5.
Before partition in 1947, the Indian subcontinent includes
Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.
Today, these are the three independent countries and nations.
This Indian Subcontinent has a history of some five millennium
years and was spread over the area of one and a half millions of
square miles.
The region is rich in natural as well as physical beauty.
It has mountains, plains, forests, deserts, lakes, hills, and rivers
with different climate and seasons throughout the year.
Introduction
6.
This natural beauty has deep influence on the culture and life style
of the people of the region.
This land has been an object of invasion either from the route of
mountains or the sea, bringing with it the new masses and ideas
and assimilating and changing the culture of the people.
The invaders were the Aryans, the Dravidians, the Parthians, the
Greeks, the Sakas, the Kushans, the Huns, the Turks, the Afghans,
and the Mongols who all brought their unique cultures with them
and the amalgamation gave rise to a new Indian Cilvilization.
Introduction
7.
Not long ago, it seemed that South Asian history began at a
singular moment in the second millennium BCE, When the
oldest known texts, the Vedas were composed.
A clear, continuous stream of cultural tradition once seemed
to flow from Vedic to modern times, allows modern scholar
to dip into ancient text to savor the original essence of a
culture that we can still see around us today.
History
8.
The early flow of culture seemed to swell into a fully
developed classical civilization under the ancient
empires of the Mauryas (321 -581 BCE) and Guptas
(320 – 521) BCE, which arose later.
The Gupta Empire came to end with the invasion of
Huns from Central Asia who brought mass destruction
by looting, ruining and burning the entire national
heritage.
History
9.
Rajput Era (North India) and Regional Empires (South
India) (650 – 1335)
Vakatakas ruled over Deccan until about 500 A.D. and later
the Chalukyas from Badami take over the territory and the
Pallavas were the successors in the line of Deccan throne.
The Chalukyas and Pallavas hold over the South India
regime for three hundred years.
This period was of Hinduism success and became the
religion of people of both the north and south India.
History
10.
The worshipping of Hindu gods and the religious verses in the
local language were provoked among the masses.
Sanskrit established its influence and Kanchi became the seat of
Sanskrit learning in the South and as sacred a place as Kashi of the
North.
This gave birth to new common civilization which was Indian with
common language and script, common systems of worship and
common social outlook.
The construction of gorgeous temples, sculptures and paintings of
the time revitalized the religious thoughts too (Sen, 1988).
History
12.
The history of Indian subcontinent starts with the Indus
Valley Civilization and the coming of Aryans both are known
as Pre-Vedic and Vedic periods.
The Indus River Civilization dates back to 2300–1750 BC
and had two main cities; Harappa in western Punjab and
Mohenjo-Daro on the lower Indus in Sindh.
Both cities were urban grain growing civilizations and were
believed to have run by Aryans who came from Iran.
Indus Valley Civilization or Pre-Vedic Period
13.
Gupta Empire (320 – 500 CE)
Invasion of Huns (455 – 528 CE)
Rajput Era (North India) and Regional Empires (South
India) (650 – 1335)
Arabs take Sindh (711)
Mahmud of Ghaznavi (997 - 1027) and Muslim India
Mughal Empire (1526 – 1858)
European Traders in India (1700 - 1900)
History
14.
Before Islam India was suffering from a lot of social
diseases like Caste system, inequality of human,
tyranny, intolerance, impatience, blood shedding
sacrifices etc.
This period of about six centuries intervening between
the Imperial Guptas and the establishment of the
Muslim power is characterized as the 'period of
decline', both political and social.
India Before the Advent of Islam
15.
The factors/conditions which were mainly responsible
for the general decline both on human and material
fronts on the eve of Muslim conquest of India are listed
below:
India Before the Advent of Islam
16.
In early centuries after the death of Harsha (647 AD)Vthere was no central government
for the whole of the country that could think and act for the entire subcontinent. As a
matter of policy the state was divided into provinces and each province was headed by a
Raja.
Whenever, they found a weak king on the throne they declared themselves independent.
They even tried to come on the throne and thus founded new dynasties, which very
frequently came into existence.
These rulers were very ambitious and wanted to have as much area under heir control,
as possibly they could.
The result of this greed was that they usually fought with each other and thus wasted
both energy and resources. The result was hat no ruler could have an extensive empire
for himself.
Political Condition
17.
Lack of centralism/central government
Division of country into numerous entities
Frequent change of rulers
Law and Order problems
Political discrimination
Autocrats and monarchs
Political Condition
18.
Villages & cities were never politically united
However, they did share a common language & culture.
Political Condition
19.
Before the advent of Islam India was dominated by
three major religions i.e. Buddhism, Jainism and
Hinduism.
The three religions of India lacked uniformity and
suffered due to great deal of differences amongst them.
Hinduism was the dominant and main religion of the
people and most of the kings of his period were also
Hindus.
Religious Condition
20.
The individual Hindu was free to decide for himself what
kind of god he would worship To many Hindus there were
many gods, sath with different responsibilities.
The principal gods were Brahma-the creator, Vishnu-the
preserver and Shiva-the destroyer.
The Brahmins gave great prominence to rituals and
ceremonies in religious life. And since most of these rites
and ceremonies could be performed by the Brahmins alone,
they occupied a very powerful position in the society.
Religious Condition
21.
Rise of Hinduism
Idol worshipping/thousands of gods and goddess
Sectarianism
Decline of Buddhist movement primarily due to
absence of strong support from ruling class.
Religious Conditions
22.
It was an attempt by the upper class to freeze the
economic system.
It was imposed by a coalition of priests and warrior-
kings to maintain control over the local population.
It was created as an alternative to open slavery.
Reasons for caste system
23.
Social Conditions Caste system (Brahmans-religious
elite, Khushtries-responsible for defense and security,
Waishes- business and agriculture class, Shooders-the
people of the lowest rank doing low rank jobs and
services)
Social discrimination on the base of casts and families.
Social Condition
24.
The higher caste were farmers, herdsmen, traders,
artisans and, later, minor officials.
The lowest caste, grow out of the feet of god Brahma
and were labourers, servants and slaves.
The out-castes or untouchables. Sati*, Birth of a girl*
classes of women.
Social Condition
26.
Unjust division of wealth (upper classes had lavish living
standards, lower class deprived of the basic necessities of
life)
International Trade-spices, textile related material and
precious stones were the important exports while gold and
other commodities were imported in return
Agriculture-land was very fertile but a major part of
production was paid to the rulers as tax
Manufacturing, Crafts as a common activity
Economic Condition
27.
On the whole, the vast majority of the people was born
and lived a simple life Agriculture was their main
occupation.
They lived in the villages which were not well
developed. In addition, they did not know about the
comforts of life. They lived a simple life in their houses
Economic Condition
28.
All over the country there were schools and colleges and the
people, in general, were well-educated.
There was a residential university in Bihar where thousands of
students received education free of any charge.
There were very able teachers and professors in the country Even
scholars from outside came to India to receive education:
Excellent dramas, fables and parables, medicine, chemistry,
astronomy.
Languages like Hindi, Bengali, Gujrati etc,, made great progress
Education Condition
