Ancient india

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Back Adichanallur is an important Iron Age megalithic and urn-burial site located in Tamil Nadu, India, about 24 km from Tirunelveli town. Excavations have uncovered ancient artifacts and skeletal remains dating back to approximately 900 BCE, providing evidence of a significant, multi-racial settlement and a hub for world trade in ancient times. The site is also notable for an inscription in a rudimentary Tamil-Brahmi script found inside an urn and has plans for a modern, on-site museum to showcase its findings.  Key Discoveries and Significance Iron-Age Urn-Burial Site: The site is renowned for its urn-burial tradition, a common practice during the Iron Age in South India.  Ancient Artifacts: Excavations have yielded numerous ancient artifacts, including gold ornaments, suggesting the region was involved in gold trade.  Skeletal Remains and DNA Studies: The site has unearthed skeletons, with early DNA studies indicating a diverse ancestry, suggesting Adichanallur was an...

Back  Industries in ancient Tamil country During the Sangam age, industrial activity was considered ancillary to agriculture and was mostly domestic, not factory-based. Simple workshops where the blacksmith made the wheel or the carpenter his wooden wares could be called factories of a sort. Weaving, pearl fishing, smithy and ship building were some of the prominent industries of the ancient Tamil country. Cotton and silk fabrics from Madurai and Urayur were in great demand; the textiles from these regions were well known for their high quality. Korkai was the center of pearl trade and produced pearls that were sought after not only in Tamilakam, but in the kingdoms of north India and Rome. Smithy was an essential industry, because the blacksmith manufactured many of the tools and objects used in daily life. The flourishing overseas trade was supported by the shipbuilding industry that produced a variety of ocean and river craft. There were several ancillary industries such as carp...

 Pre-Sangam period Adichanallur The production process of Wootz steel began in the 6th century BCE and was exported globally by the Chera dynasty as what was termed as "the finest steel in the world," i.e. Seric Iron to the Romans, Egyptians, Chinese and Arabs by 500 BCE and was used to make the famous damascus blades. c. 400 BCE Kaveripattinam, the ancient capital port city of the Chola Dynasty is destroyed by the sea. The Sangam Period  (roughly 300 BCE to 300 CE) was a golden age of classical Tamil culture and literature, characterized by a flourishing of poets and scholars who composed extensive works on themes of love, war, governance, and society under the patronage of the Chera, Chola, and Pandya dynasties.  The literature from this era, known as Sangam literature, provides valuable insights into the region's politics, administration, religion, and daily life, and includes important works such as the Tolkappiyam, Ettutogai, and Pattuppattu. Key Aspects of the Sanga...

  Back to menu Tamilakam during Sangam period Tamilakam (Tamil: தமிழகம், romanized: Tamiḻakam) also known as ancient Tamil country as was the geographical region inhabited by the ancient Tamil people, covering the southernmost region of the Indian subcontinent. Tamilakam covered today's Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Lakshadweep and southern parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.[1] Traditional accounts and the Tolkāppiyam referred to these territories as a single cultural area, where Tamil was the natural language[note 1] and permeated the culture of all its inhabitants.[note 2] The ancient Tamil country was divided into kingdoms. The best known among them were the Cheras, Cholas, Pandyans and Pallavas. During the Sangam period, Tamil culture began to spread outside Tamilakam.[4] Ancient Tamil settlements were also established in Sri Lanka (Sri Lankan Tamils) and the Maldives (Giravarus) Kingdoms From around 600 BCE to 300 CE,[14] Tamiḻakam was ruled by the three Tamil dynasties:...

  Use left arrow to return    sixteen great states: Anga Asmaka Avanti Chedi Gandhara Kasi Kamboja Kosala Kuru Magadha Malla Matsya (or Maccha) Panchala Surasena Vajji Vatsa (or Vamsa)

Back to menu  Source: https://rigvedaanalysis.wordpress.com Identity of the Dasa and Dasyu –  (Based on references from Mandala VI and II ) Tribe or Race? In all of Mandala VI, there is not a single instance of the Dasyu mentioned as a tribe or race.  In contrast the Dasa are unequivocally called out as a “viz” (tribe) in RV 6.025.02.  ( The actual reference is in plural, hence suggestive that the Dasa were a collection of tribes, much like and at par with the Arya who were a collection of tribes as well ). RV 6.025.02 With these discomfit hosts that fight against us, and check the opponent’s wrath, thyself uninjured . With these chase all our foes to every quarter: subdue the tribes of Dasas to the Arya. However, in RV 6.021.09 – 11 RV 6.021.09 Bring to our help this day, for our protection, Varuna, Mitra , Indra, and the Maruts, Pusan and Visnu, Agni and Purandhi, Savitar also, and the Plants and Mountains. RV 6.021.10 The singers here exalt with hymns and praises ...

  Back to menu Useful Blog on rigveda and the vedic age Blog analysing rigveda

  Back to menu  Vedic society was relatively egalitarian in the sense that a distinct hierarchy of socio-economic classes or castes was absent, the Vedic period saw the emergence of a hierarchy of social classes. Political hierarchy was determined by rank, where  rājan (tribal king or chieftain) and rājanya (tribal nobility) stood at the top,  the viś (the common people) in the middle, and  the dāsa and dasyu (non-Indo-Aryan servants) at the bottom The words Brahamana and Kshatriya occur in various family books of the Rigveda, but they are not associated with the term varna. The words Vaishya and Shudra are absent.  Verses of the Rigveda, such as 3.44–45, indicate the absence of strict social hierarchy and the existence of social mobility O, Indra, fond of soma, would you make me the protector of people, or would you make me a king, would you make me a sage who has drunk soma, would you impart to me endless wealth. The institution of marriage was important ...

  Back to menu Mehergarh 7000 bc Indus Valley Early Indo-Aryans were a Late Bronze Age society centred in the Punjab, organised into tribes rather than kingdoms, and primarily sustained by a pastoral way of life.  the Aryan culture spread eastward to the fertile eastern Ganges Plain. Iron tools adopted, which allowed for the clearing of forests and the adoption of a more settled, agricultural way of life. The second half of the Vedic period was characterised by 1)emergence of towns, kingdoms,  2)caste system distinctive to India, 3)the Kuru Kingdom's codification of orthodox sacrificial ritual. During this time, the central Ganges Plain was dominated by a related but non-Vedic Indo-Aryan culture, of Greater Magadha. The end of the Vedic period witnessed the rise of true cities and large states (called mahajanapadas) as well as śramaṇa movements (including Jainism and Buddhism) which challenged the Vedic orthodoxy. The Vedic period saw the emergence of a hierarchy of so...

  Back The Purus were an Indo-Aryan tribal alliance or a confederation of tribes that existed between 1700 and 1400 BCE.[6] There were several factions of Purus, one being the Bharatas.[3] The Purus and the Bharatas were the two most prominent tribes in most of the Rigveda.[6] The chief of tribe was called Rajan.[1] The Purus rallied many other groups against King Sudas of the Bharata, but were defeated in the Battle of the Ten Kings (RV 7.18, etc).

Back to menu Mlecha Mleccha (Sanskrit: म्लेच्छ, romanized: mlecchá) is a Sanskrit term referring to those of an incomprehensible speech, outgroup, foreigners or invaders deemed distinct and separate from the Vedic tribes.  In Vedic Brahmanical discourse, the term is used to refer to anāryans (non-aryan) who are considered outside the realm of Āryāvarta. Mleccha was traditionally applied to denote foreigners or outsiders who did not belong to the Vedic cultural milieu, regardless of their race or skin colour.  These individuals were considered outside the Varna system and the ritualistic framework of Vedic society. Historical sources identify various groups as mlecchas, including the Śākas, Huns, Chinese, Yavanas, Kambojas, Pahlavas, Bahlikas, Rishikas, and Daradaiî Other groups designated as mlecchas include the Barbaras, Kiratas, Paradas, Parasika kingdom, Indo-Greeks, Pulindas, and Scythians. Further identifications include the Kushans, Kinnaras, Tusharas, and Nishadas. The ...

  Back to menu During the Vedic period of ancient India (c. 1500–600 BCE), the main tribes were the Indo-Aryan peoples, including the Bharatas, Purus, Yadu, Turvasu, and Druhyu, often referred to collectively as the Pancha Janas (Five Tribes).  The Puru clan, particularly the Bharatas, were prominent figures in the Rigveda, eventually forming the Kuru kingdom. Other notable groups mentioned in Vedic texts include the Anu, Alinas, Bhalanas, Matsya, and Parsu.   Key Vedic Tribes  puru : A major tribal confederation, with the Bharata sub-clan being especially significant in the Rigveda.   Bharatas : An important Indo-Aryan clan, located along the Sarasvati River and famously led by King Sudās in the Battle of the Ten Kings.  Yadu, Turvasu, Druhyu, and Anu: These were other important clans, sometimes collectively called the Pancha Janas or Five Tribes.  Kuru : A powerful kingdom formed from the merger of the Bharata clan and other Pūru clans, marking ...

  Back The Bharatas were an early Vedic tribe that existed in the latter half of the second millennium B.C.E. The earliest mentioned location of the Bharatas was on the Sarasvatī River. Led by the tribal king Divodāsa, the Bharatas moved through the Hindu Kush mountains and defeated Śambara. Divodāsa's descendant, Sudās, won the Battle of the Ten Kings against a Pūru-led coalition, after which the initial compilation of hymns of the R̥gveda was carried out.[citation needed] After the battle, the Bharatas and other Pūru clans eventually formed the Kuru kingdom, which was the first attested state in Indian history. Name meaning The name Bharata is of Indo-Aryan and Indo-Iranian origin, meaning "bearers" or "carriers". History Two Bharatas, Devaśravas Bhārata and Devavāta Bhārata, are mentioned as living near the Āpayā, Sarasvatī and Dr̥ṣadvatī rivers. Devavāta's son, Sṛñjaya Daivavāta, defeated the Turvaśas, and is mentioned alongside Abhyāvartin Cāyamāna who ...

  Back The Kuru tribe was an Indo-Aryan tribal union in northern India during the Iron Age Vedic period (c. 1200–800 BCE) that formed from the Bharata and Puru tribes. They established the first major political and cultural center of the Vedic Age, located in what is now Haryana and Delhi, and played a crucial role in the development of Vedic culture and rituals. The Kuru kingdom is also significant as the background for the epic Mahabharata.   Formation and Location The Kuru union was formed by the merger of the Bharata and Puru tribes after the Battle of the Ten Kings.  Their territory was primarily in the region of the modern Indian states of Haryana and Delhi, as well as parts of western Uttar Pradesh.  The first capital was at Āsandīvat, with later capitals including Indraprastha (modern Delhi) and Hastinapura.  Role in Vedic Culture The Kuru kingdom was the first recorded state-level society in South Asia.  They were instrumental in organizing th...

  Back The Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), flourishing around 3300–1300 BCE in present-day Pakistan and northwest India, was a Bronze Age civilization known for its advanced urban planning, standardized brick sizes, and sophisticated sanitation systems in cities like Harappa and Mohenjo-daro. Lacking deciphered written records, its decline around 1750 BCE is attributed to environmental factors, possibly including shifting monsoons and tectonic events. Evidence of extensive trade with Mesopotamia, along with its agricultural economy and domesticated animals, highlights the IVC's complex and peaceful society Urban Planning and Infrastructure Grid-like Cities: Cities were laid out on a grid with perpendicular streets.  Advanced Sanitation: A centralized drainage system, with houses connected to covered street drains, was a key feature.  Standardized Bricks: Buildings were constructed from uniformly sized, baked bricks.  Residential Architecture: Houses were built aroun...