Ancient India is one of the most unusual civilizations of antiquity. Already in those days they spoke of her as a "land of wise men." Ancient India was in close interaction with both the Arab countries and the ancient world, having a significant impact on their development. Many writers and philosophers of antiquity sought to visit India at least once in their life in order to enrich their worldview.
The first people in India
And this is no accident - the nature and people of Ancient India still continue to interest archaeological scientists. Its territory was inhabited in ancient times. The first tribe that inhabited the territory of modern India were the Dravids. Then, other settlers came to replace the Dravids, who significantly differed in their way of life and traditions. The two largest cities of ancient India, which at various times were political centers, are Mohenjo Daro and Harappa.
The unexpected discovery of the archaeologist Sahni
For the first time, the Harappan civilization was discovered by archaeologists who were interested in the nature and people of Ancient India, and for whom India itself was the homeland. Initially, the goal of the Indian archaeologist R. Sahni and his colleague R. Banerjee was to discover the location of the Old Shiva Temple. However, instead of the ruins of an ancient sanctuary, researchers found the remains of the foundation of an ancient city block. Once upon a time, at the place where the excavations were carried out, there were two- and three-story residential buildings, statues stood on the streets. The city was decorated with gardens, bridges and parks, and in almost every quarter there was a well.
Legend confirmed by facts
After this discovery, the scientist was even more interested in Ancient India, nature and people who were once part of ancient civilization. Sahni decided to take another expedition. This time he set off for a distance of 600 km from the place where the first discovery was made. The intuition of the archaeologist, as well as the stories of local residents did not disappoint the researchers. Even the name of the hill, where once the British chose bricks for the construction of the railway, inspired a mystical thrill. In the translation of "Mohenjo-Daro," where the Sahni expedition was going to go, it means "Settlement of the Dead."
The legend told by the locals was subsequently fully confirmed by the finds of Sahni. It is believed that in ancient times, at the place where the Mohenjo-Daro hill was located, there was a city. His ruler angered the higher powers with his dissolute life, and the gods decided to destroy this civilization. Indeed, in the process of excavation, Sahni discovered a huge city on the hill, which was a contemporary of Ancient Egypt.
Further research
Sahni and his expedition continued to make discoveries that provided more and more information about the nature and people of ancient India. They found several more large cities in the same territory, as well as about a thousand small settlements. The civilization found was called Harappan. In size, it was four times superior to Sumerian.
When archaeologists studied the remains, they came to the conclusion that the Harappan civilization arose around 3300 BC. e. According to scientists, during its heyday, its population was about 5 million people. The population of Mohenjo-Daro was a mix of different races. Most of the inhabitants were Dravids, who, scientists believe, were Australoids. And also on the territory of the Harappan civilization there lived representatives with Sumerian, European and Mongoloid appearance.
During the excavations, scientists also compiled a technological map. The nature and people of ancient India, apparently, were in harmony with each other. The city streets of the Harappan civilization alternated with gardens, did not separate from the surrounding nature. In its location, the streets are largely reminiscent of modern ones. Their width was about ten meters. Wide streets were interconnected by narrow alleys.
The benefits of Indian lands in antiquity
But the cities were not built right away. The nature and people of ancient India, briefly described in the writings of the mentioned archaeologists, were a kind of symbiosis. The very first of the settlements, which date back to 6-4 centuries BC. e., and became the progenitors of ancient Indian civilization. A place for settlement between Northern Balochistan and the Ganges River valley provided the ancestors of modern Indians with water, grain, and flint deposits. Herds of wild goats and buffaloes grazed in the valleys - all conditions contributed to the development of agriculture and agriculture in these places.
Scientists believe that representatives of ancient Indian civilization conducted trade mainly with Sumerians. Sumerian manuscripts also point to this fact. In the territory where the Harappan civilization was once located, various goods of foreign origin were found in large quantities. These are cotton fabrics, beads, jewelry and shells.
The decline of proto-Indian civilization
It is believed that the period of decline of the Harappan civilization falls on 1800 BC. e. Many scholars are convinced that this happened due to the invasion of the Aryans - warlike conquerors from the north-west. Translated from the ancient Indian language, "Arias" means "noble." These were nomadic tribes who were engaged in cattle breeding and ate mainly dairy products. In the future, the cow of the Indians received the status of a sacred animal. Thus, the nature and people of Ancient India gave way to “deities” that came from outside.
Other versions of scientists
First of all, large cities were destroyed by the Aryans. Many buildings fell into decay, and old brick was used to build new houses. The nature and people of ancient India, studied by other archaeologists, may not fully fit into the harmonious theory of the researcher Sahni. Some scholars believe that the cause of the demise of the Harappan civilization was not only enemy invasions, but also environmental degradation. This is a change in the level of the seabed, which caused flooding, and an epidemic of terrible diseases. The version is not ruled out that the low productivity caused by salinization of soils led to the crisis.
Nature and People of Ancient India: Indian Castes
In ancient Indian society, the division into castes originates from about the first millennium BC. e. The need for it was due not only to religious views, but also to the political system. The fact is that the entire population that was conquered by the Aryan conquerors belonged to the lowest caste. The highest caste included brahmanas - priests who did not engage in heavy physical labor. They existed through sacrifices.
Consequences of the caste system for society
The next caste, with which the Brahmins often had conflicts, is warriors, or ksatriyas. Between themselves, they often could not share power. The ksatriyas were followed by vaisyas — peasants and shepherds. The lowest caste was the sudras. Sudras included servants who did the most dirty work. Membership in the caste was inherited. The children of brahmanas could only be brahmanas, the children of sudras - sudras. Such a stratification of society led to the fact that many talented people were doomed to vegetate in poverty, which hindered the development of the whole people.
Throughout the entire excavation, other scholars were carried away by the mystery of the Harappan civilization. Among them are anthropologists who were interested in Ancient India, nature and people who lived in Mohenjo-Daro. They compiled an approximate portrait of a typical representative of the Harappan civilization. Based on the excavations, scientists concluded that they were dark-haired and dark-eyed people with dark skin. They belonged to the Mediterranean branch of the Caucasian race.
Nature and People of Ancient India: Urban Planning Scheme
The largest cities of the Harappan civilization were built with great accuracy. The streets were drawn like a ruler, the houses were the same and geometrically correct. In their form, the homes of the ancient Indians resembled boxes for cakes. In these cities, people had the opportunity to use all the amenities. The so-called irrigation channels flowed through the streets, from which water was supplied to each house.
What are the proto-Indian architects brilliant
Mother nature and people of Ancient India (5th graders begin to get acquainted with the culture and traditions of this country in the context of studying the history of the Ancient World) learned to live in amazing harmony. This symbiosis can impress some facts of the most sophisticated experts. An amazing achievement of that time was the sewage system. Still not having the slightest idea that bacteria multiply especially quickly at warm temperatures, the then architects made a brilliant decision for their time. Under the ground, they laid burnt brick pipes through which all sewage was discharged outside the city. This allowed a large number of people to live in a limited area.