The document provides an overview of the historical evolution of Indian cultural heritage from a social perspective. It discusses the various periods of Indian history beginning with pre-historic settlements over 90,000 years ago. It then covers the Indus Valley Civilization, Vedic age and literature, ancient India including the Mauryan period, medieval India under the Delhi Sultanate and Mughals, and modern India. For each period, key developments and influences on culture are described.

1. INDIAN CULTURE AND HERITAGE
HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF
INDIAN CULTURAL HERITAGE
- IN A SOCIAL PERSPECTIVE
FREDIN SCARIA

2. INDIAN CULTURE
 The culture of India refers to the way of life of the
people of India.
 The Indian culture, often labeled as an
amalgamation of several cultures.

3. SETTLEMENTS
 Settlements in India appear about 90,000 years ago
 Before the coming of the Aryans in India, the greater
part of Northern and North-Western India was
inhabited by a group of people known as Dravidians.
 On arrival of the Aryans, unable to meet their
challenge, they gradually moved southwards.

4.  The group of Indo-Europeans who moved to Persia
and India are known as Aryans. The Aryans are the
original inhabitants of Central Asia.
 The period when the Aryans first settled in India, is
known as Early Vedic Period (1500 BC to 1000 BC).
 The History of India begins with the Indus Valley
Civilization, which spread through in the north-western
part of the Indian subcontinent, from 3300
BC to 1300 BC.

5. The History of India can be broadly divided into following three categories.
Ancient India
Starting from Harappa Civilization in 3000 BC till
Chola Dynasty in 985 AD.
Medieval India
Starting from Ghazni sacks Somnath Temple in 1026
AD till Siraj-ud-daulah captures Calcutta in 1756
AD.
Modern India
Starting from Battle of Plassy in 1757 Till Partition of
India and Independence on 15 August 1947.

6. Stone Age Primary
Culture Major Site Importance
Lower
Palaeolithic
Flakes,Chopper
Chopping
Culture
Kashmir, Punjab, Whole India
except Sind and Kerala. Main :-
Sohan(Punjab), Singrauli basin
(U.P.), Chhotanagpur
(Jharkhand), Assam, Narmada,
Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka.
- Head axe and
pebble tools,
Fossil ofHomo
Erectus from
Hathnaura
(Narmada
basin)
- Represented
by Sohan
Culture.
PRE HISTORIC PHASES

7. Middle
Palaeolithic
Scraper/Booer
Culture
Navasa (Maharashtra), Didwana
(Rajasthan), Bhimbetka (MP),
Bankura and Purulia (West
Bengal), Narmada Valley etc.
- Varieties of
Blades, Points,
Borer and
Scraper made of
Flakes.
- 200 rock
shelters and
caves are
located on
Bhimbetka hills
having
thousands of
paintings.

8. Upper
Palaeolithic
Blade and Burin
Culture
A.P. (Kurnool, Chittor) Karnataka,
Central MP, Jharkhan Plateau,
U.P., Rajasthan, Gujrat
- The age
of Neanderthal
Man
- Earlier "Homo
Sapiens"
- Harpoon, blade
tools from
Renugunta
(A.P.)
- Bone tools
from Kurnool.

9. Meslithic Age
Microliths
Culture or
Fluting &
Gometrical tools
Karnataka, Rajasthan (Bagor,
Tilwara), Gujrat (Langhanj), M.P.,
Tamil Nadu,West Benal
(Birbhanpur), U.P. (Sarai Nahar
Rai)
-Microlith (a
great
technological
development,
introduction of
compound
tools)
- Man still a
savage but
pottery maing
(Tilwara) and
permanent
habitation
found, still a
hunder, fisher.

10. Neolithic Age
Polished tool
culture
Kashmir (Burzahom, Gufkral),
Assam (Daojili Hading), Garohill
Meghalaya, Bihar (Chirand),
Peninsular India, Amri, Kotdiji,
Mehargarh etc
- Earlies Farming
community
- Pit dwelling
houses
- Food begain to
be cooked by
fire
-Evidence of
dogs, circular
huts made of
bamboo, bone-tools,
hand
made pottery
etc
- Also called
"Neolithic
Revolution"
-Boat making,
spinning cotton
and wool

11. INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION
 Until the discovery of the remains of the Indus
Civilisation, it was believed by scholars that the
history of India practically began with the coming of
the Aryans.
 But this theory is an exploded one and the pre-historic
civilisation of India, that is, the Indus Valley
Civilisation.

12. Name of Sites Region/River Features
Harappa
Montgomery district of
Punjab (Now in Pak) on the
left bank of Ravi
1. City followed grid
planning
2. Row of six granaries
3. Only place having
evidences of coffin burial
4. Evidence of fractional
burial and coffin burial
5. Cemetery-H of alien
people.

13. Mohenjo-daro
Larkana district in Sind on
the right bank of Indus(Now
in Pak)
1. City followed grid planning
2. A large granary and Great
Bath, a college
3. Human skeletons showing
invasiona and massacre.
4. Evidence of Horse come from
superficial level.
5. A piece of woven cotton
alongwith spindle whorls and
needles
6. Town was flooded more then
seven times.

14. Chanhu-daro
Situtated in Sind on the bank
of Indus
1. The city has no citadal
2. Famous for bead makers
shop
3. A small pot, possibly an
inkpot
4. Foot prints of a dog chasing
a cat
5. Three different cultural
layers, Indus,Jhukar and
Jhangar

15. Kalibangan
Situated in Rajasthan on the
Bank of Ghaggar
1. Shows both Pre Harappan
and Harappan phase
2. Evidence of furrowed land
3. Evidence of seven fire altars
and camel bones
4. Many houses had their own
well
5. Kalibangan stand for black
bangles
6. Evidence of wooden furrow

16. Lothal
Situated in Gujarat on
Bhogava river near Gulf
of Cambay
1. A titled floor which bears
intersecting design of circles
2. Remains of rice husk
3. Evidence of horse from a
terracotta figurine
4. A ship designed on a seal
5. Beads & trade ports
6. An instrument for measuring
angles,pointing to modern day
compass

17. Banwali
Situated in Hissar district of
Haryana
1. Shows both Pre-Harappan
and Harppan phase
2. Good quantity of barley
found here
Surkotada
Situated in Kutch (Bhuj) district
of Gujarat
1. Bones of horses, Bead
making shops
Sutkagendor
Situated in Baluchistan on Dast
River
1. Trade point between
Harappa and Babylon,
belong to mature phase
2. Evidence of horse

18. Amri
Situated in Sind on the bank of
Indus
1. Evidence of antelope
Dholavira
Situated in Gujarat in Rann of
Kutch
1. Seven cultural stages
2. Largest site
3. Three party of city
4. Unique water
management
Rangpur
Situated on the bank of Mahar in
Gujarat
1. Rice was cultivated

19. Kot Diji Situated on the bank of Indus
1. Wheel made painted pottery
2. Traces of defensive wall and
well aligned streets
3. Knowledge of metallurgy,
artistic toys etc
Ropar
Situated in Punjab of the banks
of Sutlej
1. Evidence of burying a dog
below the human bural
2. One example of rectangular
mudbrick chamber was
noticed
3. Five fold cultures -
Harappan, PGW, NBP,
Kushana - Gupta and
Medieval

20. Balakot Situated on the Arabian Sea
1. Remain of pre Harappan and
Harappan civilisation
2. The mounds rise to the height
of about 9.7mts and are
spread 2.8 sq hectare of area
Alamgirpur
Situated on Hindon in
Ghaziabad
1. The impression of cloth on a
trough is discovered
2. Usually considered to be the
eastern boundary of the
Indus culture

21. VEDIC AGE
 The Vedic age began in India in about 1500 BC and
extend upto 6000 BC.
 Aryans developed Vedic culture based on Vedas. The
meaning of the word Veda is "knowledge".
 There are four Vedas, namely,Rig Veda, Sam Veda,
Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda.

22. Vedic Civilisation
 Origin of Indian Music - Samveda
 Mention of Word 'Shudra' - Rigveda 10th Mandala
 Gayatri Mantra - Rigveda
 Mention of word 'Yajna' - Brahmana
 Somaras (drink) - Rigveda (9th Mandala)
 Varna - Rigveda
 Four fold division of Society - Rigveda 10th Mandala
 Mention of four Ashrams - Jabala Upanishada
 War between Aryan & Dasas - Rigveda
 Transmigration of Soul - Brahadaranyka Upanishada
 Five divisions of India - Aiteraya Brahamana
 Wife and Husband are complementary - Satapathabrahmana
 Battle of Ten kings - Rigveda
 Superiority of Brahmins - Aiteraya Brahmana
 Marut as Agriculturist - Satpatha Brahmana
 Satyameva Jayate - Mundaka upanishada
 Pashupath Shiva - Atharveda
 Vishnu - Satapatha Brahmana

23. RIG VEDIC PERIOD
 Tribal Organizatoin: Kingship was the basis of social
structure
 Marriage and Status of Women.
 Varna System: Varna was the term used for colour.
 Occupation: Their earliest life seems to have been
mainly pastoral, agriculture being a secondary
occupation.
 Diet
 Strong Drinks
 Amusements: Amusements included dancing, music,
chariot-racing, and dicing

24. LATER VEDIC PERIOD
 Social Organisation: The later Vedic society came to
be divided into four varnas called the Brahmanas,
rajanyas or kshatriyas, vaisyas and shudras, each
varna was assigned with its duty.
 Gotra System
 Ashrama System: brahmachari or
student, grihastha or householder, vanaprastha or
partial retirement and sanyasa or complete
retirement from the world.
 Dress:
 Amusements: Music, both vocal and instrumental

25.  Education:It was for a privileged few.
Religion:
 The two outstanding Rig Vedic gods, Indra and Agni,
lost their former importance.
 Prajapati, the creator, occupy the supreme position
Rudra, the god of animals, became important in later
Vedic times and Vishnu came to be conceived as the
preserver and protector of the people

26. VEDIC LITERARURE
 The vast literature of the Aryans is divided into two
parts - Sruti and Smriti .
 FOUR VEDAS :
Samveda
Rigveda
Yajurveda
Atharvaveda
• Upanishada: 108
• Smriti is traditional knowledge and designates
almost the entire body of post-Vedic classical
Sanskrit literature
• Epics

27. Maurian Period
The age of Mauryas contributed significantly to the development of arts, including
architecture,sculpture, engineering, polishing etc.
Indigenous Office Art/Court Art
Yaksha image from parkam Pillars (well builts and polished)
Yakshi sculpture from Besnagar Finest expample Sarnath - Lions which
originally supported Dharma Chakra
Female Cauribearer from Patna Animals figure or Maurya period of
elephant at Dhauli
Stupas
Maurian Art

28.  The Sangamage : sangam literature
 The Age Of The Guptas: The classical age.
MEDIEVAL INDIA
 The begining og indo-muslim culture started in this period
 Delhi Sultanate
 The Mughals
MODERN INDIA

29. REFERENCES
 A History Of India – Peter Robb
 Cultural Tourism In India –S.P Gupta,Krishna Lal &
Mahua Bhattacharya
 www.facts-about-india.com
 www.demographyofindia.weebly.com
 www.uwf.edu
 www.books.google.com
 www.news.nationalgeographic.com
 www.ramakrishnavivekananda.info
 www.en.wikipedia.org
 www.archive.org