The Indus valley civilization saw its genesis in the
holy land now known as India around 2500 BC. The people inhabiting the
Indus River valley were thought to be Dravidians, whose descendants
later migrated to the south of India. The deterioration of this
civilization that developed a culture based on commerce and sustained by
agricultural trade can be attributed to ecological changes. The second
millennium BC was witness to the migration of the bucolic Aryan tribes
from the North West frontier into the sub continent. These tribes
gradually merged with their antecedent cultures to give birth to a new
milieu.
The Aryan tribes soon started penetrating the east, flourishing along the Ganga and Yamuna Rivers. By 500 BC, the whole of northern India was a civilized land where people had knowledge of iron implements and worked as labor, voluntarily or otherwise. The early political map of India comprised of copious independent states with fluid boundaries, with increasing population and abundance of wealth fueling disputes over these boundaries.
The Aryan tribes soon started penetrating the east, flourishing along the Ganga and Yamuna Rivers. By 500 BC, the whole of northern India was a civilized land where people had knowledge of iron implements and worked as labor, voluntarily or otherwise. The early political map of India comprised of copious independent states with fluid boundaries, with increasing population and abundance of wealth fueling disputes over these boundaries.
Unified under the famous Gupta Dynasty, the north of
India touched the skies as far as administration and the Hindu religion
were concerned. Little wonder then, that it is considered to be India’s
golden age. By 600 BC, approximately sixteen dynasties ruled the north
Indian plains spanning the modern day Afghanistan to Bangladesh. Some of
the most powerful of them were the dynasties ruling the kingdoms of
Magadha, Kosla, Kuru and Gandhara.
Known to be the land of epics and legends, two of the
world’s greatest epics find their birth in Indian settings - the
Ramayana, depicting the exploits of lord Ram, and the Mahabharta
detailing the war between Kauravas and Pandavas, both descendants of
King Bharat. Ramayana traces lord Ram’s journey from exile to the rescue
of his wife Sita from the demonic clutches of Ravana with the help of
his simian companions. Singing the virtues of Dharma(duty), the Gita,
one of the most priced scriptures in Indian Mythology, is the advice
given by Shri Krishna to the grief laden Arjun, who is terrified at the
thought of killing his kin, on the battle ground.
Mahatma Gandhi revived these virtues again, breathing
new life in them, during India’s freedom struggle against British
Colonialism. An ardent believer in communal harmony, he dreamt of a land
where all religions would be the threads to form a rich social fabric.
Other good resources for History of India
