Solution: Daily Problem Practice for 2021 History Optional [Ancient India: Day 28]
Q. Identify the following places marked on the map and write a short note of about 30 words each. Locational hints for each of the places marked on the map are given below seriatim. [2.5×6= 15]
(i) Ancient commercial and education centre
Taxila
- In Rawalpindi district, Pakistan.
- Ancient political, commercial and cultural centre.
- Commercial centre:
- At junction of 3 major trade routes: West Asia, northern India and Central Asia.
- Centre of artisanal production.
- Centre of education:
- Amongst the earliest universities.
- Many do not consider it a university as:
- teachers did not have official membership of particular colleges, and
- there was no purpose-built lecture halls and residential quarters, like Nalanda University.
- Charaka, Chanakya, Jivaka, Panini etc are related to Taxila University.
- Political centre:
- Capital of Gandhara satrapy, under Achaemenian.
- Alexander received submission of ruler of Taxila, Ambhi.
- Taxila became a provincial capital of Mauryas.
- Capital of Indo-Parthian Kingdom, and one of the capitals of Kushanas.
- The Chinese pilgrims Fa Hian (5th century) and Hieun Tsang (7th century) visited Taxila. In ruin during Huen Tsang.
(ii) Ancient capital city
Kapilvastu
- In Kapilvastu ditrict, Nepal (25 km northwest of Lumbini).
- UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Capital of the Shakya kingdom.
- King Suddhodana and Queen Mayadevi of Shakya kingdom gave birth to Gautam Buddha.
- Chinese pilgrims Faxian and Xuanzang made pilgrimages to the site .
- Ancient trade centre.
(iii) Famous inscription and temple site
Aihole
- In Bijapur district, Karnataka.
- It is east of Pattadakal, while Badami is to the west of both.
- First capital of western Chalukyas (later moved to Badami).
- Chalukyan architecture, with many stone temples dating from 5th century CE.
- Earliest structural temples.
- Among the seventy temples found at Aihole, four are important.
- Ladh Khan temple is flat-roofed structure consisting of a pillared hall.
- Durga temple resembles a Buddha Chaitya.
- Huchimalligudi temple.
- The Jain temple at Meguti.
- Caves:
- Ravana Phadi cave- rocks cut temples.
- Jain cave temple
- A Buddhist Chaitya Cave- partly rockcut structure.
- Aihole inscription:
- Aihole Prasasti in Meguti Temple
- Composed by Ravikirti, the court poet of Pulakesin II in 634 A.D.
- In Sanskrit language and old Karnataka script
- Detailed account of Pulakesin II’s exploit against his neighbouring kingdoms like the Pallavas.
- Describes the victory of Pulakesin II against Harshavardhana.
(iv) Terracotta centre
Chandraketugarh
- In North 24 parganas district, West Bengal.
- Archaeological site:
- NBPW found,
- Silver and copper punch marked coins,
- Some of the punch marked coins having ship motif indicate that Chandraketugarh might have been a port-town.
Stone and terracotta beads.Semi-precious stone beads and items of ivory and bone found.Terracotta art:
- Unusual degree of precision and craftsmanship.
- Terracotta plaques are comparable to those found at other sites such as Kaushambi and Ahichhatra.
- Terracotta plaques from these sites often carry similar motifs executed in nearly identical fashion.
- A temple structure of Gupta or post-Gupta period found.
- Stone and terracotta beads.Semi-precious stone beads and items of ivory and bone found.Terracotta art:
- Unusual degree of precision and craftsmanship.
- Terracotta plaques are comparable to those found at other sites such as Kaushambi and Ahichhatra.
- Terracotta plaques from these sites often carry similar motifs executed in nearly identical fashion.
- A temple structure of Gupta or post-Gupta period found.
(v) Chalcolithic site
Inamgaon
- In Pune district, Maharashtra.
- Post-Harappan Chalcolithic site.
- Multiple cultural phases:- Jorwe culture and Malwa Culture found.
- Habitation:
- Early chalcolithic:
- Mud and circular houses.
- Storage pits.
- Biggest houses with five room was of the ruling chief.
- Granary.
- Later Chalcolithic:
- Fortified wall around the settled area.
- Early chalcolithic:
- Pottery:
- Red with black designs.
- Artefacts:
- Stone tools for cutting plants, meat etc.
- Few coppers tools and ornaments found.
- Ornaments:- beads, bangles, and anklets. Later gold also.
- Tools and weapons such as drills, fish hooks and arrowheads.
- Beads of terracotta, semi-precious stones ivory, sea shells.
- Terracotta figurines:- toys, bull, female goddess etc.
- Trade with other parts of the country.
- Agriculture:
- Wheat, barley, lentils, peas, gram and beans.
- Bones of wild and domesticates.
(vi) Early Harappan site
Kot Diji
- In Sind, Amri, on bank of Indus.
- Early and mature Harappan level.
- Settlement:
- Fortified with a massive wall made of limestone rubble and mud-brick
- a citadel complex and a lower residential area
- House walls of stone and mud-brick.
- Artefacts:
- Objects of stone, shell, and bone;
- terracotta figurines (including a bull figurine),
- bangles, and beads;
- Pottery:
- Wheel-made and decorated.
- a short-necked ovoid pot, painted with designs such as the ‘horned deity’, pipal leaves and ‘fish scales’.
- At Kot Diji and Gumla, a burnt deposit between early Harappan and mature Harappan levels suggests a major fire.
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