Ancient India
Key notes
Ancient Indian history is generally studied through:
- Prehistoric cultures.
- Protohistoric cultures, especially the Harappan civilisation.
- Vedic civilisation.
- Mahajanapadas and the rise of states.
- Mauryan and post-Mauryan periods.
- Gupta and post-Gupta developments.
Historical periods
| Period | Broad features |
|---|---|
| Prehistoric period | No written records; known through archaeology |
| Protohistoric period | Writing existed but remains undeciphered or limited |
| Historical period | Written records become available |
| Early historic period | Rise of states, cities, coins and inscriptions |
Key sources
- Archaeological remains.
- Literary texts.
- Inscriptions.
- Coins.
- Foreign accounts.
- Art, architecture and sculptures.
- Oral and traditional sources.
Important terms
- Prehistory: Period before written records.
- Protohistory: Period with writing that is unavailable, undeciphered or insufficient.
- History: Past reconstructed through written and material evidence.
- Archaeology: Study of human past through material remains.
MCQs
The study of the past through material remains is called:
- A. Archaeology
- B. Numismatics
- C. Epigraphy
- D. Philology
Answer: A
The Harappan civilisation is generally classified as:
- A. Protohistoric
- B. Medieval
- C. Modern
- D. Colonial
Answer: A
The study of coins is known as:
- A. Numismatics
- B. Epigraphy
- C. Anthropology
- D. Palaeography
Answer: A
Ancient Indian history is reconstructed using:
- A. Literary and archaeological sources
- B. Only oral traditions
- C. Only foreign accounts
- D. Only coins
Answer: A
Prehistory refers to the period:
- A. Before written records
- B. After the Gupta period
- C. After the invention of printing
- D. During British rule
Answer: A