P-1 [Ancient History]
Prehistoric Period
No written records.
History reconstructed through archaeological remains.
Division of Prehistoric age
Palaeolithic Age (Old Stone Age) → Hunting, gathering, no agriculture, fire or pottery.
Mesolithic Age (Middle Stone Age) → Polished stone tools, hunting, fishing, some domestication.
Neolithic Age (New Stone Age) → Farming starts, pottery, village life begins.
Chalcolithic Age (Metal Age) → First use of copper tools.
Prehistoric Age Summary
Palaeolithic → Hunting, no agriculture.
Mesolithic → Fishing, polished tools.
Neolithic → Farming, pottery.
Chalcolithic → Copper tools.
Indus Valley Civilization (2500-1750 BCE)
Urban civilization → Grid-planned cities, advanced drainage system.
Important Sites
Harappa (Punjab, Pakistan) → First site discovered.
Mohenjo-Daro (Sindh, Pakistan) → Great Bath, Granary.
Lothal (Gujarat, India) → Dockyard, bead-making industry.
Dholavira (Gujarat, India) → Water conservation, ceremonial structures.
Economy
Agriculture → Wheat, barley, cotton (first cotton users).
, Trade → Seals found in Mesopotamia indicate trade links.
Decline Theories
Floods, climate change, Aryan invasion.
Religion
Worship of Mother Goddess, Pashupati seal (early form of Shiva).
Vedic Age (1500-600 BCE)
Early Vedic Age (1500-1000 BCE)
Aryans settled in Punjab region & Sapta Sindhu.
Rig Veda → Oldest text, mentions sacrifices & hymns.
Society was pastoral → cattle wealth was considered important.
later Vedic Age (1000-600 BCE)
Political change → Mahajanapadas (large kingdoms) emerged.
Social system → Varna system (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras).
Economic growth → Use of iron tools, expansion of farming.
Status of Women → Declined, widow remarriage restricted, child marriage started.
Expansion → Aryans moved towards the Gangetic plains.
Jainism & Buddhism (6th Century BCE)
Jainism
Founder → Mahavira (24th Tirthankara).
Principles → Ahimsa (non-violence), Non-attachment, Truthfulness.
Texts → Agamas.
Core Beliefs → Triratna (Three Jewels) & Five Vows (Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya, Aparigraha).
Buddhism
Founder → Gautama Buddha (563-483 BCE).
Four Noble Truths → Life is suffering, desire is the cause.
Eightfold Path (Ashtangika Marga) → Right Thought, Right Livelihood, Right Action, etc.
Rejects → Vedas & caste system.
Buddhist Councils →
First (483 BCE) → Preserved Buddha’s teachings.
Second (383 BCE) → Monastic disputes.
Third (250 BCE) → Ashoka’s patronage.
Prehistoric Period
No written records.
History reconstructed through archaeological remains.
Division of Prehistoric age
Palaeolithic Age (Old Stone Age) → Hunting, gathering, no agriculture, fire or pottery.
Mesolithic Age (Middle Stone Age) → Polished stone tools, hunting, fishing, some domestication.
Neolithic Age (New Stone Age) → Farming starts, pottery, village life begins.
Chalcolithic Age (Metal Age) → First use of copper tools.
Prehistoric Age Summary
Palaeolithic → Hunting, no agriculture.
Mesolithic → Fishing, polished tools.
Neolithic → Farming, pottery.
Chalcolithic → Copper tools.
Indus Valley Civilization (2500-1750 BCE)
Urban civilization → Grid-planned cities, advanced drainage system.
Important Sites
Harappa (Punjab, Pakistan) → First site discovered.
Mohenjo-Daro (Sindh, Pakistan) → Great Bath, Granary.
Lothal (Gujarat, India) → Dockyard, bead-making industry.
Dholavira (Gujarat, India) → Water conservation, ceremonial structures.
Economy
Agriculture → Wheat, barley, cotton (first cotton users).
, Trade → Seals found in Mesopotamia indicate trade links.
Decline Theories
Floods, climate change, Aryan invasion.
Religion
Worship of Mother Goddess, Pashupati seal (early form of Shiva).
Vedic Age (1500-600 BCE)
Early Vedic Age (1500-1000 BCE)
Aryans settled in Punjab region & Sapta Sindhu.
Rig Veda → Oldest text, mentions sacrifices & hymns.
Society was pastoral → cattle wealth was considered important.
later Vedic Age (1000-600 BCE)
Political change → Mahajanapadas (large kingdoms) emerged.
Social system → Varna system (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras).
Economic growth → Use of iron tools, expansion of farming.
Status of Women → Declined, widow remarriage restricted, child marriage started.
Expansion → Aryans moved towards the Gangetic plains.
Jainism & Buddhism (6th Century BCE)
Jainism
Founder → Mahavira (24th Tirthankara).
Principles → Ahimsa (non-violence), Non-attachment, Truthfulness.
Texts → Agamas.
Core Beliefs → Triratna (Three Jewels) & Five Vows (Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya, Aparigraha).
Buddhism
Founder → Gautama Buddha (563-483 BCE).
Four Noble Truths → Life is suffering, desire is the cause.
Eightfold Path (Ashtangika Marga) → Right Thought, Right Livelihood, Right Action, etc.
Rejects → Vedas & caste system.
Buddhist Councils →
First (483 BCE) → Preserved Buddha’s teachings.
Second (383 BCE) → Monastic disputes.
Third (250 BCE) → Ashoka’s patronage.
