Pre History and Indus Valley Civilisation | Part 1 | Govt Exams

Pre History and Indus Valley Civilisation 

PRE HISTORY 

The Stone Ages 

• The Prehistoric age refers to that period of the past for which we do not have the written records therefore the knowledge of this period is based upon the materials found in the archaeological excavations. 
• The people living during this age made the hunting tools from the stones found in their surroundings and they used these tools to hunt down animals and gather food in order to satisfy their hunger. Since the people used the tools made from stones in this period thus this phase of human development is identified as the Stone Age.
•  On the basis of the different techniques and tools the stages of the human development is divided into Paleolithic or Old Stone Age, Mesolithic or the Middle Stone Age and Neolithic or New Stone Age. The first human being who is believed to live is known as the ‘Peking Man’.

Paleolithic Age/ Old Stone Age (5, 00,000 B.C- 10,000 B.C) 

• The Paleolithic Age according to the archaeologist has developed in the Pleistocene period or the Ice Age. The people of the this age were hunters and gatherers and they belongs to the Negroid race During this period the man uses the materials of the stones and lived in caves and shelters.
• The man during this period has no idea of agriculture, fire etc. The man basically uses hand axes, choppers, cleavers, blades and burin which was made up of the hard rock’s known as quartzite thus the Paleolithic man is also known as the ‘Quartzite Men’ The Paleolithic Age is divided into three parts early or lower Paleolithic, Middle Paleolithic and Upper Paleolithic. 
• In the Early Paleolithic Age the climate was very cold and it was basically known as the Ice Age. In this the tools used were hand axes, cleavers and choppers which are found in the Soan and Sohan valley (now in Pakistan).
• In the Middle Paleolithic Age the use of stone tools was most dominant such as scrapers, borers and blade like sharp tools which are found in the Soan, Narmada and Tungbhadra valleys. 
• In the Upper Paleolithic Age the climate became warm and the use of burins and scrapers was there which was found in the Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Chota Nagpur Plateau etc. 

Mesolithic/Middle Stone Age (10,000B.C- 6000 B.C) 

• In this age due to the change of the climate and the natural vegetation it made easy for the people to move to the new areas.
• The tools in the Mesolithic Age the tools become more pointed but they were made up of stones only. In this age also the people were hunter and gatherers but in the later stage of the Mesolithic Age people also domesticated animals. 
• In the last phase of the Mesolithic Age people also started cultivation The Rock painting found at Bhimbetka near Bhopal belonging to the Mesolithic age indicates the artistic taste of the people. The Mesolithic phase was found in the Chatonagpur region, Central India and also in the south of the Krishna River. 

Neolithic/ New Stone Age (6000 B.C1000 B.C) 

• In the Neolithic Age the people uses the stone tools only but now they were made up of materials other than the quartzite which were more lethal, pointed and polished. In the Neolithic Age people started growing fruits and corn like ragi and horse gram. 
• In the Neolithic Age people started the use of fire making the potteries. They uses the fire to make food and also for their safety from the wild animals at night by lighting the fire outside their caves. In the Neolithic Age people also started weaving the clothes of cotton and wool and started wearing them.
• In the later part of the Neolithic Age people started living more settled life and started living in the circular and the rectangular houses. 
• Neolithic sites were found at Burzahom and Gulfkral in Jammu and Kashmir, Maski, Brahamgiri, Piklihal and Tekkalakota in Karnataka, Paiyampatti in Tamil Nadu, Garo hills of Meghalaya etc.

CHALCOLITHIC AGE 

• After the Neolithic Age comes the new phase of human development known as the Chalcolithic Age in which the people started using the metals out which the first metal to be used by the humans was copper. 
• In this phase, people started making the tools made up of copper as well as stone. 
• The major discoveries of the Chalcolithic Age include bronze rhinoceros, elephant, two-wheeled chariot with a rider and a buffalo.
• The people of the Chalcolithic Age practice Subsistence agriculture and the main crops of this period include rice, barley, wheat, gram, jowar, coarse grain, pea, lentils etc.
•  The important Chalcolithic sites in India are spread in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh etc.  

INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION

• The Indus Valley Civilization is one of the oldest civilization of the world along with the Mesopotamia Civilization in Iraq and Ancient Egypt Civilization. 
• The Indus Valley Civilization is also known as the Harappan Civilization as Harappa was the first and the most important site if the Indus Valley Civilization. 
• The Indus Valley Civilization was spread in 12, 60,000 sq.kms which includes whole Pakistan some parts of India, Afghanistan and Iran (Persia). The materials which were found during the excavations and on the basis of the radio-carbon dating it is believed that Indus Valley Civilization was spread from the year 2500-1750 B.C. 

• The first site which was discovered was Harappa which discovered by Dr. D.R. Sahani in the year 1921 on the banks of the river Ravi and Mohanjodaro in the year 1922 by R.D. Banerjee on the banks of the river Indus. Sir John Marshall played important role in both the excavations.
• Indus Valley Civilization forms the part of the Proto History of India and belongs to the Bronze Age. The population of the Indus Valley Civilization consists of the Mediterranean, Proto-Australoid, and Mongoloids. 
• The use of Gold, Silver, Copper and Bronze was there but the use of Iron was completely unknown.    

Important Sites of Indus Valley Civilization 

• Harappa Daya Ram Sahani 1921 
• Mohanjodaro- R.D. Banerjee-1922 
• Amri- M.G. Majumdar-1929 
• Chanhudaro- M.G.Majumdar-1931 
• Kalibanga- Amlanand Ghosh-1953 
• Lothal- S.R. Rao-1957 
• Banwali- R.S. Bisht-1973 
• Surkotada- Jagat Pal Joshi-1964 
• Dholavira- Jagat Pal Joshi- 1967 
• Ropar- Y.D.Sharma- 1953 
• Rangpur- M.S. Vats- 1931 

Indus Valley Civilization Harappa | Part 2