This document provides an overview of the history of India from prehistoric times to the ancient period. It discusses the Stone Age periods (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the tools and sites dating to these periods. The Chalcolithic age which involved the use of both stone and copper is also mentioned. Key events of ancient Indian history discussed include the Indus Valley Civilization, Vedic period, rise of Mahajanapadas, Buddhism, Mauryan Empire, Gupta Empire. Periodization of Indian history into Ancient, Medieval and Modern periods is also briefly covered.

1. B Y : M S M E E N A K S H I D H I M A N
A S S I S T A N T P R O F .
D E P A R T M E N T O F M I C R O B I O L O G Y
S I L B , S O L A N
History of India

2. INDIA
 The name INDIA is derived from INDUS, which originates
from the old Persian word HINDU.
 Hindu is taken from Sanskrit word SINDHU, which was the
historical local appellation for the INDUS river.
 The ancient GREEKS referred to the Indians as INDOI-The
People Of The Indus.
 The Name BHARAT-( recognized by the constitution of
India as an official name for the country) is a
modernisation of the historical name BHARATVARSHA.
 HINDUSTAN –(introduced to INDIA by the MUGHALS) is
a Persian name for INDIA.

3. History
 Word ‘history’ comes from the Greek historia
meaning “Inquiry, knowledge acquired by
investigation’’.
 History is divided into:
Pre-history:events occurring before the investigation of
writing.
Proto-history:written records are available but not
deciphered e.g.Harappan civilization.
History:Written and Archaeological sources are available.

4. Periods in History
 Ancient-60,000BC to 650AD
 Medieval-650AD to1500AD
 Modern-1500 to present

5. Ancient History
Events:
 Stone age
 Indus valley civilization
 Vedic Age
 The Mahajanapadas
 Buddhism and Jainism
 The Maurya Empire
 The Guptas and Vakatakas

6. Stone Age
Indian Stone Age:
 Palaeolithic (Old stone age)-5,00,000 to 10,000BCE
 Mesolithic (Middle Stone age)-10,000-6,000BCE
 Neolithic (New Stone Age)-6,000-1000BCE

7. Palaeolithic Age(Hunters and Gatherers)
 The Palaeolithic man lived in caves and rock shelters
 They were food gathering people
 Lived on hunting and food gathering
 Used tools of unpolished,rough stones
 Stone tools were made up of hard rock called Quartzite,so
Palaeolithic man are also called Quartzite man in India
 Tools were: Handaxes,cleavers,choppers,blades,scrapers
etc.
 Homo sapiens first appeared at the end of this phase.
 Nomadic

10. Palaeolithic sites in India
 Bhimbetka(MP)-Bhima Mujhe Pen de
 Belan Valley Mirzapur(UP)-Mirza Belan ke UPer
chad gyi
 Hiran Valley (Gujarat)-Hiran Yaha se Gujra
 Kurnool and
 Machchalta Chintamani Gavi(AP)-AaP Machi ki
Chinta kyu Kar rahe hai
 Hunsgi or Hunasagi(Karnataka)-Hun (ab) kya Karna

12. Bhimbetka
Belan Valley
Machchalta Chintamani gavi
Kurnool

13. Mesolithic Age
 Belong to Holocene era
 The Mesolithic man lived on hunting,fishing,food gathering
 Reduction in the size of tools
 The characteristic tools of this age were microliths
 Pottery is absent except langhanaj in Gujarat and Kaimur
region of Mirzapur (UP)
 Initiated Rock art(First at Sohagighat,UP)
 Discovered Fire
 Later stages,domestication of animals had started
 Bone tools were also used.
 Tools were made up of flint and were polished and sharp
 Nomadic

16. Sites
 Bhimbetka(MP)
 Begor (Rajasthan)-Raja bada hi Begarot tha
 Mahadaha (UP)-?
Wall paintings
Burials

17. Neolithic Age
 New stone age
 Advent of food production (grew fruits,corn and horse
gram)
 Domesticated dog, cattle,sheep and goats
 Polished stone tools were used
 Invention of pottery (first by hand then with potter’s
wheel)
 Emergence of self-sufficient village communities
 Division of labour based on age and sex
 Invention of wheel (late Neolithic in Mesopotamia)
 Megaliths

18. Neolithic sites
 Burzahom and Gufkral (J&K)-?
 Maski,Brahmagiri,Budihal (Karnataka)-?
 Paiyampalli in Tamil Nadu
 Utnur ( AP)-AaP Utr Nhi rahe ho
 Chirand (Bihar)-Charan Bi Har gya
 Mehrgarh (Pakistan)-earlist known site
 Bellan Valley (UP)
 Deojali Handing (Assam)-Asha mujhe Hand Deo
 Bhimbetka.

20. Megalith at Burzahom
Mehargarh
Gufkral

22. Megaliths
Burial Bhimbetka
Pottery

24. Chalcolithic age(Copper-Stone Age)
 c.3000-500BCE
 Use of metal along with stone
 The first metal to be used was copper
 Occasionally Bronze was also used
 Domesticated cows,sheep,goats,pigs,buffalos and hunted deer
 Domesticated animals were slaughtered for meat but not milked(still
continues among the Gond people of Bastar,Chhattisgarh)
 Grow wheat,rice,bajra,lentil,black gram,green gram,grass pea etc
 Practiced jhum cultivation
 Black and red pottery
 Houses were of mud bricks
 Worshiped Mother Goddess
 Manufactured beads of carnelian,steatite and quartz crystal
 They knew spinning and weaving

25. Gonds of Bastar

26. Sites
 Ahar and Gilund (Rajasthan)-?
 Daimabad (Gujarat)
 Chirand (Bihar)
 Kayatha,Malwa (MP)

30. Konark Sun Temple:
•Built in 13th century(about 1250CE)
•Situated on the coastline of Odisha
•Attributed to King NarasimhadevaI
Ganga dynasty

31. Hampi:
•UNESCO World Heritage Site
•Located in Karnataka
•Attributed to Vijayanagara Empire(14th
century)
•Housing Virupaksha temple(Shiva )

32. Mangalyaan:
•Launched on5 Nov 2013
•Operator is ISRO
•Lauched at Satish Dhawan
Space Centre,Sriharikota,AP

33. Red Fort:
Built-12 May1639-6 April,1648
Aechitect-Ustad Ahmed Lahori
Attributed to Shah Jahan
UNESCO World Heritage Site

34. Sanchi Stupa:
•Buddhist complex
•Located in MP
•Attributed to the Emperor
Ashoka
Construted in 3rd century BCE

35. Sagar Samrat Oil
Exploration Rig:
It is a drill ship,constructed in
1973(Japan)
Located in Bombay High
Owner is ONGC

36. Rani ki Vav-Gujarat
Stepwell,Constructed during
Chalukya dynasty in the
Memory of king Bhima.

37. MT Karol