6th class NCERT

1. Bhimbhetka

The Bhimbetka rock shelters are an archaeological site of the Paleolithic,

exhibiting the earliest traces of human life on the Indian subcontinent, and thus

the beginning of the South Asian Stone Age. It is located in the Raisen District in

the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, near Abdullaganj town and inside the

Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary. At least some of the shelters were inhabited b y

Homo erectus more than 100,000 years ago. Some of the Stone Age rock

paintings found among the Bhimbetka rock shelters are approximately 30,000

years old.[3] The caves also deliver early evidence of dance. They were declared

a World Heritage Site in 2003.

The word Bhimbetka is said to derive from Bhimbaithka, meaning "sitting place of

Bhima". Bhimbetka was first mentioned in Indian archeological records in 1888

as a Buddhist site.

2. Burzahom

The site of Burzahom is a Neolithic settlement and cemetery in the Kashmir state of India, occupied between about 3000-1500 BC. The earliest houses at the site were semisubterranean pithouses (that is, partially excavated into the ground). After 2000 BC, the residences were all above-ground mud-brick residences. 

3. Mehrgarh

Mehergarh or Mehrgar, is one of the most important Neolithic (6500 BCE to c. 2500 BCE) sites in archaeology. It lies on the Kacchi Plain of Balochistan, Pakistan. It is one of the earliest sites with evidence of farming and herding in South Asia.

Early Mehrgarh residents lived in mud brick houses, stored their grain in granaries, fashioned tools with local copper ore, and lined their large basket

containers with bitumen. They cultivated six row barley, einkornand emmer wheat, jujubes and dates, and herded sheep, goats and cattle. Residents of the later period (5500 BCE to 2600 BCE) put much effort into crafts, including flint knapping, tanning, bead production, andmetal working.[4] Mehrgarh is probably the earliest known center of agriculture in South Asia.[5]

4. Belum Caves

Belum Caves is the second largest cave in Indian subcontinent and the longest caves in plains of Indian Subcontinent, known for its stalactite and stalagmite formations. Belum Caves have long passages, spacious chambers, fresh water galleries and siphons. It is a natural underground cave formed by the constant flow of underground water. The caves reach its deepest point (150 feet from entrance level) at the point known as Pataalaganga. Belum Caves derive their name from "Bilum" Sanskrit word for caves. Belum Caves is located at Belum Village in Kolimigundla Mandal of Kurnool District in State of Andhra Pradesh. Also known as Kurnool Caves.

5. Hallur

Karnatka…archiological site (Map attached in last)

6. Chirand

Chirand is a stratified Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and Iron Age settlement in the eastern Ganges Valley of Bihar in northern India, between about 2500-AD. The Neolithic occupation (2500-1345 BC) contains evidence of small circular huts, and small scale farming of wheat, rice, mung, masur, and peas.

7. Pressure Flaking Technique - Making stone tools.

8. Palaeolithic = Palaeo means old Lithos means stone.2 million years ago to 12000 years ago…this span of time covers 99 percent of human history.

9. Mesolithic means middle stone = 12000 yrs ago to 10000 years ago when there started change in environment. Stone tools found in this age are generally tiny and called microliths.

10. Neolithic=

11. Ostrices eggs were found in india of paliolithic age.

Keyword: Domestication; Beginnings of domestication (about 12,000 years ago)

12. Catal Huyuk: Archiological site in Turkey.

13. Mohan jodro

Mohenjo-daro  Mound of the Dead is an archeological site in the province of Sindh, Pakistan. Built around 2600 BCE. Significant excavation has since been conducted at the site of the city, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.

14. Kalibangan

Kalibangān is a town located at banks of the Ghaggar (Ghaggar-Hakra River), identified by some scholars with Sarasvati River in Tehsil Pilibangān, between Suratgarh and Hanumāngarh in Hanumangarh district, Rajasthan. It is also identified as being established in the triangle of land at the confluence of Drishadvathi and Sarasvathi Rivers.[3]  Kalibangan is distinguished by its unique fire altars and "world's earliest attested ploughed field".

15. Harappa

Harappa  is an archaeological site in Punjab, eastern Pakistan, The site takes its name from a modern village located near the former course of the Ravi River. The site of the ancient city contains the ruins of a Bronze Age fortified city

16. Dholavira, Lothal – Gujarat

Keyword: Craft person

17. Budh : Belongs to sakhaya gana; passed in kushinara.

18.Kisagotmi: a lady who asked Budh to make her son alive

19. Zoroastar

Zoroaster was an Iranian prophet. His teachings are contained in a book called the Avesta. The language of the Avesta, and the practices described in it are very similar to those of the Vedas. The basic teachings of Zoroaster are contained in the maxim “Good thoughts, Good Words and Good Deeds.” For more than a thousand years, Zoroastrianism was a major religion in Iran. Later, some Zoroastrians migrated from Iran and settled down in the coastal towns of Gujarat and Maharashtra. They were the ancestors of today’s Parsis.

20. Mahavira and Buddha : about 2500 yrs ago.

21. Ashoka

The empire that Ashoka ruled was founded by his grandfather, Chandragupta Maurya, more than 2300 years ago. Chandragupta was supported by a wise man named Chanakya or Kautilya. Many of Chanakya’s ideas were written down in a book called the Arthashastra. Chandragupt > Bindusara > Ashoka

22. Taxila : in Rawalpindi Pakistan; known as “city of cut stones”.

23. Megasthenes was the ambassador of Selecus Nicator to Chandergupta Maurya.

24. Kalinga : name of coastal Orrisa.

25. Use of iron began 3000 yrs ago.

26. Village headman was known as the grama bhojaka. Usually, men from the same family held the position for generations. In other words, the post was hereditary. The grama bhojaka was often the largest landowner. Generally, he had slaves and hired workers to cultivate the land. Besides, as he was powerful,

the king often used him to collect taxes from the village. He also functioned as a judge, and sometimes as a policeman.

27. Grihapatis : Smaller landowners.

28. Dasa karmakara: did not own land, and had to earn a living working on the fields owned by others.

29. In the Tamil region, large landowners were known as vellalar, ordinary ploughmen were known as uzhavar, and landless labourers, including slaves, were known as kadaisiyar and adimai.

30. The earliest Tamil compositions: Sangam literature, were composed around 2300 years ago. These texts were called Sangam because they were supposed to have been composed and compiled in assemblies (known as sangams) of poets that were held in the city of Madurai.

31. Jatakas: These were stories that were probably composed by ordinary people, and then written down and preserved by Buddhist monks.

32. Mathura became the second capital of kushanas.

33. Shrenis: Many crafts persons and merchants now formed associations known as shrenis.

34. Arikamedu: Arikamedu was a coastal settlement where ships unloaded goods from distant lands.

35. Silk Route: Techniques of making silk were first invented in China around 7000 years ago. While the methods remained a closely guarded secret for thousands of years, some people from China who went to distant lands on foot,Horse back, and on camels, carried silk with them. The paths they followed came to be known as the Silk Route. Some kings tried to control large portions of the route. This was because they could benefit from taxes, tributes and gifts that were brought by traders travelling along the route. In return, they often protectedthe traders who passed through their kingdoms from attacks by robbers. The best-known of the rulers who controlled the Silk Route were the Kushanas, who ruled over central Asia and north-west India around 2000 years ago. Their two major centres of power were Peshawar and Mathura. Taxila was also included

in their kingdom. During their rule, a branch of the Silk Route extended from Central Asia down to the seaports at the mouth of the river Indus, from where silk was shipped westwards to the Roman Empire. The Kushanas were amongst theearliest rulers of the subcontinent to issue gold coins. These were used by traders along the Silk Route.

36. The spread of Buddhism

The most famous Kushana ruler was Kanishka, who ruled around 1900 years ago. He organized a Buddhist council, where scholars met and discussed important matters. Ashvaghosha, a poet who composed a biography of the Buddha, the Buddhacharita, lived in his court.

37. Kalidas, the poet and astronomer Aryabhata were during the time of Chandrgupta II i.e Vikramayaditya

Showing Important Cities and Kingdoms

38. Harshavardhana, ruled India nearly 1400 years ago. His court poet, Banabhatta, wrote his biography, the Harshacharita, in Sanskrit. This gives us the genealogy of Harsha, and ends with his becoming king. Xuan Zang, Chinese visitor, also spent a lot of time at Harsha’s court and left a detailed account of what he saw.

39. The Pallavas, Chalukyas and Pulakeshin’s prashasti

The Pallavas and Chalukyas were the most important ruling dynasties in south India.

kingdom of the Pallavas: spread from the region around their capital, Kanchipuram, to the Kaveri delta,

Kingdom of Chalukyas: Centred around the Raichur Doab, between the rivers Krishna and Tungabhadra. Aihole, the capital of the Chalukyas, was an important trading centre. It developed as a religious centre, with a number of temples.

The best known Chalukya ruler was Pulakeshin II.

Both the Pallavas and the Chalukyas gave way to new rulers belonging to the Rashtrakuta and Chola dynasties.

40. Administration Structure

Poet Harishena was:

Maha-danda-nayaka, or chief judicial officer,

Kumar-amatya, meaning an important minister, and a

Sandhi-vigrahika, meaning a minister of war and peace.

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Nagara shreshthi means chief banker or merchant of the city.

sarthavaha or leader of the merchant caravans

prathama-kulika or the chief craftsman, and the head of the kayasthas or scribes.

41. Samantas.

There were military leaders who provided the king with troops whenever he needed them. They were not paid regular salaries. Instead, some of them received grants of land. They collected revenue from the land and used this to maintain soldiers and horses, and provide equipment for warfare. These men were known as samantas. Whenever the ruler was weak, samantas tried to become independent.

42. Assemblies in Southern Kingdoms

sabha, :Assembly of brahmin land owners. This assembly functioned through subcommittees, which looked after irrigation, agricultural operations, making roads, local temples, etc.

Ur : Village assembly found in areas where the land owners were not brahmins.

Nagaram: An organisation of merchants. It is likely that these assemblies were controlled by rich and powerful landowners and merchants.

43. Stupa

Stupa means a mound. Generally, there is a small box placed at the centre or heart of the stupa. This may contain bodily remains (such as teeth, bone or ashes) of the Buddha or his followers, or things they used, as well as precious stones, and coins. This box, known as a relic casket, was covered with earth. Later, a layer of mud brick or baked brick was added on top. And then, the dome like structure was sometimes covered with carved stone slabs.

Amaravati was a place where a magnificent stupa once existed. The most important part of the temple was the room known as the garbhagriha, where the image of the chief deity was placed.

44. Ajanta Caves

Ajanta: Most of canes in Ajanta were monasteries for Buddhist monks, and some of them were decorated with paintings. The colours, which are vivid even after 1500 years, were made of plants and minerals.

45. Books

Silappadikaram : A famous Tamil epic, the Silappadikaram, was composed by a poet named Ilango, around 1800 years ago.

Manimekalai : Tamil epic, the Manimekalai was composed by Sattanar around 1400 years ago.

Meghadutta: Kalidas best known poem.

Aryabhatiyam: Wrote by aryabhatta.

Paper; invented by Chinese man Cai Lun.

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