INDIAN CIVILIZATION

Shalyn Mae Cipriano

Ronyan Dordas

Maribell Tupaz

Introduction
India, the land of mystery where the past is never dead, boasts of a civilization which dawned
about 2500 B.C. Indian civilization is one of the world's oldest and most diverse, with a
history stretching back over 5,000 years.
Over time, Indian civilization evolved through various periods, each contributing its own
unique cultural and intellectual advancements.
Civilization
A civilization is a complex human society that may have certain characteristics of cultural
and technological development.
It came from the Latin civis=citizen and civitas=city) is a term applied to any society which
has developed a writing system, government, production of surplus food, division of labor,
and urbanization. (The term is difficult to define because not all 'civilizations' include every
one of the above facets. The term is often used, therefore, to suggest a highly developed
culture,

INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION

The Indus Valley Civilization, one of the world's earliest urban societies, emerged around
2500 BCE in the northwestern regions of the Indian subcontinent, including parts of modern-
day Pakistan and northwest India.
The Indus Valley Civilization derives its name from the Indus River, one of the longest rivers
in Asia. The Indus Valley Civilization covers approximately 1 million square kilometers
[386,000 square miles] and extends throughout northwest India, Pakistan and parts of
Afghanistan. The Indus Valley Civilization was strategically located between the Arabian Sea
and the Iranian Plateau to the west and the Gangetic Plain to the east.
An impressive civilization appeared in India around 2500 B.C., not long after Egypt and
Sumer developed civilizations. Like the others, it started in a river valley-the valley of the
Indus River.
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.
This early Indus Valley civilization is best seen in the remains of two cities-Harappa and
Mohenjo-Daro (see map, opposite). Both were built on the remains of earlier villages,
carefully laid out according to the same systematic plan. The cities were alike in plan. Streets
were laid out in a regular pattern, intersecting at right angles. Main streets were wide. Each
city had a water sys- tem, with public baths (possibly associated with temple worship), and a
covered brick sewer sys- tem for private homes, which connected with a central system in the
streets.
The two cities were built of bricks superior to those used in Sumer. The bricks were baked in
kilns, or ovens, instead of being sun-dried. They have not crumbled over the centuries. All
the bricks were the same size. Thus, some archeolo- gists believe that a strong, centralized
government must have existed in order to impose this unifor- mity of city planning and brick
construction. The buildings of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were designed for use, not beauty.
The two cities seem to have been twin capitals and not rivals. Each had a strong central
fortress built on a platform of bricks. At Harappa there were large storehouses for grain.
These granaries were large enough to store the wheat and barley needed to feed the 35,000
people who lived in the city. The excess food was shipped to the cities of the Tigris-
Euphrates Valley.

The Vedic Age (1500BC- 600BC)

The Vedic period represents a crucial chapter in the development of Indian civilization,
emerging from a blend of historical migrations, cultural evolution, and religious
transformation.
The Rigveda is a collection of 1,028 hymns divided into 10 mandalas. They are the earliest
compositions and hence depict the life of the early Vedic people in India. The Samaveda is a
collection of verses mostly taken from the Rigveda but arranged in a poetic form to facilitate
singing. The Yajurveda is found in two recensions, Black and White, and are full of rituals to
be performed publicly or individually. The Atharvaveda is a collection of magic spells and
charms to ward off the evil spirits and diseases. The Rigveda which is theoldest Vedic text
reflects one stage of social and cultural development whereas the other three Vedas reflect
another stage. The first stage is known as the Rigvedic period or Early Vedic period and the
later stage is known as the Later Vedic period.
MIGRATION OF THE ARYANS
In the 19th century, Aryans were considered a race. Now it is thought of as a linguistic group
of people who spoke Indo-European language from which later emerged San- skrit, Latin,
and Greek etc. This is reflected from the words in these languages which are similar in sound
and meaning. Originally the Aryans seem to have lived somewhere in the Steppes stretching
from southern Russia to Central Asia. From here, a group of them migrated to northwest
India and came to be called Indo-Aryans or just Aryans. The archaeological evi- dence of
migrations comes from what is known as Andronovo Culture situated in south- en Siberia.
This Culture flourished in the second millennium BC. From here people moved to north of
Hindukush the area known as Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex) and from here they
entered India. During the period between 1900 BC.

GEOGRAPHICAL HORIZON OF THE VEDIC ARYANS

The early Vedic Aryans lived in the area known as sapta-sindhu meaning area of seven rivers.
This area largely covers the northwestern part of South Asia up to river Yamuna. The seven
rivers included Sindhu, Vitasta (Jhelum), Asikni (Chenab), Parushni (Ravi),Vipash (Beas),
Shutudri (Sutlej) and the Sarasvati. In this area the Rigvedic people lived, fought battles,
grazed their herds of cattle and other domesticated animals. Gradually moving eastward, they
came to occupy eastern U.P. (Kosala) and north Bihar (Videha) during the Later Vedic
period. Here they came into contact with the people who spoke languages different from their
own and were living in this area for long.

EARLY VEDIC ECONOMY

The early Vedic Aryans were pastoralists. Cattle rearing was their main occupation. They
reared cattle, sheep, goats, and horses for purposes of milk, meat and hides. We arrive at this
conclusion after analyzing the literary evidence in the Rigveda. A large number of words are
derived from the word go meaning cow. A wealthy person was known as gomat and the
daughter called duhitri which means one who milks the cow. The word gaveshana literally
means search for cows, but it also means battle since many battles were fought over
cattle.The cows were thought of as providers of everything. Prayers are off ered for increase
in the number of cattle. All the above and many more references show that cattle breeding
was the most important economic activity of the Rigvedic Aryans.
SOCIAL CHANGES IN THE LATER VEDIC PHASE
The family remains the basic unit of the Vedic society. However, its composition under-went
a change. The later Vedic family became large enough to be called a joint-family with three
or four generations living together. The rows of hearths discovered at Atranjikhera and at
Ahichchhtra (both in western Uttar Pradesh) show that these were meant for communal
feeding or for cooking the food of large families. The institution of gotra developed in this
period. This means that people having common gotra descended from a common ancestor
and no marriage between the members of the same gotra could take place. Monogamous
marriages were preferred even though polygamy was frequent. Some restrictions on women
appeared during this period. In a text women have been counted as a vice along with dice and
wine. In another text a daughter has been said to be the source of all sorrows. Women had to
stay with her husband at his place after marriage. The participation of women in public
meetings was restricted.

THE EARLY VEDIC POLITY

The chief of this unit was the political leader called rajan. The main function of the chief was
to protect the jana and cattle from the enemies. He was helped in his task by the tribal
assemblies called sabha, samiti, vidatha, gana and parishad. Out of these sabha and
samitiwere the most important assemblies. All aspects of life were discussed in these
assemblies. These may include wars, distribution of the spoils of wars, judicial and religious
activities etc. Thus these assemblies in a way limited the powers of the chiefs. Interestingly,
women were also allowed to partici-pate in the deliberations of the sabha and samiti. The post
of the chief was not hereditary. The tribe generally elected him. Though the succession in one
family was known but that was not based on the rule of primogeniture (i.e., the eldest son
acquiring the position). The purohita assisted and advised the chief on various matters. Other
than the purohita, there were a limited number of other officials who assisted the chief in the
day-to-day tribal aff airs. Senani, kulapa, gramani, etc. are some of the functionaries which
find mention in the Rigveda. The sena or army was not a permanent fighting group and
consisted of able bodied tribesmen who were mobilized at the time of the wars. Takshan, the
carpenter and rathakara, the chariot maker were responsible for making chariots. There is no
offi cial mentioned as a collector of taxes. The people off ered to the chief what is called bali.
It was just a voluntary contribution made by the ordinary tribesmen on special occasions. All
this shows that the early Vedic polity was an uncomplicated system based on the support and
active participation of all the tribes-men. This situation, however, changed during the later
Vedic phase

Maurya Empire
A new kingdom arose in the area in 322 B.C. as a result of the conquests of a powerful young
adventurer named Chandragupta. He established what is called the Maurya dynasty.

Chandragupta Maurya. We know a good deal about Chandragupta because a Greek

ambassador to his court wrote a fascinating book about him. According to this account,
Chandragupta was an able administrator. He took over Pataliputra on the Ganges and made it
a magnificent city.

Asoka. One of India's greatest rulers was Aso-ka, Chandragupta's grandson, who came to the
karone about 270 B.C. By this time sou Maurya Empire had been extended far to the south.
Asoka enlarged the empire by conquest until it includ. ed all of India except the southern tip
(see map, this page).

Asoka became so sickened by this slaughter that he renounced war and became a devout
Bud-dhist. He did not force the Indian people to accept Buddhism, but during his rule many
did. He sent his brother as a missionary to what is now Sri Lan-ka (Ceylon), and sent other
missionaries to Tibet, China, Burma, Java, and even to Egypt, Syria, and Macedonia. When
Asoka died about 230 B.C., theMaurya Empire began to fall apart.

Conquest Of Magadha And Foundation Of The Maurya Empire (C. 321 BCE)

According to several legends, Chanakya traveled to Magadha, a kingdom that was large and
militarily powerful and feared by its neighbors, but was insulted by its king Dhana Nanda, of
the Nanda Dynasty. Chanakya swore revenge and vowed to destroy the Nanda Empire.

The Nanda Empire originated from the region of Magadha in ancient India during the 4th
century BCE, and lasted until between 345-321 BCE. At its greatest extent, the empire ruled
by the Nanda Dynasty extended from Bengal in the east, to the Punjab region in the west, and
as far south as the Vindhya Range. The rulers of this dynasty were famed for the great wealth
that they accumulated.
Gupta Empire

Civilization in India flourished under the Guptas

The period of disorder in India, after the death of the last Kushan king, ended when a new
line of kings, the Guptas, began ruling in 320 A.D.

Gupta rulers

The Guptas first came to power in the Ganges Valley, but through intermarriage and conquest
they extended their power over a wide area of India.The Gupta rulers were autocratic. The
first Gupta king was Chandra-gupta I, the warrior king (who was not related to the earlier
Chandragupta of the Maurya line). He was followed by Samudragupta, the poet king. The
third king was Chandragupta II, under whom the empire reached its greatest extent. He
established the Gupta capital at Ayodhya (uh-YOHD. hyah), in the northeast.

Economy and social life

From ancient times the land had provided a living for nearly all the people of northern India.
For a limited few at the top of the caste system, the land provided great luxury, but most
people were poor. In Gupta India a woman's status was lower than a man's. The Mahabharata
called a man's wife his "truest friend," but a Gupta legal treatise recommended that the wife
worship her husband as a god. Polygamy, or marriage to more than one wife, was common in
the Epic Age and became widespread under the Guptas.

Literature
Throughout Indian history the most popular writings were the two great epics, the
Mahabharata and Ramayana. People also enjoyed the stories in the Panchatantra, a series of
fables from the Gupta period. Among its stories were those about Sin-bad the Sailor, Jack the
Giant Killer, the Magic Mirror, and the Seven League Boots-stories that are known all over
the world. Indian drama developed greatly under the Gup-tas. Unlike Greek plays, those of
India always had
They offered little action and a happy ending. They offered littel action and used different
dialects for different characters.
Kalidasa, who lived in the 400's A.D., was one of India's greatest dramatists and poets. He
wrote three plays, the most famous of which is Sakuntala.
Art and architecture

Not much is known about Indian art before the reign of Asoka in the 200's B.C. because
earlier Indian artists used wood and other perishable materials. Throughout his empire Asoka
set up pillars with his laws carved on them. A common building during Asoka's time was the
stupa, in the shape of a hemisphere. In the stupa were artifacts and objects associated with
Buddha. Asoka is said to have built 84,000 stupas.

Education
Although the children of the poor learned only crafts or trades, upper-class Indian children
had formal lessons. Just as Greek children learned to read Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Indian
children learned to read the Upanishads and the great Indian epics, the Mahabharata and the
Ramayana. Formal schooling began at the age of nine. By the time of the Guptas, the city of
Nalanda had replaced Taxila as the chief center of Indian scholarship.

Mathematics and astronomy

Indian mathematicians had greater ability at dealing with abstract numbers than did the
mathematicians of Greece and Rome. Indians actually invented the numeral system that we
call Ara-bic—1 through 9 and the zero. Indian astronomers identified the seven planets that
can be seen without the aid of a telescope. They knew that the planets and the moon reflected
the sun's light. They understood the daily rotation of the earth on its axis.

The end of the Guptas

Civilization in India had reached a high peak during the rule of the Guptas. Their rule has
been called a golden age because of the brilliant civilization that flourished then. Gupta rule
ended in 535 A.D., when Hun invaders pushed into northwestern India. These Huns were
related to those that invaded Europe under Attila in the 400's A.D. Although a league of
Indian princes succeeded in preventing the Huns from expanding into the Deccan, the Huns
ravaged northern India and destroyed Taxila.
Contributions of Indian Civilization

Decimal System: The concept of zero and the decimal system, crucial for modern
mathematics, were developed in India. This system was later transmitted to the Islamic world
and Europe.

Algebra and Geometry: Ancient Indian mathematicians like Aryabhata, Brahmagupta, and
Bhaskara made significant advances in algebra, geometry, and trigonometry.

Ayurveda: The ancient system of medicine known as Ayurveda, documented in texts such
as the "Charaka Samhita" and "Sushruta Samhita," emphasizes holistic health and natural
remedies.
Surgery: The "Sushruta Samhita" contains detailed descriptions of surgical techniques,
including plastic surgery and cataract surgery.

Metallurgy: Advanced metallurgical techniques, including the production of high-quality

steel (e.g., Wootz steel) and the Iron Pillar of Delhi.

Engineering: Innovations in urban planning and hydraulic engineering, evidenced by the

sophisticated drainage systems of the Indus Valley Civilization and medieval stepwells.
Trade Networks: The establishment of extensive trade networks with other civilizations,
including the Silk Road and maritime trade routes, which facilitated cultural and economic
exchanges.
The preservation and continued practice of ancient Indian traditions, rituals, and festivals,
including Diwali, Holi, and Navaratri, which remain integral to Indian cultural identity.
The adaptation and integration of ancient Indian knowledge into contemporary fields,
including the use of Ayurveda in holistic health practices and the revival of classical arts and
literature.
The global impact of Indian philosophical ideas and ethical principles, including concepts of
non-violence (ahimsa) and spiritual introspection, which have influenced global spiritual and
ethical movements.
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