Indus Valley Civilization

Discovered in 1921
Belonged to the bronze age
An area of about 1.3 mn sq km
Existed between 3300-1600 BC in three phases: early, mature and late phases
Sites

Early (pre-Harappan) Mature (Harappan) Late phase (post-urban)

Harappa
Mohenjodaro
Chanhu-daro
Lothal
Kalibangan Kalibangan
Banawali Banawali (Hissar)
Sutkagendor (Pakistan)
Sukotada (Gujarat)
Dholavira (Kutch) Dholavira Dholavira
Rakhigarhi (Ghaggar) Rakhigarhi Rakhigarhi
Bhagwanpura
Manda (Jammu); Chandigarh,
Shangol (Punjab); Daulatpur,
Mitthal (Haryana); Alamgirpur.
Hulas (West UP)

Site Remarkable Feature

Sutkagendor Surkotada Marked by a citadel
Mohenjo-daro Great Bath;
Large granary
Impressive drainage system
Piece of woven cotton
Mother Goddess
Seal of pashu-pati
Kalibangan Grain and plough

Town planning
o Grid system
The Indus people were the earliest to produce cotton

Aryans
Male dominated

Pastoral

Horse was a significant animal

Rig veda Consists of 10 mandalas (books): Book 1 and 10 are relatively new
Earliest specimen of Indo-European language: 2200 BC inscription in Iran. Later in the Hittite
inscriptions in Anatolia

1500 BC came to India

Sindhu is the river par excellence for them

Saraswati is the best of the rivers in Rig Veda

Panchajana five tribes into which Aryans were divided

Used ploughshare

Land did not form a well-established type of private property

Metal working was known

Rajan king

Samiti, sabha, vidatha,gana tribal assembly

Jainism

24 tirthankaras.

First: Rishab Dev

23rd: Parshavnath

Mahavir (599 BC 527 BC) or (540 BC 468 BC)

In Kundagrama near Vaishali

Father Siddartha (Jnatrika clan)

Mother Trishala (sister of Lichchhavi chief Chetaka)

Died at Pavapuri near Rajgir

Five doctrines: Do not violence, steal, lie, acquire property and do observe brahmacharya

Did not condemn the varna system

Triratna: right knowledge, right faith, right action

Spread to Kalinga in first century BC. King Kharavela

Used Prakrit language. Literature written in Ardhamagadhi

Prepared the grammar of Apabhramsha

Contributed to the growth of Kannada

Buddhism

563 483 BC Lumbini, Kapilavastu, Nepal. Shakya family.

Suddhodan and Mahamaya

Death: Kushinagar (Kasia in Deoria distt of UP)

Eight-fold path (for end of misery)

1. Right observation
2. Right determination
3. Right speech
4. Right action
5. Right livelihood
6. Right exercise
7. Right memory
8. Right meditation

Do not

1. Covet others property

2. Commit violence
3. Lie
4. Use intoxicants
5. Indulge in corrupt practices

No god or atman exists

Used Pali

Main elements of Buddhism: Buddha, Sangha, Dhamma

Brahamana ruler Pashyamitra Shunga persecuted the Buddhists

Mihirakula (Huna king) killed Buddhists

Buddhist text: Suttanipata

Gandhara Art

First human statues worshipped

Barabar hills: Caves for monks

Territorial States

Kingdoms and Capitals

Kingdom Capital
Kapilavastu Piprahwa
Lichchhavis Vaishali
Mahajanpadas
Anga Champa
Kashi Varanasi
Koshala Shravasti
Mallas Kushinara
Vatsa/Vamsa Kaushambi
Avanti Ujjain (North)/ Mahishamati (South)
Magadha Rajgir (Girivraja)
Chedi/Cheti
Kuru
Panchala
Matsya
Surasena Mathura
Ashmaka
Gandhara
Kamboja
Vriji/Vajji Mithila

Satvanahanas Paithan
Pandya Madurai
Chola Puhar (kaveripattanam)
Chalyukyas Badami (Bijapur)
Pallavas Kanchi
Kadambas Vijayanti
Gangas Kolar

First Magadhan Empire

Dyansty Ruler Remark

Haryanka Bimbisara Contemporary of Buddha
Ajatsatru
Udayin Built fort on the confluence of
Ganga and Son at Patna
Shishunagas - Destroyed the power of Avanti
Nandas (most powerful rulers Mahapadma Nanda
of Magadha)
Mauryas (Patliputra)
Mauryas had a very elaborate Chandragupta Maurya Megasthenes visited during his
bureaucracy time
Bindusara Links with Greek princes
Ashoka Buddhism
Shunga
Pushyamitra Shunga Destroyed the Mauryan
empire. Killed Maurya king
Brihadratha

Balisadhaka tax collectors during the times of Nandas

Shaulkiki or shulkadhyakshas were also toll collectors

Shakyas and Lichchhavis were republics

Literature

Book Author/Language Remark

Digha Nikaya Pali Buddhist text

North-West India
Menander (Milinda) was the most famous Indo-Greek ruler.

His capital at Sakala (Sialkot)

Converted to Buddhism by Nagasena (Nagarjuna)

Shakas

Succeeded the Greeks in North West

Rudradaman I : most famous ruler
o He issued first ever long inscription in chaste Sanskrit

Parthians

Followed Shakas
Famous king: Gondophernes
o St. Thomas came during his reign

Kushans

Aka Yuechis or Tocharians

Kadphises was the first king
Kanishka is the most famous ruler
 o Started the Shaka era in 78 AD
o Held the Buddhist council in Kashmir where the doctrines of Mahayana form were
finalized
o Patronized Ashvaghosa
Kushan inscriptions and coins found at Toprak Kala in Khorezm
Kushanas were the first rulers to issue gold coins on a large scale
Introduced the Satrap system of government
They controlled the Silk Route
Worshipped both Shiva and Buddha. Some worshipped Vishnu too.
Kanishka built a large number of Stupas

Greek ambassador Heliodorus set up a piller in honor of Vasudeva near Vidisa.

Appointed governors called strategos

Deccan
Satavahanas

Succeeded Mauryas in Deccan

Brahmana rulers
Gautamiputra Satkarni (AD 106-130)
Vashishthiputra Pulimayi: Capital at Paithan
Started the practice of granting tax-free villages to Brahmanas and Buddhist Monks
Yajna Sri Satakarni
Chaityas (Buddhist temples) and Viharas (monastaries) were constructed during their times
o Most famous Chaitya at Karle in Deccan
Show trace of matrilineal social structure
Administration
o Ahara district
o Officials amatyas or mahamatras
o Gaulmika head of a small military regiment and look after administration in rural
areas
o Three grades of feudatories: raja, mahabhoja, senapati
o Language: Prakrit

South
Pandya

Sent embassies to the Roman emperor Augustus

Chola

Elara conquered Sri Lanka

 Karikala founded Puhar aka Kaveripatnam which was their capital

Cheras

Kerala and parts of TN

Senguttavan is the greatest king
Roman influence: Muziris. Also built a temple of Augustus

Vellalas rich peasants

Arasar ruling class

Pariyars agricultural labourers

Shrent artisan guilds

Chalukyas

Badami (Bijapur)
Pulakesin II was the important ruler
Court poet Ravikirti wrote his eulogy in the Aihole inscription

Pallavas

They succeeded the Ikshvakus

Kanchipuram was their capital
Came in conflict with kadambas
o Mayurasharman had founded the Kadamba kingdom (Capital: Vijayanti/Banavasi)
Nasrimhavarman occupied the Chalukya capital Vatapi in 642 AD
o Assumed the title of Vatapikonda
Constructed a number of temples
Ratha temples at Mahabs built by Narsimhavarman who founded Mahabs
Pattadakal: Papanatha temple and Virupaksha temple
Kailashnath temple at Kanchi

One of the major revolt in the south was the Kalabhras revolt. It was so widespread that it could be
put down only through the joint efforts of the Pandyas, the Pallavas and the Chalukyas

Three types of villages: Ur (commoners), Sabha (Brahmans), Nagaram (traders etc)

Foreign Invasions

Major events

326-325 BC Alexanders invasion

Literature

Book Author
Mudrarakshasa (play) Vishakhadatta
Indika Megasthenes
Milind Panho Buddhist literature of questions of Manender to
Nagarjuna
Buddhacharita Ashvaghosha
Saundarananda (Sanskrit kavya) Ashvaghosha
Mahavastu (Buddhist-hybrid Sanskrit)

Divyavandan (Buddhist-hybrid Sanskrit)

Vatsyayana
Kamsutra
Charaka
Charaksamhita
Hala (Satavahana king)
Gathasaptasatti (Prakrit book)

Tolkkappiyam (deals with grammar and poetics)

<Ilango Adigal? (silappadikaram)>
Silappadikaram and Manimekalai are Tamil epics
Pliny (Roman writer)
Natural History (Latin)
Shudraka
Mrichchhakatika
Kalidasa
Abhijnanashakuntalam
Amarasimha
Amarakosha

Romaka Sidhanta (Astronomy)

Banabhatta
Harshacharita
Harshavardhana
Priyadarshika; Ratnavali; and Nagananda (plays)
Panini
Astadhyayi
Patanjali
Mahabhashika
A treatise on astronomy. Authorship disputed.
Suryasiddhanta
Varahmira (5th CE)
Brihatsamhita
Sushrut (2nd CE)
Sushrutsamhita
Charak (2nd CE)
Charaksamhita

Travelers

Traveler During time of Work

Megasthenes (ambassador of Chandragupta Maurya Indika
Seleucus)
Fa Hein Chandragupta Vikramaditya
Hsuan Tsang Harshavardhana

Pliny wrote Naturalis Historia

Philosophy
Six schools

School Philosophy Major proponent

Samkhaya Materialistic. No god. Later Kapila
turned spiritualistic. Prakriti-
Purusha. Salvation through
knowledge acquired through
pratyaksha, anumana, shabda
Yoga Slavation through meditation
and physical application
Nyaya System of logic. Salvation
through acquisition of
knowledge.
Vaisheshika Discussion of material elements
or dravya. Atom theory.
(beginning of physics). Belief in
god.
Mimansa Vedas contain the eternal truth.
Reasoning provided for vedic
rituals. Perform vedic rites for
salvation.
Vedanta Brahmasutra. Brahma is the Shankara (Advaita) born in
reality. Atma is identical with Kerala
Brahma. Ramanuja (Vishistadvaita)
Shuddhadvaita (Vallabha)

Lokayata Materialistic philosophy. Charavaka

Mauryan officers
Rajukas a class of officers appointed by Ashoka for administration of justice

Dhammamahamatras officers of Ashoka for propagating dharma among various social groups

Tirthas important functionaries

Samaharta highest officer for tax assessment

Sannidhata chief custodian of the state treasury

Sangam literature

Sangam was an assembly of Tamil poets held under royal patronage in Madurai
Compiled around 300-600 AD
Can be divided into two groups: narrative and didactic
Narrative: Melkanakku (or Eighteen Major Works)
Didactic: Kilkanakku (Eighteen minor works)
Silappadikaram and Manimekalai are Tamil epics

Misc

Shataka was a special type of cloth made at Mathura

Artisan guilds were called shrents
Uttarapatha was a sea route most frequently in use
Gomat wealthy person

Guptas
After the fall of Kushans and Satvahanas in mid 3rd century AD
Perhaps of Vaishya origin
Chandragupta 1- Samudragupta Chandragupta II Kumargupta - Skandagupta
Capital: Patliputra
Chandragupta I
o Started the Gupta era in AD 319-20
Samudragupta (aka Napoleon of India)
o Delighted in violence and conquest
o Court poet: Harishena
Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya) [375-415 AD]
o Exercised indirect influence over the Central Indian kingdom of Prabhavati through
his daughter
o Ujjain was his second capital
o Navratnas
o Kalidasa, Varahmira and Amarsimha were at his court
o Fa-hsien visited India
Royal seal: Garuda
Decline in long distance trade
Emergence of priestly landlords
Position of shudras improved
Subordination of women
Buddhism did not receive royal patronage
Golden age of ancient India
o Ajanta Paintings <not by Guptas but mostly during their period>
o Nalanda university flourished
o 13 plays written by Bhasa
o Mrichchhakatika Shudraka
 o Kalidasa
o Plays were mostly comic
o Ramayana and Mahabharata compiled
o Development of Sanskrit Grammar
o Aryabhatiya Aryabhatta
o Romaka Sidhanta book on astronomy
Was poor in architecture
Huna invasion made the empire weak

Vishti forced labour by peasants for the army officials

Harshavardhana
After the fall of Guptas
Capital: Kanauj
Banabhatta: court poet (wrote Harshacharita)
Ran the administration on similar lines as Guptas
Law and order: not well maintained
Nalanda flourished as a centre of Buddhist learning
Became a great parton of Buddhism (was a Shaiva earlier)
Convened a grand assembly as Kanauj to widely publicise the doctrines of Mahayana
Authored three dramas: Priyadarshika, Ratnavali and Nagananda