2. Concept in Module:
❖Introduction.
❖Use of Iron.
❖Village community and
Occupation.
❖Life in City.
❖Mathura Town.
❖Crafts and Crafts persons.
❖Site of Arikamedu.
❖Ancient Rome.
3. ➢ Since time immemorial,
villages and cities have
played a vital role in the
economy of civilizations in
the world over.
➢ The use of iron, which we
take for granted today, was
essential to the growth of
villages, cities and civilizations
all over the world.
Introduction
4. ➢ Such was the case in
ancient India, where the
usage of
Iron led to the growth in
productivity of villages.
➢ Simultaneously, several
cities in ancient India
emerged
as important centres of
economy, polity, art and
religion.
5. Use of Iron
Let us now take a
look at the role of
iron in shaping
Indian agriculture
as well as the
composition of
society in ancient
Indian villages.
6. Iron Tools :
➢The use of iron and steel are a
part of our daily lives.
➢Iron tools and weapons found in
the megalithic burials are the
proof that the use of iron began in
the subcontinent around 3000
years ago.
7. Around 2500 years ago, the use of iron tools
increased like the axes for clearing forests and iron
ploughshare for increasing agricultural production.
8. ➢ The kings and kingdoms could not have existed without
the support of flourishing villages.
➢ Agricultural production increased with use of new
tools, practice of the system of transplantation and
irrigation.
➢ Canals, wells, tanks and artificial lakes were built
during this time for irrigation.
16. WHO LIVED IN THE
VILLAGES ?
❖ Villages were the basic unit of a
kingdom.
❖ There were three kinds of
people in most of the villages
of northern and southern parts
of the subcontinent.
17. ❖In Tamil region,
these three kinds of
people were large
landowners –
vellalar, ordinary
ploughmen –
uzhavar, landless
labourers, including
slaves – kadaisiyar
and adimai.
18. SANGAM LITERATURE
❖ These Tamil terms that are
used here for different
kinds of people are found
in Sangam literature.
❖ Sangam literature are the
earlier works in Tamil,
composed around 2300
years ago.
19. ❖ In Tamil, sangam
means assembly,
Assemblies of scholars
and poets were held in
Madhurai who shared
their thoughts and
engaged in debates.
❖ Their works compiled
in books were known as
Sangam literature.
20. WHO LIVED IN THE
VILLAGES ?
❖In the northern region,
largest landowner who
held the position of
village headman, was
known as the grama
bhojaka.
21. ❖The grama bhojaka had
slaves and hired
workers to cultivate the
land. He collected taxes
from the village on
behalf of the king.
❖He also functioned as a
judge and as a
policeman.
22. ❖ Apart from
grama bhojaka,
there were
independent
farmers who
were small
landowners,
called
grihapatis.
24. Dasa Karmakaras
➢ Slaves & hired labourers.
➢ Oppressed section of the society.
➢ Had little freedom.
25. ❖ Landless farmers
who worked on
others fields were
called dasa
karmakaras.
❖ In most villages,
there were also some
crafts persons such as
the blacksmith,
carpenter and
weaver.
26. FINDING OUT ABOUT CITIES
➢ Jatakas are the stories that
were composed by
common people and later
written down and
preserved by Buddhist
monks.
➢ Here’s one such story
which tells how a poor
man gradually became
rich.
27. The Clever Poor Man
➢ Once upon a time, there lived a
clever poor man in a city. His only
resource was a dead rat which he
sold for a coin to a hotel for their cat.
➢ Then one day, there was a storm.
The king’s garden was littered with
branches and leaves and the
gardener was worried as how to
clean it.
28. The Clever Poor Man
➢ The young man offered his help if he
could keep the wood and leaves to
which the gardener agreed.
➢ The young man rounded up the
children who were playing there and
offered the sweets for every branch
and leaf they could collect. In no
time, the scrap was neatly piled up
near the entrance.
29. The Clever Poor Man
➢ The king’s potter who was
looking for fuel to bake his pots
purchased the whole lot from the
young man.
➢ Another day the young man
carried a jar full of water to the
city gate and offered water to 500
grass cutters.
30. The Clever Poor Man
➢ The grass cutters were thankful to
him and wished to do something
for the young man. The young
replied that he would tell them
whenever he needed their help.
➢ He made friends with a trader
who told him one day about a
horse dealer who was coming to
the city with 500 horses.
31. The Clever Poor Man
➢ The young man went to the grass
cutters and asked to give him one
bundle of grass each. He also
requested them not to sell their
grass till his grass was sold.
➢ Thus the horse dealer could not
buy grass from anywhere else and
purchased the young man’s grass
for a thousand coins.
32. There are many kinds of evidence that can be
helpful to learn about life in early cities such as :
Stories
Sculptures
Traveller’s accounts
Archaeology
33. ➢ Sculptures can be very
important evidence in
finding about the life of
the early cities.
➢ Sculptures carved scenes
depicting people’s lives
in towns, villages and in
forests on railings,
pillars and gateways of
buildings.
34. ➢ Mostly these cities developed around 2500 years
ago as capitals of mahajanapadas.
➢ These cities were surrounded by massive walls.
35.
36. ➢In many cities, rows of pots or ceramic rings one on
the top of the other, called ring wells, were found.
➢They were used as toilets, drains and garbage dumps
in individual houses.
➢However, archaeologists have hardly found the
remains of palaces, markets or of homes of ordinary
people.
37. ➢ Accounts of sailors
and travellers are
another very important
evidence to know
about early cities.
➢ One such account was
by an unknown Greek
sailor who described
all the ports he had
visited.
➢ Here’s his description
of Barygaza, the Greek
name of Bharuch.
38.
39. ➢ He wrote that the gulf of
Bharuch was very narrow and
the king had employed skilled
local fisherman to steer the
ships of merchants.
➢ The imports were wine, copper,
tin, lead, coral, topaz, cloth,
gold and silver coins; and the
exports were Himalayan plants,
ivory, agate, cotton, silk and
perfumes.
➢ Merchants used to bring special
gifts for the king.
