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History 01 - Daily Class Notes - (UPSC Optional History)

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605 views

History 01 - Daily Class Notes - (UPSC Optional History)

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shuklashraddha1536
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1

DAILY
CLASS NOTES
HISTORY

Lecture - 01
Ancient India: Introduction
2

Ancient India: Introduction

Sources Archaeological sources, Exploration, Excavation,


epigraphy, numismatics, monuments Literary sources:
Indigenous: Primary and Secondary, poetry, scientific
literature, literature, literature in regional languages,
religious literature.

Foreign accounts: Greek, Chinese, and Arab writers.

Pre History and Proto-history Geographical factors; hunting and gathering


(Paleolithic and Mesolithic); Beginning of agriculture
(neolithic and chalcolithic)

Indus valley civilization Origin, date, extent, characteristics, decline, survival


and significance, art and architecture.

Megalithic Culture Distribution of pastoral and farming cultures outsides


the Indus, Developing of community life, settlements,
development of agriculture craft pottery, and iron
industry.

Aryans and Vedic Period Expansion of Aryans in India. Vedic period: religious
and philosophic literature; Transformation from rig
vedic period to the later vedic period; political, social,
and economic life; the significance of the vedic Age;
Evolution of Monarchy and varna system.

Period of Mahajanapadas Formation of states(Mahajanapadas): Republics and


monarchies; Rise of urban centers; Trade routes;
Economic growth; Introduction of coinage; Spread of
Jainism and Buddhism; Rise of Magadha and Nandas.
Iranian and Macedonian invasions and their impact.
3

Mauryan Empire Foundation of the Mauryan Empire, Chandragupta,


Kautilya, and Arthashastra; Ashoka; Concept of
Dharma; Edicts; Polity, Administration; Economy;
Art, architecture and sculpture; External contacts;
Religion; Spread of religion; Literature, Disintegration
of the empire; Sungas and Kanvas.

Post-Maurya Period Contact with the Outside world; growth of urban


centers, economy coinage, development of religions,
Mahayana, social conditions, art, architecture, culture,
literature, and science.

Early State and Society in Kharvela, The Satavahanas, the Tamil States of the
Eastern India, Deccan and South Sangam Age; Administration, economy, land grants,
India coinage, trade guilds, and urban centers; Buddhist
centers; Sangam literature and culture; Art and
architecture.

Gupta, Vakatakas, and Polity and administration, Economic condition,


Vardhana Coinage of the Gupta, Land grants, Decline of urban
centers, Indian feudalism, Caste system, the position
of women, education and educational institutions;
Nalanda, Vikramshila, and Vallabhi, Literature,
scientific literature, art, and architecture.

Regional States during Guptas The Kadambas, Pallavas, Chalukyas of Badami, Polity
Era and Administration trade guilds, Literature; growth
of Vaishnava and Saiva religion. Tamil bhakti
movement, Shankaracharya, Vedanta; institution of
the temple and temple architecture; Palas, senas,
Rashtrakutas, Paramaras, Polity, and administration;
Cultural aspects.
4

 We have discussed Map based Questions.

 This map-based question is theme based on questions like Paleolithic sites, Neolithic
sites, Indus valley sites, temple sites, etc.

 PGW Sites-Painted Grey ware Sites

 NBPW Sites-Northern Black polished Way sites

 Temples Sites

 Harappan Sites

Difficulty in Reconstructing Ancient India History:


No Contemporary Historical books available. Ancient Indians should have apathy towards
historical events.

“Ancient Indian lacked historical sense.”

 No historical Sense called by Europeans.

 But pure historical sources are not available.

 We have a historical sense that was different from the European sense of history. It is
called Itihasa Purana tradition.

Problem:
 No Contemporary historical texts.

 Materials destroyed.

 Lack of definite chronology.

 We have a concept of different eras. We have Vikram Era 58 BC, Shaka Era 78 Era,
Gupta Era 319 AD, and Kalachuri Era 248 AD,

 We face the problem of deciphering. An example would be Harappan Script, and


Granthas Script.

 Biased recording- like Prashasti, Harsha charitra Varnbhatt.

 Different versions in the same event.

 Difficult recording Process.

 Scattered sources.
5

 We have confusing names of the rulers.

 Continuing Excavation

 Gap in Ancient India.

 Role of the modern historian.

 They have been guided by ideology, colonial ideology, nationalist ideology, etc.

Evidence of Historical sense:-


 In Puranas vanish and Vamsanucharita.

 We have history and historical information.

 We have charitra literature.

 Buddhist and Jain traditions.

 Foreign travelers for example Hueng Tsang's practice of preserving historical records.

 We have a Bard tradition of history writing. They were called suttas.

 Arthasastra suggested that there was an officer in the Mauryan court to record
everything.

 We can conclude, by coating Romila Thapar, it is suggested two types of history.


First is embedded history and externalized history. Our sense of history is different.

 Embedded history is where the historical consciousness has to be prised out, as in


myth, epic, and genealogy.

 Externalized history reflects a more evident and self-conscious historical


consciousness, reflected for instance in chronicles and biographies. Thapar points out
that the embedded forms of historical consciousness tended to be connected with
lineage-based societies and the externalized ones to state societies.



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