Geographical background of ancient India
Where you live decides your food, clothes and home — wool in the hills and farming by the river. In ancient times too, the land shaped human life.
The mountains, rivers, climate, soil and minerals of a region are its geographical background. They decide which crop to grow, where to settle and how to travel.
Key idea 1 : Mountains and climate — The Himalayas shield the country from cold winds from the north. North India is cool and dry, the south hot and humid; so crops and human habits became different.
Key idea 2 : Rivers and fertile soil — Silt-rich soil brought by rivers is fertile for farming. The Ganga-Yamuna region and the plateau of central India were excellent for agriculture. The Deccan’s black soil is fertile, and with the Godavari, Krishna and their tributaries, Chalcolithic settlements grew in Maharashtra.
Key idea 3 : Coast and trade — With the Arabian Sea in the west and the Bay of Bengal in the east, Indians could trade by sea with distant countries.
- Easy : Why did settlements grow beside the Godavari? — Water and fertile black soil were available.
- Medium : Which mountain shields the country from cold northern winds? — The Himalayas.
- Exam-type : What benefit did the coastline give? — Trade with distant lands.
In the figure: Effect of mountains, rivers-soil and the sea on human life.
Geography shapes human life; India’s diversity comes from its geographical diversity.
There was not one kind of farming everywhere; crops changed with climate and soil.
Mountain = protection; river = farming; sea = trade. Memory clue: ‘M-R-S’: mountain, river, sea.
Spot the difference
| Factor | Use |
|---|---|
| Himalayas | Protection from cold winds |
| Rivers | Fertile soil, water, farming |
| Sea | Distant trade |
Practice questions
- 1What is geographical background?
- 2How do the Himalayas benefit the country?
- 3What is the soil of the Deccan plateau?
- 4Name two rivers of Maharashtra.
- 5Why did settlements grow because of rivers?
- 6State the difference in climate between north and south India.
- 7How did geographical diversity make cultures differ? Give an example.
- 8How does the geography of your village affect life there? Write three points.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1The mountains, rivers, climate, soil and minerals of a region.
- 2Protection from cold winds and storms.
- 3Black soil, which is fertile.
- 4Godavari and Krishna.
- 5Because water and fertile soil are available for farming.
- 6Cool and dry in the north; hot and humid in the south.
- 7Because crops, homes and lifestyle changed with climate; e.g. wheat in the north, coconut and fish on the coast.
- 8Answer as per your village; e.g. farming if there is a river, wood and water if there are hills.
Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Age
If we get no food outside, we cook ourselves; but the Palaeolithic man had to search for fruits and roots daily. He kept wandering for food.
The age in which human tools were mainly of stone is the Stone Age. It has three parts: Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic.
Key idea 1 : Palaeolithic Age — Humans depended entirely on nature, living in caves or on big trees. Tools were rough and used for hunting, scraping and digging. The greatest discovery of human history — fire — came in this age; it made cooking possible. Gangapur near Nashik and Nevasa-Chirki are famous sites in Maharashtra.
Key idea 2 : Mesolithic Age — Humans began living in groups in natural caves and rock shelters. Tools became smaller and different kinds of stone were used. The dog was the first animal domesticated; goats and sheep were also kept. Fishing began. Patne in Jalgaon district is an important site in Maharashtra.
Key idea 3 : From nomadic to settled life — The Mesolithic Age was a transition from nomadic to settled life.
- Easy : In which age was fire discovered? — Palaeolithic.
- Medium : Which was the first domesticated animal? — The dog.
- Exam-type : Which Mesolithic site is in Jalgaon district? — Patne.
In the figure: Discovery of fire in the Palaeolithic and keeping animals in the Mesolithic.
Palaeolithic = fire; Mesolithic = small tools and domesticated animals.
All animals were not tamed at once; first the dog, then goats and sheep.
Palaeo = fire; Meso = small tools. Memory clue: ‘Palaeo kindles, Meso tames’.
Spot the difference
| Point | Palaeolithic | Mesolithic |
|---|---|---|
| Tools | Rough, large | Small, sharp |
| Living | Caves, trees | Caves, temporary camps |
| Key point | Discovery of fire | Animal keeping, fishing |
Practice questions
- 1What is the Stone Age?
- 2Which are the three parts of the Stone Age?
- 3What was the greatest discovery of the Palaeolithic Age?
- 4Name two Palaeolithic sites in Maharashtra.
- 5What changes happened in the Mesolithic Age?
- 6What changes might fire have brought to human life? Write two.
- 7Why is the Mesolithic Age called a transition period?
- 8Compare the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic ages in three points.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1The age when human tools were mainly of stone.
- 2Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic.
- 3The discovery of fire.
- 4Gangapur and Nevasa-Chirki.
- 5Tools became small, the dog was domesticated, fishing began.
- 6Food could be cooked; protection from cold and animals.
- 7Because it was the start of the move from nomadic to settled life.
- 8Tools — large and small; living — caves/trees and caves/camps; importance — fire and animal keeping.
Neolithic Age: agriculture and settled life
Once grain grows in the field, there is no worry about food for the whole year. This is exactly what Neolithic man learnt — growing grain.
In the Neolithic Age humans learnt farming and animal rearing, made polished tools and built permanent villages.
Key idea 1 : Invention of agriculture — It is believed that women began agriculture. Seeds were sown by digging with a pointed stick; the stick was weighted with a stone with a hole. Wheat, jowar, rice, pulses and cotton were grown.
Key idea 2 : New tools and arts — The polished axe was made and the technique of fixing it to a handle arrived. Pottery, weaving and animal rearing changed life.
Key idea 3 : Villages and family — Staying in one place from sowing to harvest made people settle by rivers, and villages formed. Storing surplus grain gave some time to learn new skills. The family began to take shape.
- Easy : Why did Neolithic man stop wandering? — Farming kept him in one place.
- Medium : Who is believed to have started farming? — Women.
- Exam-type : How did villages form? — People settled permanently by rivers for farming.
In the figure: Sowing, harvest, grain storage and the permanent village.
Farming = settled life = villages; the main change of the Neolithic Age.
Neolithic people did not give up hunting completely; it simply stopped being the main livelihood.
Farming → store → village. Memory clue: ‘Fa-St-Vi’.
Spot the difference
| Point | Mesolithic | Neolithic |
|---|---|---|
| Food | Gathering natural crops | Sowing and growing grain |
| Tools | Small stone | Polished axe |
| Living | Temporary camps | Permanent villages |
Practice questions
- 1What was the most important invention of the Neolithic Age?
- 2Name two crops of this age.
- 3How did villages arise?
- 4Which arts developed in the Neolithic Age?
- 5What change did surplus grain bring?
- 6State the difference between the Mesolithic and Neolithic ages.
- 7What would life be like today if Neolithic man had not learnt farming? Write your opinion.
- 8Explain with an example how farming ended nomadic life.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1The invention of agriculture.
- 2Wheat and jowar (or rice, cotton).
- 3Staying in one place from sowing to harvest made people settle permanently by rivers.
- 4Pottery and weaving.
- 5Some had time to learn new skills and progress was made.
- 6In the Mesolithic natural crops were gathered, in the Neolithic grain was grown by sowing; tools small and polished; settlement temporary and permanent.
- 7We would have had to wander daily for food and villages, cities and schools would not have come up.
- 8One had to stay near the field between sowing and harvest in a season; so settlement became permanent.
Chalcolithic Age and excavation sites in Maharashtra
Metal wheels of a bicycle make travel faster than old wooden ones. The invention of the wheel increased transport and trade in ancient times too.
The age in which humans learnt to use copper but stone tools remained in use is the Chalcolithic Age (copper + stone).
Key idea 1 : Copper, wheel and trade — Copper was discovered and the invention of the wheel made transport faster. Skilled trades like carpentry and metalwork grew; distant trade increased and trade centres arose.
Key idea 2 : Sites in Maharashtra — Chalcolithic sites were found on the banks of the Tapi, Godavari, Krishna, Bhima and Pravara. Daimabad (Ahilyanagar), Inamgaon (Pune district), Jorwe (Ahilyanagar) and Nevasa are major sites.
Key idea 3 : Jorwe culture and Inamgaon — The culture first found at Jorwe is known for black-painted designs on red pots, copper bangles and beads. Inamgaon was a well-planned Chalcolithic village; houses, grain bins and evidence of wheat, jowar, rice and pulses were found. A feature of the period was burying a child in two pots joined mouth to mouth.
- Easy : Why this name? — Both copper and stone were used.
- Medium : How is Jorwe culture recognised? — Black designs on red pots.
- Exam-type : What did the wheel change? — Transport became faster and trade grew.
In the figure: Chalcolithic sites of Maharashtra: Daimabad, Inamgaon and Jorwe.
What happened before the Daimabad bronzes were found? B. P. Bopardikar found the mound of Daimabad on the bank of the Pravara in 1958, and the Archaeological Survey of India held the first excavation there in 1958-59. It was then clear that the mound was a Chalcolithic settlement, but nobody knew what would be found next.
What happened after the Daimabad bronzes were found? In 1974 a local farmer, Chhabu Laxman Bhil, found four large bronze sculptures while digging — a chariot driven by a man, an elephant, a rhinoceros and a buffalo. Together they weigh over 60 kg and are made by the ‘lost-wax’ method. The sculptures are now in the National Museum in Delhi.
Tamra = copper; pashan = stone; together the Chalcolithic Age.
Stone tools did not stop in the Chalcolithic Age; copper and stone were both used.
Daimabad = bronzes; Inamgaon = planned village; Jorwe = black on red pottery. Memory clue: ‘D-I-J’ = bronze, village, pots.
Spot the difference
| Site | Known for |
|---|---|
| Daimabad | Bronzes (chariot, elephant, rhinoceros, buffalo) |
| Inamgaon | Well-planned settlement |
| Jorwe | Black designs on red pots |
Practice questions
- 1What is the Chalcolithic Age?
- 2What was the effect of the wheel’s invention?
- 3Name three Chalcolithic sites in Maharashtra.
- 4Which are the Daimabad bronzes?
- 5State the features of the Jorwe culture.
- 6What was the method of burying children?
- 7How and by whom were the Daimabad sculptures found?
- 8Why did Chalcolithic settlements grow along rivers? Write your opinion.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1The age in which both copper and stone were used.
- 2Transport became faster and trade grew.
- 3Daimabad, Inamgaon and Jorwe.
- 4A chariot with a driver, an elephant, a rhinoceros and a buffalo.
- 5Black designs on red pots, copper bangles and beads.
- 6A child was buried in two pots joined mouth to mouth.
- 7In 1974 farmer Chhabu Laxman Bhil found them while digging.
- 8Water, fertile soil and ease of transport are available beside rivers.