
The Hindu religion also evolved at this time with the compilation of the Vedas—a treatise on their culture and religious beliefs. Initially the four Vedas were orally passed on from one generation to the other, but later they were written down for posterity. In time the Aryans learned to farm rice rather than crops like barley. By 600 BC rice cultivation was flourishing in India. With a more settled and ordered society trade and commerce also flourished. Life in towns evolved again and writing was re-invented. By 600 BC a highly civilized society had emerged in India.
By discovery india
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation.
0 comments:
Post a Comment
thanks