"Incredible INDIA –

An Ancient Land In All Seasons"

Prasad S. Burange
May 23, 2007
 DISCLAIMER

• People from India = INDIAN

• I do NOT have intention to hurt any kind of

feelings or beliefs. It would be a mere
coincidence if it is accidentally related to
some one.
 Where is India?
West
China
Pakistan North-east
Nepal
USA Middle
East Bangladesh
East
Myanmar
Sri Lanka
South

A sovereign country in South Asia

 The Republic of India
- 28 states
- 7 union territories
- 1.1 Billion population
(2007 estimate)
- 3.28 million Km2 –
Area
- 7,516 Km – Coastline
Arabian Sea Bay of Bengal
(West) (East)

Indian Ocean
(South)
• 23 official languages
(including Hindi and English)
• 325 languages spoken
- 800 different languages
- ~ 2000 dialects
Worlds
- Largest English speaking nation
- 2nd most populous country
- 7th largest country (geographical
area)
- Most populous liberal democracy
- 2nd largest pool of scientists and
engineers
- 4th largest economy
- 4th largest in purchasing power
- 3rd largest standing army force
 Timeline of Indian History
Stone Age 70,000–3300 BC
· Mehrgarh Culture · 7000–3300 BC
Indus Valley Civilization 3300–1700 BC
Late Harappan Culture 1700–1300 BC
Vedic Period 1500–500 BC
· Iron Age · 1200–500 BC
· Vedic Kingdoms · 1200–700 BC
Maha Janapadas 700–300 BC
Magadha Empire 684 BC–AD 550
· Maurya Empire · 321–184 BC
Middle Kingdoms 230 BC–AD 1279
· Satavahana Empire · 230 BC–AD 199
· Kushan Empire · 60–240
· Gupta Empire · 240–550
· Pala Empire · 750–1174
· Chola Empire · 250 BCE –1279
Timeline of Indian History
Islamic Sultanates 1206–1596
· Delhi Sultanate · 1206–1526

· Deccan Sultanates · 1490–1596

Hoysala Empire 1040–1346

Kakatiya Empire 1083–1323

Vijayanagara Empire 1336–1565

Mughal Empire 1526–1707

Maratha Empire 1674–1818

Sikh Empire 1799–1849

Colonial Era 1757–1947

Modern States 1947 onwards
Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka, Madhya Pradesh
(9000-7000 BC)

Stone age rock

shelters and
paintings
New Cave Paintings Discovered in
Tapti Valley, Central India
Mehrgarh Culture (7000-3300 BC)
UNESCO World Heritage Site

Early farming
village in
Mehrgarh with
houses built
with mud
bricks
c. 7000 BCE
A figurine from
Mehrgarh
c. 3000 BCE
 The Indus Valley Civilization
(c. 3300–1700 BC, flowered 2600–1900 BCE)

• An ancient riverine civilization

• Flourished in the Indus and Ghaggar-Hakra
river valleys
• Is now Pakistan and northwestern India
• Another name for this civilization is the
Harappan Civilization, after the first excavated
city of Harappa
Indus Life
Seals with the Indus Script

Swastika

Bullocks
Indus Valley
excavation -
Harappa
 Mohen Jo Daro (Mound of the dead)
UNESCO World Heritage Site

• Built around 2600 BC

• The largest city of Indus Valley
• Mohenjo Daro was one of the world’s first cities
• 25 km southwest of Larkana,Sindh Province of
Pakistan
• Center of Indus Valley Civilization 2600 BC-1700 BC
• Contemporaneous with ancient Egyptian and
Mesopotamian civilizations
• Sometimes referred to as "An Ancient Indus Valley
Metropolis"
Archaeological Ruins at Mohenjo-daro
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Mohenjo-daro
(2600 BC)
"Priest King”
statue
Mohenjo-daro
Wearing Sindhi
Ajrak
ca. 2500 BC
National Museum,
Karachi, Pakistan
The “Dancing Girl of Mohenjo Daro"
 Similarities to Greek mythology

Hercules fighting the Lord Krishna fighting

Lernaean Hydra the Kaliya Serpent
Did the Indians travel as far as Easter Island?

The Easter Islands located in the Pacific

Ocean, were situated far away from any
civilization

The sign script of the Easter Islands

almost equals the ancient scripts of
Indus Valley

Indus Saraswati
symbols

Easter Island
symbols

Were the Ancient Vedic civilisation of Indus Saraswati valley

Trans-Oceanic seafarers?
The Great Stupa in Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh
commissioned by the emperor Ashoka the Great in
3rd century BCE