REGIONAL IAS ACADEMY

IAS 2019 PRELIMS

REVISION MODULE
ANCIENT HISTORY

TARGET
IAS 2019

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Noted -:
*
1. Revision Notes IAs 2019 Complete Exam Oriented with diagram.
2. Reference use NCERT, STD Book,Govt Site Like as PIB, ISRO,DRDO etc.
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Contents
Section 1 → Ice Age + Indus Valley Civilization + Vedic Period .................................... 5
Paleolithic age, Mesolithic Age, Neolithic Age, Chalcolithic Age .................................................................. 5
Quaternary Age ......................................................................................................................................... 5
Pleistocene Age ..................................................................................................................................... 5
Bhimbetka Rock Shelters ...................................................................................................................... 6
Holocene: Mesolithic Age (9000 – 4000 BC)....................................................................................... 7
Holocene: Neolithic Age (5000 – 1800 BC) ......................................................................................... 7
Holocene: Chalcolithic Age (1800 – 1000 BC) .................................................................................... 7
Indus Valley Civilization (2900 – 1700 BC) ................................................................................................ 8
Sights of Indus Valley Civilization ....................................................................................................... 8
Developments in Indus Valley Civilization .......................................................................................... 9
Theory of Decline of Indus Valley Civilization.................................................................................. 12
Early Vedic Period (1500 – 1000 BC) ........................................................................................................... 12
Rig Veda ................................................................................................................................................. 12
Advent of Aryans ................................................................................................................................ 13
Early Vedic Period .............................................................................................................................. 14
Administration in Rig Vedic Period.................................................................................................... 15
Rig Vedic Assemblies & administrative division ............................................................................... 15
Societal Practices & Divisions ............................................................................................................ 16
Early Vedic Gods ................................................................................................................................ 16
Later Vedic Period (1000 – 600 BC) ............................................................................................................ 18
Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, Atharva Veda ............................................................................................... 18
Brahamanas & Aranyakas ................................................................................................................... 19
Developments in Later Vedic Period .................................................................................................. 19
Later Vedic Period Administration ..................................................................................................... 21
Societal Division in Later Vedic period .............................................................................................. 21
Gods of Later Vedic Period ................................................................................................................ 23
Status of Women in later Vedic period ............................................................................................... 24
Upanishads .......................................................................................................................................... 24
Section 2 → Jainism + Buddhism + Vedic Period + Rise of Magadha ............................. 25
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Jainism & Buddhism: Cause of Origin ....................................................................................................... 25

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Ritualistic Dominion of Brahamanas ................................................................................................... 25
Rise of new Agriculture Economy ....................................................................................................... 25
Punch Marked Coins ........................................................................................................................... 26
New Way of life ................................................................................................................................... 26
Jainism ........................................................................................................................................................ 26
Vardhamana Mahavira ........................................................................................................................ 27
3 principles of Jainism → Triratnas .................................................................................................... 27
Teaching of Jainism ............................................................................................................................ 28
Twelve small vows (anuvrats) of Jainism .......................................................................................... 29
Spread of Jainism ................................................................................................................................ 29
Contribution of Jainism....................................................................................................................... 30
Buddhism .................................................................................................................................................... 30
Noble truth by Buddha ........................................................................................................................ 31
Tri Ratnas of Buddhism ...................................................................................................................... 31
Spread of Buddhism ............................................................................................................................ 32
Contribution of Buddhism .................................................................................................................. 33
Cause of Decline ................................................................................................................................. 33
Buddhist Councils ................................................................................................................................... 33
Origin of Mahayana Buddhism ............................................................................................................... 34
Mahajanapadas & Rise of Magadha ........................................................................................................... 35
Mahajanapadas........................................................................................................................................ 35
Rise of Magadha ..................................................................................................................................... 38
Cause of Magadha’s Success .............................................................................................................. 40
Section 3 → Persian & Greek Invasion + Mauryan Empire + Post Mauryan India
+ Foreign Invasion on India...................................................................................................... 40
Iranian (Persian) & Macedonian (Greek) Invasion ...................................................................................... 40
Persian Invasion (550 BC) ...................................................................................................................... 40
Alexander’s Invasion (327 BC) .............................................................................................................. 41
Battle of Hydaspes (Jhelum) ............................................................................................................... 41
Effect of Alexander’s Invasion ........................................................................................................... 42
Mauryan Empire (321 – 184 BC) ............................................................................................................... 42
Literary Sources ...................................................................................................................................... 42
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Chandragupta Maurya ............................................................................................................................. 44

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Bindusara ................................................................................................................................................ 45
Ashoka .................................................................................................................................................... 45
Ashoka & Buddhism ........................................................................................................................... 46
Mauryan Administration ......................................................................................................................... 47
Art & Architecture .................................................................................................................................. 48
Cause of fall of Mauryan Empire ............................................................................................................ 49
Post Mauryan India: Sungas Dynasty, Satavahanas.................................................................................... 49
Post Mauryan India ................................................................................................................................. 49
Sungas Dynasty....................................................................................................................................... 50
Satavahanas ............................................................................................................................................. 51
Satavahanas → Official Language (Prakrit) ....................................................................................... 52
Foreign invasion of NW India: Shakas, Parthians, Kushanas ...................................................................... 53
Foreign invasion of NW India ................................................................................................................ 53
Shakas (Iranian Sythians).................................................................................................................... 54
Parthians (Pahlavas) ............................................................................................................................ 55
Kushanas ............................................................................................................................................. 55
Impact of central Asian Contact.......................................................................................................... 58
Section 4 → Sangam Age + Gupta Empire + Harshavardhana + Chalukya &
Pallavas ............................................................................................................................................ 59
Sangam Age: 300 – 600 AD ....................................................................................................................... 59
Sangam Age: 300 – 600 AD ............................................................................................................... 59
Twin Tamil Epics.................................................................................................................................... 59
Narrative text ...................................................................................................................................... 60
Didactic Text ....................................................................................................................................... 60
Cheras, Cholas & Pandyas .......................................................................................................................... 60
Cheras (Keralaputras) ......................................................................................................................... 61
Cholas (Cholamandam)....................................................................................................................... 61
Pandyas ............................................................................................................................................... 62
Imp. Features of 3 kingdoms............................................................................................................... 62
Gupta Empire (400 – 600 AD).................................................................................................................... 63
Chandragupta 1 ................................................................................................................................... 63
Samundragupta ................................................................................................................................... 64
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Chandragupta 2 (Chandragupta Vikramaditya) .................................................................................. 65

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Fall of Gupta Empire .......................................................................................................................... 65
Gupta’s Administration ....................................................................................................................... 65
Religion & Social Culture ................................................................................................................... 66
Art & Culture ...................................................................................................................................... 66
Literature ............................................................................................................................................. 66
Science & Technology ........................................................................................................................ 67
Harshavardhana (606 – 647 AD) ................................................................................................................ 67
Huan Tsang Account........................................................................................................................... 69
Literary Sources .................................................................................................................................. 69
Chalukya, Pallava, Pandyas ........................................................................................................................ 69
Chalukyas of Badami .............................................................................................................................. 70
Greatest Ruler → Pulakeshin 2 ........................................................................................................... 70
Architecture by Chalukyas .................................................................................................................. 70
Pallavas ................................................................................................................................................... 70
Great Pallava Ruler → Narasimhavarman .......................................................................................... 71
Pallavas Dravidian Style Temples ...................................................................................................... 71
Conflict with Kalbhras ........................................................................................................................ 71
Rural Structure .................................................................................................................................... 72

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Section 1 → Ice Age + Indus Valley
Civilization + Vedic Period

Paleolithic age, Mesolithic Age, Neolithic Age,

Chalcolithic Age
Quaternary Age
Evolution of its crust shows four stages, 4th stage being Quaternary, which
comprises of:
 Pleistocene (20 Lakh – 10000 years)
 Holocene (10000 – Present)

Pleistocene Age
 Roughly dressed stone tools
 Crude chipping
 No knowledge of Cultivation
 Solely living on hunting
 Lived in rock-shelters

“Also known as Paleolithic age or Ice age or Old Stone Age & divided into
3 ages”

Early/ Lower  5 Lakh – 50000 BC

Paleolithic Age
 Tools → Cleavers, Choppers, Axes

 50000 – 40000 BC
Middle Paleolithic
 Flakes Tools → Blades, Pointers, Borers &
Age
5

Scrapers
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 40000 – 10000 BC
 Climate became comparatively warm
Upper Paleolithic  Marked the appearance of new flint industries
Age
 Men of modern types ( Homo-sapiens)

Bhimbetka Rock Shelters

 Bhimbetka rock shelters are located in Raisen District of Madhya Pradesh, 45
km south of Bhopal at the southern edge of the Vindhyachal hills.
 These served as shelters for Paleolithic age man for more than 1 lakh years.
 This is the most exclusive Paleolithic site in India which contains the rock
carvings and paintings.
 These paintings belong to the Paleolithic, Mesolithic ages, Chalcolithic,
earlyhistoric and even medieval times.

Bhimbetka is a World heritage Site. Please note that it was earlier considered to
be a Buddhist site and was later recognized as Paleolithic site by Vishnu
Shridhar Wakankar who is now also called “father of rock art in India “.
Bhimbetka Rock shelters were included in the world heritage list in 1970
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Holocene: Mesolithic Age (9000 – 4000 BC)
 Marked by phenomenal changes in climate as climate became comparatively
warm & dry which brought significant changes in flora & fauna and made it
possible for humans to move to new areas.
 Characteristic tools of this Age: Microliths
 Transitional Phase between Paleolithic & Neolithic Age
 People mostly lived on Hunting, Fishing & Food gathering; At later stage
also domesticated animals
 Rock Paintings from Paleolithic & Mesolithic age have been found at
Bhimbetka caves ( Painted birds, animals & humans)

Holocene: Neolithic Age (5000 – 1800 BC)

 Earliest farming communities → Characterized by cultivation of plants &
domestication of animals
 Earliest evident of Neolithic culture have been found at Mehragarh on bank
of river Bolan (Baluchistan) 7000 BC showing beginning of agriculture &
domestication of animals.
 Pottery 1 appeared in this phase → Black burnished ware + Course Grey
st

ware pottery for cooking

 Important Places : Gufkral ( Cave of Potters) & Burzahom ( Place of Birch)
 Dog burial with the master → Special feature of Burzahom

Holocene: Chalcolithic Age (1800 – 1000 BC)

 Marked by use of copper → 1 metal used in India
st

 Cultivation & cattle rearing along with established the knowledge of crop
rotation (@ Inamgaon) ,
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 Knowledge of Irrigation & Harvesting

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 Excavation reveals structures like Granaries, Embankment & Fortification
 Mud houses made of mud in circular & rectangular pattern along with mud
chulha
 Culture was limited from Udaipur to Malwa & Maharashtra
 Famous Pottery of this age → Black on Red ware

Indus Valley Civilization (2900 – 1700 BC)

 Indus valley civilization is older than chalcolithic culture but was far more
developed
 Marked the beginning of Bronze age civilization

Sights of Indus Valley Civilization

Early (Pre Late Phase (Post
Harappan) Mature (Harappan) Harappan)

Harappa (Pakistan @
Ravi)

Mohenjodaro (Pakistan
@ Indus)

Chanhudaro (Pakistan
@ Indus)

Sutkagendor (Pakistan)

Sukotada (Gujrat)
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Lothal (Gujrat @
Bhogava)

Kalibangan (Rajasthan
Kalibangan @ Ghaggar)

Banawali (Hissar
Banawali @Ghaggar)

Rakhigarhi (Hissar
Rakhigarhi @Ghaggar) Rakhigarhi

Dholavira Dholavira (Kutch) Dholavira

Bhagwanpura

Manda (Jammu),
Chandigarh,Shangol
(Punjab), Daulatpur,Mitthal
(Haryana), AlamgirpurHulas
(West UP)

Developments in Indus Valley Civilization

 Citadel / Acropolis at cities for member of ruling class (west side) & brick
houses below citadel in town for commoners
 Remarkable grid system of roads → Roads cutting at right angle to each other
 Large scale use of burnt bricks & total absence of stone buildings
 Remarkable underground drainage system connecting all houses & streets
covered by bricks / stone slabs
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 Agriculture technology was well developed (But no use of ploughshare) :
Wheat, Rice, Barley, Peas etc. + Domesticated large scale of animals
 Cotton was 1st produced by Indus people hence Greeks called it Sindon
which is derived from Sindh

 Harappan were 1st to produce silver in the world + wore gold, silver & beads
Jewelry
 Practiced boat making, seal making, Bronze smith, Weavers etc.
 Granaries & seals show Harappan carried on considerable trade but only
through Barter system
 No temples has been found at any of the site hence can be said that it was
ruled by merchants not priests
 Worshiped Goddess Earth, Pipal Tree, Pashupati Mahadeva & Animals (Bull
/ Unicorn Rhino)
 1 to invent the art of writing – Right to left – (Pictographic only → Not
st

deciphered so far)
 Used weights for trade (Mostly in multiple of 16) & Bronze made marked
sticks for measurements
 Were expert in Potter’s wheel & pottery making
 Their greatest artistic creation was ” Seals”
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 Mostly limestone was used for sculptures.

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Indus Valley Civilization

Site Remarkable Feature

 Great Bath (Largest Brick Work)

 Great Granary (Largest Building)
 Impressive drainage system
 Bronze image of dancing girl
 Image of steatite bearded man
 Piece of woven cotton
 Seal of pashupati
 Prepared Garments
 Skeletons on stairs of well (Mount of the
Mohenjodaro
dead)

 Artificial Dock (Manchester of Harappan

civilization)
 Art of double burial
Lothal
 Cotton cultivation

 Granary & Wooden plough

 Wells in every house
Kalibangan
 Camels Bone

Harappa
 2 rows of 6 granaries

 Lancashire of India
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Chanhudaro  Only city without citadel

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 Bangles Factory
 Beads Factory

Rakhigarhi
 Biggest Site

Theory of Decline of Indus Valley Civilization

 Natural Calamities such as floods, Earthquakes etc.
 Decrease in Land fertility
 Outbreak of an epidemic
 Decline of trade & Invasion of Aryansported in Ashoka’s times from Persia.
There is abundant evidence of stone masons mark similar to those at
Persepolis (Persia).

Early Vedic Period (1500 – 1000 BC)

Advent of Aryans Aryans means of high birth

Vedas means to know – Superior

Age of Rig Veda knowledge

 Aryans were generally referred to people who spoke Indo- Aryan language
(Sanskrit)
 Society was mainly male dominated; women were treated with dignity and
honour
 Early life in this period seems to be mainly pastoral with agriculture being the
secondary occupation
 Domesticated horses to ride
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Rig Veda
Page

 Earliest text of Indo European language

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End of Later Vedic Period marked the beginning of territorial kingdoms such as
Panchala Janapada, Koshala Janapada etc. & wars were not fought only for
cattles but also for territory.

Section 2 → Jainism + Buddhism +

Vedic Period + Rise of Magadha
Jainism & Buddhism: Cause of Origin
Ritualistic Dominion of Brahamanas
 Kshatriya reacted strongly against the ritualistic dominion of brahamanas &
vernas based on birth.
 Verdhaman Mahavira & Gautama Buddha both belonged to Kshatriya clan &
disputed the authority of brahamanas.

Rise of new Agriculture Economy

 Real reason was rise of new agriculture economy in north India which was
based on iron ploughshare
 Required the use of bullocks & cattles & could not flourish without animal
husbandry.
 But Vedic practices of killing cattles in sacrifice led to decimation of cattle
wealth, against which both Jainism & Buddhism spoke & propagated the idea
of ahimsa.

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 Brahamcharya (observe continence / not to led immoral life → added by Mahavira)

Teaching of Jainism
 Rejected the authority of Vedas & objected to Vedic rituals & sacrifices
 Even practice of agriculture was considered sinful as it caused injury to earth,
worms & animals
 Doctrine of ascetism & renunciation was carried to great lengths by practice
of starvation, Nudity & other form of self-tortures (Penance for all sins
committed)
 Although Parvanath (23 Teacher) asked people to cover their upper & lower
rd

body part but Mahavira asked them to discard cloths altogether ( Extreme
austerity)
28

 Mahavira did not condemn Verna system as Buddhism did as according to

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Mahavira , a person born in higher or lower verna is the consequences of the

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Noble truth by Buddha
 World is full of sorrow
 People suffer on account of desires
 If desires are conquered, Nirvana can be achieved i.e. free from cycle of birth
& death & which can be done by following 8 fold path (ashtangika marga):

Right Right
Understanding Determination Right Speech Right Action

Right Right
Right livelihood Right Exercise Mindfulness Medication

Tri Ratnas of Buddhism

 Budhha (The enlightened)
 Dhamma ( Doctrine of Buddhism)
 Sangha (Order of Buddhism)
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Mahajanapadas Capital

Kamboja Rajpura

Gandhar Taxila

Surasena Mathura

Matsya Virat

Vatsa Kaushambi

Chedis Shuktimati

Kasi Varanasi

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 Alexander, impressed by the bravery of Indian prince reinstated him to his
throne and made him his ally.
 Then he advanced as far as river Beas, he wanted to move further but war weary, diseased, Hot
weather of India & 10 year of continuous fighting led to the refusal of Greek soldiers to move further
(Refusal also came because of the enormous power of Nandas of Magadha).

 Hence, Alexander divided his conquered territories into 3 Parts & placed them under 3 Greek
governors.

Effect of Alexander’s Invasion

 1 contact b/w Europe & India paved the way for increased trade &
st

commerce
 Encouraged political unification of India under Mauryas
Alexander’s authority in Indus valley was short lived because of expansion of Mauryan Empire
under Chandragupta maurya.

Mauryan Empire (321 – 184 BC)

Literary Sources
Kautilya’s Arthshashtra
Written in Sanskrit by Chanakya / KauFtilya / Vishnugupta / Indian Machiavelli
Contains 15 books & 180 chapters; with main theme divided into 3 parts
42

King & his council and departments of government

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Civil & criminal law

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