Archaeological Sources of Indian history || Indian History pdf
Megaliths :
âž® Some people in South India buried their dead with tools, weapons, potteries, etc. Such graves were encircled by a big piece of stone. These structures are called Megaliths.
Inscriptions
âž® The earliest system of writings is found in the Harappan seals. (2500BC) However, there has been no success in deciphering it. They are pictographic scripts- ideas/objects expressed in form of pictures.
➮ Thus, the writing system of the Ashokan inscriptions (in Brahmi script) is considered to be the earliest (3rd AD).
➮ Ashoka’s views on dhamma and conquests of Samudragupta, and several others would have remained unknown without their epigraphs.
COINS/NUMISMATICS
âž® We could not have known about most of the Indo Greek, Saka-Parthian, and Kushana kings without numismatic sources.
âž® Some coins were issued by merchants and guilds with the permission of rulers to prove that commerce had become important in the later history of Ancient India.
âž® The largest number of coins found in post-Maurya period trade had increased.
âž® Few coins from the Post-Gupta period trade had declined.
Punch-Marked Coins are the earliest coins of India and they bear only symbols on them.
âž® Each symbol is punched separately, which sometimes overlaps the other.
Indo-Greek
âž® silver and copper and rarely in gold.
Kushanas
âž® Kushanas issued mostly gold coins and numerous copper coins which are found in most parts of north India up to Bihar.
âž® Indian influence can be seen on them from the very beginning. We find many Indian gods and goddesses depicted on Kushana coins besides many Persian and Greek deities.
Guptas
âž® issued the largest number of Gold coins.
âž® Guptas appear to have succeeded Kushanas in the tradition of minting coins. They completely Indianised their coinage
âž® kings are depicted engaged in activities like hunting a lion or rhinoceros, holding a bow or battle-axes, playing a musical instrument, or performing Ashwamedh yajna.
Excavations
âž® In addition to epigraphic and numismatic sources, there are many other antiquarian remains that speak much about our past.
âž® Temples and sculptures are found all over the country right from the Gupta period up to recent times.
âž® These show the architectural and artistic history of the Indians.
âž® They excavated large caves in the hills in Western India which are mostly Chaitya and viharas.
