Introudction
The ancient civilization of India grew up in a sharply demarcated
sub-continent bounded on the north by the world's largest mountain range-the
chain of the Himalayas, which, with its extensions to east and west, divided
India from the rest of Asia and the world.
The long sea coasts of India facilitated the
growth of maritime trade and a large number of harbours were established
through which trade relations with Rome, China, Malaya, South East Asian
archipelago were set up. India's centralised position in Indian Ocean is also
of great strategic and economic importance.
India is a curious meeting place of diverse
religions, races, manners and customs. From the point of religion, India is the
home of the Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Jains, Sikhs and the Paris.
Diversity is also to be seen in the languages of the Indian people. From the
points of view of race, religions, language, manners and customs, the Indians
constitute a composite population.
In ancient literature, mention is found of
five natural divisions of India:-
1. Madhyadesa,i.e.
Indo Gangetic plain stretcing from the valley of the river Saraswat to the
Rajmahal Hill. This division has been known as Aryavarta from the ancient
times.
2. Uttarapatha or Udichya i.e.
North-West India
3. Pratichyaor Aparanta i.e.
Western India
4. Dakshinapatha or Dakshinatya i.e.
the area south of Madhyadesa
5. Prachya or Purvadesa,
the region east of Madhyadesa
The course of history is also shaped through
geographical factors, such as geology, climate, etc. The study of Indian
physiography, therefore, can be classified into three territorial compartments,
such as the northern plains of the Indus and Ganga basin, the Deccan plateau
lying to the south of the Narmada and to the north of Krishna and Tungabhadra
rivers and the far south Tamil states. Rivers made the irrigation easier by
continuous supply of perennial water to this tract which includes the states of
Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan.
The horizontal and vertical excavations have
helped uncover the period-wise sequences of cultres and of ancient remains.
Excavations have brought to light the cities which the people established
around 2500 BC. They also reveal the layouts of the settlements in which people
lived, the types of pottery they used, the form of house in which people dwelt,
the kind of food they ate, and the types of implements they used. The vast
variety of rich vegetation and congenial regular weather chain suited the human
habitat and the pages of history and replete with the stories of their linux.
The Mahajanapadas attracted the risings of smaller states. As
early as in 5th century BC, Herodotus observed that "of
all the nations, that we know, it is India has the largest population."
0 comments:
Post a Comment