Anatomically modern humans first arrived on the Indian subcontinent between 73,000 and 55,000 years ago. The earliest known human remains in South Asia date to 30,000 years ago. Sedentariness began in South Asia around 7000 BCE; by 4500 BCE, settled life had spread, and gradually evolved into the Indus Valley civilisation, which flourished between 2500 BCE and 1900 BCE in present-day Pakistan and north-western India. Early in the second millennium BCE, persistent drought caused the population of the Indus Valley to scatter from large urban centres to villages. Indo- Aryan tribes moved into the Punjab from Central Asia in several waves of migration. The Vedic Period (1500–500 BCE) was marked by the composition of their large collections of hymns (Vedas). The social structure was stratified via the varna system, which persists till this day. The pastoral and nomadic Indo-Aryans spread from the Punjab into the Gangetic plain. Around 600 BCE, a new, interregional culture arose; then, small chieftaincies (janapadas) were consolidated into larger states (mahajanapadas). A second urbanisation took place, which came with the rise of new ascetic movements and religious concepts, including the rise of Jainism and Buddhism. The latter was synthesised with the preexisting religious cultures of the subcontinent, giving rise to Hinduism. Chandragupta Maurya overthrew the Nanda Empire and established the first great empire in ancient India, the Maurya Empire. The Maurya Empire would collapse in 185 BCE, on the assassination of the thenemperor Brihadratha by his general Pushyamitra Shunga. Shunga would go on to form the Shunga Empire in the north and northeast of the subcontinent, while the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom would claim the northwest and found the Indo-Greek Kingdom. Various parts of India were ruled by numerous dynasties, including the Gupta Empire, in the 4th to 6th centuries CE. This period, witnessing a Hindu religious and intellectual resurgence, is known as the Classical or Golden Age of India.
Dr. Bhupendra Kumar Sullere is a researcher, author, and senior journalist with a keen interest in Indian Knowledge Systems, cultural studies, and contemporary social issues. He is currently pursuing academic research at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hindi Vishwavidyalaya and holds a Ph.D. from Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya. His writings focus on Indian knowledge traditions, culture, education, and national thought. He has contributed numerous articles and research papers to newspapers, journals, and academic forums.
Preface Chapter 1 Stone Age Chapter 2 Chalcolithic Period Chapter 3 Indus Valley Civilization Chapter 4 Jainism and Buddhism Chapter 5 Maurya Empire Chapter 6 Shunga Dynasty Chapter 7 Kushan Empire Chapter 8 Satavahana Dynasty Chapter 9 Gupta Empire Chapter 10 Chalukya Dynasty Chapter 11 GurjaraPratihara Dynasty Chapter 12 Chola Dynasty Chapter 13 From Pala Dynasty To Kakatiya Dynasty Bibliography Index
$280.00