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6th History NCERT
6th History NCERT
Palaeolithic period 2million years ago till 12000 yrs ago. This period covers 99% of human history.
Paleo means old, lithic means stone.
-Divided into
1).Lower
2).Middle
3).Upper Palaeolithic periods
Meso(Middle)lithic period - Period about 12000yrs ago when Environmental changes began till
10000yrs ago.
-Microliths: Tiny stone tools. Stuck to handles of bone or wood to make tools such as saws & sickles.
Rock paintings found on the walls of the caves .eg - Southern UP and MP
Ostrich eggs - Paleolithihc period - Patne Maharashtra
Hunsgi - Number of paleolithic sites
West
Citadel
Rulers - People who planned the construction of special buildings in the city
East
Lower town
Situated near areas where raw materials like semi-precious stones were easily available
Imp centre for making objects out of stone, shell and metal
The end:
3900 yrs ago ppl stopped living in many cities
- writings, weights, seals no longer used
-Raw materials became rare
-In Mohenjodaro garbage piled up on the streets
-Drainage system broke
-Less elaborate houses
Reasons suggested:
1).Drying up of rivers
2).Deforestation: Fuel was required for smelting Cu ores and baking bricks
3).Destruction of Green cover due to grazing by large herds of cattle
4).Floods in some areas
-jana
-vish (vaishya comes from vish)
Aryas: who composed hymns
dasas or dasyus -their(aryas) opponents
-Rigveda composed in NW of the subcontinent
Megaliths - Big stones used to mark burial sites
-Practice was prevalent throughout in
-Deccan
-South India
-NE
-Kashmir
Burials in megaliths have some common features:
Megaliths:
-some were buried with more beads, ornaments etc which show some kind of status difference
-one family had same burial site
-Mahapadma Nanda:
-Extended his control to North West part of subcontinent
-Rajgriha(present day rajgir ) was capital of Magadha for many years. Later it was shifted to
pataliputra(patna)
Vajji:
Capital: Vaishali (Bihar)
Government type: Gana or sangha
Gana or sangha :
-Not one but many rulers' each one individually called as raja
-performed rituals together
-met in assemblies to decide what to do n how
Upanishad:
-means approaching and sitting near
-Later Vedic text
-Contains conversations between teachers n students
-ideas presented thru simple dialogues
-Upanishadic thinkers were rajas and brahmins mostly
-Gargi: famous women thinker and took part in debates held in royal courts
-Though poor ppl seldom took part 'Satyakama Jabala' was an exception
Panini prepared a grammar for Sanskrit
Jainism:
TImeline: 2500yrs ago around same time as buddha
-Kshatriya prince pf Lichchhavis, a group that was part of Vajji sangha
-At 30 he left his home and after 12yrs he attained enlightenment
Teachings of Mahavira:
1).Men n women who wish to know the truth must leave their homes
2).Must follow Ahimsa very strictly
3).Taught in Prakrit
4).Followers of Mahavira known as Jainas(comes from word jina meaning the conqueror) had to lead
simplelives, begging for food.
-had to be absolutely honest, never to steal
-Observe celibacy
-Men had to give up everything including their clothes
Jainism was mainly supported by traders as farmers had to kill insects to save their crops
The sangha:
-Mahavira n Buddha arranged for the ppl who left their homes to stay together in form of an
association ie sangha
-Vinaya Pitaka: Book containing rules made for Buddhist sangha
-all men cud join
-women needs permission of husband
-debitors of creditors
-children of parents
- men n women who joined sanghas were known as Bhikkhus(prakrit for beggar)n Bhikkhunis.
-Varna system was not followed inside sanghas
Monastries were built as the need for a permanent shelter was felt by nuns and monks .They were
known as Viharas
-They were made of wood earlier n then later on of wood
-Some were in caves in western india
Brahmins developed system of ashramas .It was done at the same time when buddhism n jainism
were becoming famous.
1).Bramhcharya -Brahmin , Kshatriya n Vaishya men lead simple lives , studied vedas during early
years of life
2).Grihastha-marry n live as householders
3).vanaprastha- live in forest and meditate
4).Samnyasa-give up everything and become samnyasins
Women had to follow the ashrama chosen by their husbands
Chapter: 8 Ashoka, the emperor who gave up war
Mauryan Empire -Important cities
:Pataliputra
-Taxila
-Ujain
Sangam Literature:
Called sangam bcz was composed n compiled by assemblies of poets held in city of madurai
Find out more ?
Many cities that developed from about 2500yrs ago were capitals of Mahajanapadas.
-Ring wells found in many such cities
punch marked coins used during this period
Mathura:
imp city as it was located at the cross roads of 2 major routes of travel
-from NW to east and from North to South
-Became a capital for kushanas around 2000yrs ago
-Religious centre with monastries, Jaina shrines and krishna worship.
Shrenis of merchants:
-organised trade
Shrenis served as banks also
Arikamedu:
A coastal settlement between 2200 n 1900 yrs ago
Pottery, Arretine ware, roman lamps, glassware n gems
Silk Route:
: Techniques of making silk was first invented in China 7000yrs ago
:ppl from china went to distant lands on foot, on camels n horseback and the route they followed
came to be known as Silk Route
-Chinese rulers sent gifts of silk to Iran n West Asia and from there the knowledge of silk spread
further west.
-Rulers tried to control the route for tributes n gifts from traders and they protected them instead
from robbers
-Kushanas controlled silk route
ruled over central asia n NW India
Peshawar n Mathura their major centres of Power
Taxila also came under their kingdom
-Kushanas issued gold coins and were amongst the earliest rulers in the subcontinent to do so
Spread of Buddhism:
Kanishka - an imp Kushana ruler
-organised a buddhist council
-Ashvaghosha -Poet who composed biography of Buddha i.e. budhhacharita lived in his ocurt.
-Ashvaghosha n other poets now began writing in Sanskrit
- Mahayana Buddhism developed now
:features
-Earlier in sculptures buddha was shown thru signs like by peepal tree but now his statues were
made in mathura n taxila.
-Bodhisattvas - those who attained enlightenment cud live in complete isolation but now they lived
in the wrld teaching other ppl
- worship of boddhisattvas spread to central asia ,china n later to korea n japan
- Buddhism also spread to western n southern India
Buddhism also spread SE to Srilanka, Myanmar, Thailand n Indonesia. Theravada Buddhism was
more popular here.
Caves were hollowed in the hills for the monks to live in.
Caves were located near passes thru Western Ghats where traders coming from the ports n going to
the cities of the Deccan halted
Pilgrims:
Chinese buddhist pilgrim - Fa-Xian
1600 yrs ago
Xuan Zang 1400yrs ago
I-Qing - 50yrs after Xuan Zang
-Spent time at Nalanda studying Buddhism
Beginning of Bhakti:
-Worship of certain deities gained in importance
-Deities worshipped thru bhakti
-Anyone rich or poor cud follow path of Bhakti
-Idea of bhakti is presetn in Bhagwad geeta
-Bhakti followers emphasised devotion n individual worship of a god or goddess rather then
performance of rituals
-devotee who worships with a pure heart, deity will appear in the form in which he or she desires .so
deity cud be thought of anything like tree, lion or human figure etc
-image worship
2).Rulers of Dakshinapatha: 12 rulers were here; surrendered to him after being defeated n
samudra allowed him to rule again
3).Inner circle of neighbouring states, including Assam, Coastal Bengal, Nepal n number of gana
sanghas in NW brought tributes to his court , followed his orders n attended his court
4).Rulers of outlying areas: Descendents of kushanas and shakas , ruler of srilanka submitted to him
n offered their daughters for marriage.
Samudras mother belonged to Lichchhavi gana n his father chandragupta was first ruler of gupta
dynasty to adopt the title of Maharaj-adhiraja
Harshavardhana:
ruled 1400yrs ago
Banabhatta his court poet wrote Harshacharita his biography in sanskrit
-Xuan Zang spent time in his court
Harsha took over kanauj n then bengal, magadha but was stopped in his march towards Deccan by
pulakeshin II a ruler of chalukya dynasty
Pallavas n chalukyas ruled during this period in South India
Pallavas:
-Kingdom was spread from capital city of Kanchipuram till kaveri delta
Chalukyas:
-Aihole, the capital of chalukyas, imp trading centre
-Pulakeshin -II , known by prashasti by court poet Ravikirti
His Kingdom centered around Raichur Doab between Krishna n tungbhadra.
-Both dynasties fought with each other n raided capital cities as they were prosperous
Eventually they gave way to Rashtrakutas & cholas
-Imp admin posts were made hereditary like harishena was a maha-danda-nayaka or chief
judicial officer like his father
-1 person held many posts
-Imp men had a say in Local administration which include nagara-shreshti or chief banker or
merchant of the city, sathavaha or leader of merchant caravans, prathama-kulika or chief
craftsman and the head of kayasthas or scribes