Early Vedic

Mesolithic Maghada Guptas

Period

Post
Neolithic Later Vedic Mauryas
Mauryas Guptas
Period Harsha
•No knowledge of agriculture or pottery • Polished stone axes, use of pottery
•Art: Rock paintings at Bhimbetka Caves (MP) – animals, •Pottery: Handmade, some wheel-made (later)
hunting scenes •Sites
• The tools were usually made of hard rock : • Mehrgarh (Pakistan) – early farming, dental surgery evidence
'quartzite' and therefore Paleolithic man in India is also called • Burzahom (Kashmir) – pit dwellings
"Quartzite Man" • Chirand (Bihar) – settlement on river Ganga
• Koldihwa, Mahagara (UP) – evidence of rice
B. Mesolithic Age (10,000 – 8,000 BCE)
• Transitional phase
between Paleolithic & Neolithic
•Tools: Microliths (tiny stone tools with
sharp
edges)
•Beginning of:
• Domestication of animals (dog,
cattle)
• Fishing & food storage
• Semi-permanent shelters
• Sites: Mahadaha (UP),
Bagor (Rajasthan), Damdama
e
h

(MP
)
 • Citadel: Fortified area for administrative and religious
buildings.
• Lower Town: Residential and commercial areas.

•Script: Pictographic, undeciphered

•Economy:
Agriculture(wheat, barley, peas, jowar, ragi, etc), trade (seals,
weights)
with Persian and Gulf and Mesopotamia, craft specialization,
barter system, Oxen, buffaloes, goats, sheep domestic fowls and
pigs
were domesticated.

•Religion: No temples or kings found

• Proto-Shiva (Pashupati seal)
• Mother Goddess worship
• Fire altars (Kalibangan)
• Peaceful People – no evidence of wars
• Aware of all metals like Gold, Silver, copper etc. BUT NOT
IRON.
 -Mature P h a s e -
(c . 2 6 0 0 - 1 9 0 0
BCE)
Dockyard connecte

Indus Valley
Civilization
•Fire altars (used for rituals).
Sites
•Decorated bangles.

• Copper and bronze tools.

• Barley and musta

cake

of h eb
 • Used for trade and communication.
• Some seals were worn as amulets or identity markers.

Terracotta Figures: Mother Goddess: Symbol

of fertility and prosperity.

Sto n e S culptures:
•Bearded Priest (Mohenjo-daro):
• Made of steatite, showing a meditative
pose with a shawl featuring trefoil Pottery
designs. Jewelry and Ornaments • Plain Pottery
• Suggests the existence of elite or •Made from gold, silver, copper, and semi- • Painted Pottery (Red
religious figures. precious stones like carnelian and lapis lazuli. and Black Pottery)
•Both men and women wore ornaments like • Perforated Pottery
necklaces, bangles, earrings, and headbands. • Miniature Vessels
3. They employed horse-drawn chariots in warfare. 2. During this period, cotton was used for manufacturing textiles
Select the correct statement/statements using the code given in India.
below: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1, 2 and 3
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) None of the statements given above is correct
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

PYQ PYQ
Which one of the following ancient towns is well-
known for its elaborate system of water harvesting Q. Which one of the following is not a Harappan site?
and management by building a series of dams and (2019)
channelizing water into connected reservoirs? (2021) (a) Chanhudaro
(a) Dholavira (b) Kot Diji
(b) Kalibangan (c) Sohgaura
(c) Rakhigarhi (d) Desalpur
(d) Ropar
 Iran and the northern Indian subcontinent. •Settlement: Sapta Sindhu (Punjab, NW India)
They are believed to have migrated from Central Asia into India. •Society:
• Tribal (jana or vis), kinship-based
• Varna System: The tribal society was divided into 3 groups-warriors,
Brought with them: Sanskrit, horse-drawn chariots, fire rituals, and cattle priests and the people.
culture. Later – Varnas, vedas, worship, society. • The fourth division called the Shudras appeared towards the end.

• Women had good status (could attend assemblies)

• Received Upanayana and education, Practice of levirate and widow
remarriage.

•Polity:
• Rajan (tribal chief), Sabha, Samiti
• No territorial empire
• Sabha, Samiti, Vidhata and Gana were the tribal assemblies
•Religion:
• Nature worship: the forces of nature, Indra (rain/thunder), Agni
(fire), Varuna (Rita/cosmic order)
•Economy:
The region where the Aryans settled in India was called Sapta Sindhu (also referred • Pastoral – cow was main wealth
to as the Brahmavarta) Indus +5 + Saraswati. • Limited agriculture
•Literature: Rigveda
 i.e., they were entitled to upanayana or investiture
• now lived a sedentary life, domesticated animal and cultivated on a
with the sacred thread according to the Vedic mantras.
• Women lose status (no education, early marriage) - greater scale.
• Cattle still constituted the principal form of movable property.
Women were no longer permitted to sit in the Sabha,
• New arts, artists and craftsmen also emerged i.e. smelters,
and it was now dominated by nobles and Brahmanas.
• Gotra System, Ashramas or four stages ironsmiths, carpenters etc
•Literature: Yajurveda, Samaveda, Atharvaveda, Upanishads
•Polity:
• Emergence of janapadas, hereditary monarchy
• Powerful kings, elaborate rituals (Rajasuya,
Ashvamedha, Vajapeya or the chariot race)
• Tribal authority tended to become
•Religion: territorial.
The term for war in the Rig Veda is gavisthi or 'search for cows’
• Ritualism increases
• Upanishadic thought begins – Atman-Brahman The term, ayas used for copper or bronze shows that metal working was known.
• Gods: Prajapati, Vishnu, Rudra gain prominence
Sangrihitri Treasurers
• Female deities during the Later Vedic Age were: Usha
(goddess of Dawn), Aditi (Mother of Gods), Prithvi Gramani Head of the village
(Earth Goddess), Aryani (Forest Goddess) and Kulapati Head of the family
Saraswati(River deity).
Bhagadugha Revenue collector
Kuru Indraprastha Haryana–Delhi region Associated with
Mahabharata
Panchala Ahichchatra, Kampilya Western UP Known for education and
Vedic tradition
Malla Kusinara, Pava Eastern UP Site of Buddha’s
Parinirvana
Chedi Shuktimati Bundelkhand (MP) Ruled by Shishunaga
dynasty (later)
Anga Champa Eastern Bihar Rival of Magadha; later
annexed by Bimbisara
Education hub; Persian
Gandhara Takshashila NW Pakistan & Afghanistan influence; Achaemenid
rule
Kamboja Rajapura Afghanistan, NW India Known for horse trade and
military
Assaka/Asmaka Potali Bank of Godavari Only southern
(Maharashtra)
Mahajanapada
Surasena Mathura Western UP Important for Krishna
worship
Matsya Viratnagar Rajasthan
Mahabharata
Kashi Banaras UP connection
(King Virata)
Vajji Vaishali North Varanasi in
Bihar UttarPradesh.
Gana-sangha (republic);
Buddha praised its
governance
Chandragupta Maurya
• Chandragupta dethroned the last Nanda ruler Dhananand
• defeated Selecus Nikator
• Megasthenese was a Greek ambassador sent to the court of Chandragupta
Maurya by Selecus Nikator. – book Indica
• Adopted Jainism and went to Chandragiri Hill, Sravanbelgola (KN)
• for the first time, the whole of Northern India was united.

Bindusara
• Bindusara patronized Ajivika sect
• Son of chandragupta

Ashoka
• Under Ashoka, the Mauryan Empire reached its climax.
• For the first time, the whole of the sub-continent, leaving out the extreme south,
was under control.
• Ashoka fought the Kalinga war -> shift from "Bherighosha" (sound of war
drums) to "Dhammaghosha" (sound of Dhamma) cultural conquest.
• First ruler to embrace Buddhism
Mauryan Empire – Features
• 7 elements of states (Saptanga theory- Kautilya): Raja (the king) 2. Amatya
(the secretaries) 3. Janapada (territory) 4. Durg (fort) 5. Kosha (the treasure) 6.
Sena (Army) 7. Mitra (Friend)

• The provinces were divided into districts which were known as Vish or Ah ara.
• Yukta, Rajjuka and Pradeshika were officials associated with the district
administration
• The Gramika was the head of village
• Tolls were also levied
• provisions for irrigation by the state
• weight and measures were regulated by the states
Soh gaura (Gorakhpur district, U.P.) copper plate inscription &
• taxation rate was one sixth of the produce Mahasthana (Bogara district, Bangladesh) inscription deal with the
• maintenance of a huge army even NAVY relief measures to be adopted during a famine
 Minor Rock Edicts
Found at:
•Maski (Karnataka), Brahmagiri (Karnataka), Gavimath (Karnataka),
Ahraura (Uttar Pradesh), Rajula-Mandagiri (Andhra Pradesh),
Kanganahalli (Karnataka)

Notable Sites:
[Link] (Karnataka):
1. First edict explicitly mentioning Ashoka by name.
2. Kanganahalli (Karnataka):
1. Features inscriptions and sculptures explicitly identifying
Ashoka as “Ranyo Ashoka” /“Raja Ashoka.”
2. Depicts Ashoka in human form, offering insights into
Mauryan art and Ashoka’s portrayal.

In these inscriptions, Ashoka refers to himself as “Beloved Servant of the God”

(Devanampiyadasi)
Languages and Scripts
•Languages: Prakrit (most common) decipherd by James Princep
• Greek, Aramaic (in northwestern regions).
•Scripts: Brahmi (mainly), Kharosthi (northwest).
1. Lauria Nandangarh (Bihar):
• Houses a well-preserved Ashokan pillar with inscriptions
promoting non-violence and ethical living.
2. Rumindei (Lumbini, Nepal):
• Confirms Ashoka’s pilgrimage to the birthplace of
Buddha and
records his reduction of taxes in Lumbini.
4. Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh):
•It features Edict XIII, where Ashoka expresses his remorse over the
Kalinga
War and his dedication to Dhamma.
•It was later used by Emperor Samudragupta (Gupta dynasty) for his
Allahabad inscription., also known as Prayag Prasasti.
• The pillar also contains inscriptions by the Mughal
emperor Jahangir, from the 17th century.

Multilingual Edicts
Found at:
•Kandahar
(Afghanistan).
• Writte
n in
Greek
and
Aramai
c.
2. Erragudi Andhra Pradesh devotion to his own sect, with the view of glorifying his
3. Jaugada Madhya Pradesh own sect, he rather injures his own sect very severely.”
4. Kalsi Karnataka (a) Ashoka
How many pairs given above are correctly matched ? (a) (b) Samudragupta
Only one pair (b) Only two pairs (c) Only: three pairs (d) All (c) Harshavardhana
four pairs (d) Krishanadeva Raya

PYQ PYQ

Q. In which of the following relief sculpture

inscriptions is ‘Ranyo Ashoka’ (King Ashoka) Q. Who of the following had first deciphered
mentioned along with the stone portrait of the edicts of Emperor Ashoka? (2016)
Ashoka? (2019) (a) Georg Buhler
(a) Kanganahalli (b) James Prinsep
(b) Sanchi (c) Max Muller
(c) Shahbazgarhi (d) William Jones
(d) Sohgaura
Mathura, Gandhara school Chandragupta – I
•Satavahanas – Deccan; supported Prakrit, Amaravati Art
• first Gupta ruler to assume the title of Maharajadhiraja (king of kings)
• strategic marriage alliance with the Lichchhavis (a powerful clan),
marrying Kumaradevi – expanded empire
• new era of political unity and cultural revival in North India.
• Issued special type of coins called “Chandragupta I-kumaradevi type”

The Indo-Greek kings Samudragupta (335 – 380 A.D.)

• Indo-Greeks (Bacterian Greeks) were the first
foreign rulers of North-Western India in the • Samudragupta was the greatest king of Gupta dynasty.
Post- Maurya period. • He took the title Licchichividhutra as his mother was Licchichivi
• Menander (165 BC – 145 BC), also known as princess.
Milinda (Milind-Panaho) • The most
• He was converted to Buddhism by Nagasena. detailed and
• Indo-Greek kings introduced the regular authentic
poet Harisena.
coinage in India in large number. • herecord of
is described as Kaviraj – poetry skills
• ‘Napoleonisof India’ by V.A. Smith.
his reign
• preserved in
Sarva-raj-ochcheta i.e. up rooter of all kings (coin)
the types of Gold Coins (Dinars): Vyaghrahanana i.e. Tiger killing
• Original
Prayaga
types, Veenavadan, Dhanurdhari – archer type
Prasasti
/Allahabad
pillar
inscription,
composed by
his court
 • The ports of the East coast were Tamralipti, Ghantashala and Kandura.
defeatedthe confederacy of Vangas and Vahikas (Bulkh)
• The ports on the western coast were located at Bharoach, Chaul, Kalyan and
• Navaratna (i.e. nine gems) of Chandragupta II – Kalid asa etc
Cambay.
• Different land measures were known in different regions such as Nivartana,
Kulyavapa, and Dronavapa.
• The Nagara Style (Shikhar style) of architecture evolved during this period –
freestanding temples.
• The six philosophies of Hinduism philosophy were compiled during this
period

Golden Age:
•Decimal system, zero (Aryabhata)
•Literature: Kalidasa (Meghaduta, Shakuntala)
•Art: Ajanta Caves, Iron Pillar (Mehrauli)
•Nalanda University flourishes
 • Pushyabhutis (Thanesar/Kannauj) • Promoted Nalanda University
• Maukharis (Kanauj) • Hiuen Tsang’s observations: law and order, absence of capital punishment,
• Vardhanas (under Harsha) free hospitals, state-run rest houses
• Later Guptas (Magadha)
• Chalukyas (Badami – South)
• Pallavas (Kanchipuram – South)

HARSHAVARDHANA (r. 606 – 647 CE)

Vardhana (Pushyabhuti family)
Capital: Initially Thanesar, later shi fted to Kannauj

Source Description
Harshacharita by
Banabhatta Biography of Harsha, court poet

Accounts of Chinese Buddhist traveler who visited his court

Hiuen Tsang
Banskhera & Madhuban Royal grants and administration
Inscriptions
4. Salihundam Andhra Pradesh Rock-cut cave Shrines
1. Rigvedic Aryans used the coat of mail and helmet in warfare,
whereas the people of the Indus Valley Civilization did not
In which of the above rows is the given information
leave any evidence of using them.
correctly matched? (a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3 (c) 3 and 4 (d) 1
and 4
2. Rigvedic Aryans knew gold, silver, and copper, whereas Indus
Valley people knew only copper and iron.

3. Rigvedic Aryans had domesticated the horse, whereas there

PYQ is no evidence of Indus Valley people having been aware of this
animal.

Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3

Q. The religion of early Vedic Aryans was primarily of:

( 2012)
(a) Bhakti
(b) image worship and Yajnas
(c) worship of nature and Yajnas
(d) worship of nature and Bhakti
 castes. of the following kingdoms were holding power in
2. In the Mitakshara system, the sons can claim Northern India? (2021)
right to the property during the lifetime of the 1. The Guptas of Magadha
father, whereas in the Dayabhaga system, it is only 2. The paramaras of Malwa
after the death of the father that the sons can 3. The Pushyabhutis of Thanesar
claim right to the property. 4. The Maukharis of Kanauj
5. The Yadavas of Devagiri
3. The Mitakshara system deals with the matters 6. The Maitrakas of Valabhi
related to the property held by male members only
of a family, whereas the Dayabhaga system deals Select the correct answer using the code given
with the matters rélated to the property held by below.
both male and female members of a family.
(a) 1, 2 and 5
Select the correct answer using the code given (b) 1, 3, 4 and 6
below. (c) 2, 3 and 4
(a) 1 and 2 (d) 5 and 6
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3
(d) 3 only
 (b) capitals of powerful kingdoms (b) coins of different monetary value
(c) places of exquisite stone art and architecture (c) classification of urban land
(d) important of Buddhist pilgrimage centres (d) religious rituals

PYQ PYQ

Q. With reference to forced labour (Vishti) in India during

Q. With reference to ancient South India, Korkai, the Gupta period, which one of the following statements
Poompuhar and Muchiri were well known as (2023) is correct? (2019)
(a) It was considered a source of income for the State, a
(a) capital cities
sort of tax paid by the people.
(b) ports (b)It was totally absent in the Madhya Pradesh
(c) centres of iron-and-steel making and Kathiawar regions of the Gupta Empire.
(d) shrines of Jain Tirthankaras (c)The forced labourer was entitled
to weekly wages.
(d)The eldest son of the labourer was sent as the
forced labourer.
 • • Recorded the flourishing Nalanda
Mentioned a well-organized administration
and urban planning in Pataliputra. University.
• Society divided into seven categories • Mentioned economic prosperity, caste
(philosophers, farmers, soldiers, herdsmen, distinctions, and religious tolerance.
•Places Visited: Kapilavastu, Mathura, Varanasi,
artisans, magistrates, and councillors).
• Noted no slavery and the unique position of Nalanda, Kanchipuram, Kashmir.
•Kingdom Explored: Harsha’s Empire.
women in society.
•Places Visited: Pataliputra and surrounding regions.
•Kingdom Explored: Mauryan Empire.

2. Fa-Hien (Faxian) (5th Century CE)

•Book: A Record of Buddhist Kingdoms.
•Observations:
• Traveled during the Gupta Empire
(Chandragupta II’s / Vikramaditya reign).
• Remarked on Buddhist stupas, monasteries,
and sacred sites. Admired law and order,
simple criminal laws, and lack of capital
punishment.
•Places Visited: Mathura, Kanauj, Pataliputra,
Kapilavastu, and Lumbini.
•Kingdom Explored: Gupta Empire.
YOU