ANCIENT INDIAN HISTORY’S SOURCES
1. Literary Sources: Vedic, Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit
and other literature and foreign accounts.
2. Archaeological: Epigraphic, numismatic and
architectural remains; archaeological explorations
and excavations.
• Study of development of scripts: Palaeography.
• Study of inscriptions: Epigraphy.
• Study of coins: Numismatics
• Study of monuments, material remains:
Archaeology.
SOURCES OF LITERATURE
Winternitz writes in his work History of Sanskrit
Literature, “It has never been the Indian way to make
a clearly defined distinction between myth, legend and
history; histography in India was never more than a
branch of epic poetry.”
PURANIC LITERATURE
• The Puranic literature is very vast.
• 18 main Puranas, 18 subsidiary Puranas and a large number of other books.
• In all the Puranas royal genealogies are dealt with the reign of Parikshit, the grandson of Arjun, as a benchmark. This may be because of the fact that the coronation of Parikshit is considered to be the beginning of Kali Age.
RAMAYANA, VALMIKI
• The composition of Ramayana started in 5BC. It passed through five stages, the fifth stage being 12AD.
• 6000 ve rses to 12000 verses and finally
24000 verses.
• As a whole, this text seems to have been composed later than Mahabharata.
MAHABHARATA, VED VYAS
• Reflects the state of affairs between 70 BC to 4 AD.
• Originally 8800 verses, collection dealing
with victory.
• Later raised to 24000 verses- came to be known as Bharata after Bharat tribe
Final compilation: 1 lakh verses and came to be known as Mahabharata or Satasahasri Samhita.
• D i d a c t i c p o r t i o n f r o m P o s t M a u r y a , Gupta times.
Market/Economic Reforms
• Alauddin controlled the market by many regulations.
• Fixed the cost of all commodities.
• He set up three markets in Delhi.
• All goods for sale were brought to the open market
called ‘Sarai Adi’.
• He established the market control department under a
minister called diwan-i-riyasat.
VEDIC LITERATURE
• The Four Vedas : We cannot find much trace of political
history in the Vedas, but can have reliable glimpses
of the culture and civilization of the Vedic period.
• Vedic literature are entirely in a different language, which can be called the Vedic language. Its vocabulary contains a wide range of meaning and at times
different in grammatical usages.
• It has a definite mode of pronunciation in which
emphasis changes the meaning entirely.
LATER VEDIC LITERATURE
Brahmanas elaborate on vedic rituals
Aranyakas give discourses on different
spiritual and philosophical
problems.
Upanishads culmination of the vedas
Sulvasutra p r e s c r i b e m e a s u r e m e n t s for sacrificial altars. Mark the beginning of study of geometry and maths.
Srautasutra account of royal
coronation ceremonies Grihyasutra d o m e s t i c r i t u a l s w i t h
birth, naming, marriage,
funeral etc.
JAIN AND BUDDHIST LITERATURE
• Jain literature was written in Prakrit language
• Buddhist literature was written in Pali.
• Since the modern historians have discarded most of
the dynasties mentioned in the Puranas; and Mahavira
and Buddha are considered historical personalities,
only those portions of the puranic dynastic lists have
been accepted that are supplemented and supported
by the Buddhist and Jaina literature.
JATAKA STORIES
• Before he was born as Gautama, the Buddha passed
through more than 550 births, in many cases
in animal-form.
• Each birth story is called Jataka. There are more than
550 such stories.
• Throw light on socio-economic conditions
between 5 BC to 2 BC.
DHAMASUTRAS AND THE SMRITIS
• These are rules and regulations for the general public
and the rulers.
• It can be termed in the modern concept as the
constitution and the law books for the ancient
Indian polity and society. These are also called
Dharmashastras.
• These were compiled between 600 and 200 B.C.
• Manusmriti and Arthashastra are prominent
among them.
KAUTILYA’S ARTHASHASTRA
• A book on statecraft was written in the Maurya period.
• The text is divided into 15 chapters known as books.
• Different books deal with different subject matters
concerning polity, economy and society.
• Even before the final version of Arthashastra was
written in the fourth century B.C. by Kautilya, there
appeared a tradition of writing on and teaching of
statecrafts because Kautilya acknowledges his debt
to his predecessors in the field.
• Mudrarakshasa, a play written by Vishakhadatta, also
gives a glimpse of society and culture.
Important Biographic Point✨✨
• Kumarapalacharita of Jayasimha,
• Kumarapatacharita or Duayashraya Mahakauya
of Hemachandra,
• Harnmirakavya of Nayachandra,
• Navasahasankacharita of Padmagupta,
• Bhojaprabandha of Billal,
• Prithuirajacharit of Chandbardai.
• Sangam Literature
• Earliest Tamil text
• These poets assembled in colleges and compiled
poems over a period of 3 to 4 centuries. This
is Sangam literature.
• Describes many kings and dynasties of South India.
• This literature generally describes events upto the
fourth century A.D.
• Total 30,000 lines of poetry
• Arranged in eight Anthologies called Ettuttokai
• Two main groups, Patinenkilkanakku (18 lower
collections) and the Pattupattu (ten songs). The former
is older than the latter.
• Some kings and events are supported by
inscriptions also.