Classification of historic periods

Classification of historic periods

History can be classified in three- pre history, proto history, and history

1 Pre historic period:

           The term prehistory is referred to the time period before the era of recorded history. The era of beginning of the universe and when there was the beginning of life on earth is described as prehistoric period by historians and geologists. In short, it is used to express the era from when human existence began. It is vital to note that the prehistoric period was divided into three stages namely; the Stone Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. These three eras were named on the basis of the tools used at that time. There are no written accounts in the prehistory period.

2 Proto historic period:

Proto history refers to a period between prehistory and history, during which a culture or civilization has not yet developed writing, so in this period even though written records are available they are unable to decipher.

3 Historic period:

History wholly depends on written records. It is believed to be the recorded set of proceedings that might be happened in the past. In short, history refers to the study of human past. Due to its huge dependence on writing, it can be said that history was the era after invention of writing.

Pre-History and Proto-History of India

1 Geographical Factors

 India is bounded on north by Himalayas and on the south by ocean. The ancient name Bharatvarsa has its authenticity in ancient literature that refers to Bharat clan that dominated the large area of the country. On the north the huge range of Himalayas render very strong frontier to this country. The other mountains like Hindukush and Vindhyachal have equally played decisive roles in molding the history of land.

These features are important factors in the study of civilisation. These mountains have several passes that served as routes of movement and invasion in various periods of history. The five passes of Himalayas—Khyber, Bolan, Tochi, Gomal and Kurram served as important ways for invasion and migrations that influenced the formation of the history of the land. Rig-Veda refers to Tochi-Kurram pass used by Aryan invaders.

The Khyber route also finds its mention in the treatise. The invaders could have come down through the pass to the Valley of Kabul River to Peshawar. These five natural routes, known as five fingers, connect Iran and central Asia with India. The passes eased the movement and the invaders used these to conquer the land ultimately changing the entire court of history and moulding the civilisation.

Hindukush range has two passes-Qora-Kottal and Dandan-Shikan that connect Western Afghanistan and Hari Rud valley with Balkh (Bactria). This route facilitates the eastward movement towards Kabul. Between Kabul and Kandahar, a series of valleys and mountain passes offer several ways to Punjab frontiers.

These areas have remained historic shelters of warlike races. When they settled themselves in those mountain belts it became easier for them to command Indian belts. Thus, the peaceful tenor of life of Punjab and Western India was recurrently endangered by these strategic factors.

The Huns, Persians, Greeks, Sakas, Turks and Afghans entered the country through these passes. They not only politically dominated the land but also influenced the culture and the society. The long structured sea coasts in Southern Plateau have also remained a powerful source of contact with the world.

The trade relations with Rome, China, Malaysia, and South-east Asia were developed. The plains of north India were fertile land that rendered prosperity to the country. This was the cause of numerous invasions from outside. The climatic changes in north-western India changed the history of the region.

 The monsoon currents did not remain as strong as earlier as a result of dry land and extension of desert. It extended from east Iran to Rajputana serving as a natural barrier repulsing the invasions through Khyber Pass.

The various races that entered the region as invaders settled down here. In course of time they lost their identity. The Indian society is a mixture of various races like Aryans, Dravidians, Persians, Greeks, Turks, Mughals, Huns, Sakas, Kushans, etc. This led to the formation of a composite culture in India.

2 The literature of ancient India offers six geographical divisions of the country

1. Middle region (Madhya Desa),

2. Himalayan region (Himavanta),

3. North-West region (Uttarpatha),

4. Deccan (Dakshinapatha),

5. Eastern India (Purvanta),

6. Western India (Aparanta).

         The geographical feature of the country attracted people from outside during various periods. The races from outside coveted the prosperity of the land. They invaded the country and were impressed with the environment which made them settle here. After a few centuries the invaders mingled with the local population and it was not possible to identify them.

All this has contributed to the emergence of a composite culture. Despite diversities in the land due to geographical and other features there is an underlying unity in the country.

 Hunting and Gathering Period

Man is said to have appeared on the earth in the early Pleistocene, but now this events seems to have occurred in Africa about 2.6 million years back. The fossils of the early men have not been found in India. However, recently reported artifacts from Bori in Maharashtra take the appearance of man as early as 1.4 million years ago.

At present it appears that India was settled later than Africa, although the lithic technology of the subcontinent broadly evolved in the same manner as it did in Africa. Stone Age has been divided into four periods, Palaeolithic Age or Early Stone Age (ESA), Middle Stone Age (MSA), Late Stone Age (LSA) or Mesolithic Age and Neolithic Age.

The Palaeolithic Period

The term Palaeolithic is derived from two Greek words meaning old stone. This name is applied to the earliest people, as the only evidence of their existence is furnished by a number of crude stone implements. Tools of the Early Stone Age (ESA) or Palaeolithic period comprised of hand-axes, cleavers, discoids, etc. They served as weapons for hunting wild animals, and could also be used as hammers or for purposes of cutting and boring. Palaeolithic man barely manayed to gather his food and lived on hunting. He had no knowledge of cultivation and house-building.

The Palaeolithic tools, which could be as old as 1, 00,000 B.C. have been found in the Chotanagpur plateau. Such tools belonging to 20,000 B.C. 10,000 B.C. have been found in Kurnool district in Andhra-Pradesh. These tools were made up of a species of hard rock called “quartzite”, hence the Palaeolithic men in India are also known as “Quartzite men.”

1 The Lower Paleolithic or the Early Stone Age (ESA) covers the greater part of the Ice Age and its characteristic feature is the use of hand axes, cleavers and choppers. The ESA sites are found in the valley of river Soan or Sohan in Punjab (now in Pakistan), Kashmir and the Thar Desert.

2 The Middle Paleolithic or Middle Stone Age (MSA) industries are mainly based upon flakes – which are found in different parts of India and show regional variations. The principal tools are varieties of blades, points, borers, scrapers, burins and cores made of flakes.

3 The Upper Paleolithic phase was less humid. It coincided with the last phase of the Ice Age when climate became comparatively warm. In the world context, it marks the appearance of new flint industries and of modern men (Homo Sapiens).

In India, we notice the use of blades and burins, which have been found in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Central Madhya Pradesh, southern Uttar Pradesh, and south Bihar Plateau and in the upper levels of the Gujarat Dunes. Caves and rock shelters for use by human beings in this phase have been discovered at Bhimbetka, 45 km south of Bhopal.

Thus it appears that Paleolithic sites are found in many hilly slopes and river valleys of the country; they are absent in the alluvial plains of the Indus and the Ganga.

1. ​​​​​​​The Mesolithic Age

 With the end of the Ice Age and the Upper Paleolithic Age around 9000 B.C., the climate became warm and dry. Climatic changes brought about changes in flora and fauna and made it possible for human beings to move to new areas.

In 9000 B.C. began an intermediate stage in Stone Age culture, which is called the Mesolithic Age. The Mesolithic People lived on hunting, fishing and food gathering; at a later stage they also domesticated animals and practiced some sort of primitive agriculture.

The characteristic tools of the Mesolithic Age are microliths. A number of Mesolithic sites have been excavated in Western and Central India i.e., Langhnaj (Gujarat), Adamgarh (MP.), Bagor, Tilwara (Rajasthan), southern Uttar Pradesh, eastern India and also south of the river Krishna. The earliest evidence of domestication of animals comes from Adamgarh (M.P.) and Bagor in Rajasthan dated 5500 B.C. and 4500 B.C. respectively.

The cultivation of plants around 7000-6000 B.C. is suggested in Rajasthan from a study of the deposits of the former salt lake, Sambhar and Lunkaransar. The Mesolithic culture continued to be important roughly from 9000 B.C. to 4000 B.C.

The people of Paleolithic and Mesolithic age practiced painting. Prehistoric art appears at several places, but Bhimbetka in M.P. is a striking site. it has more than 500 painted rock shelters. Many birds, animals and human beings are painted. Other sites with Palaeolithic paintings are at Singanpur near Raigarh (M.P.) in Kaimur ranges and also in the Mirzapur district (U.P.).

The Mesolithic Age was followed by Neolithic Age and then by the Chalcolithic age.