• Herodotus (484BC-425BC) has been called “The father of history”. He was a Greek historian. He wrote only one book The Histories or Historica (430 BC).
• The Roman philosopher Cicero called Herodotus “The father of History”
• The German historian Leopold Von Ranke is called “The father of Modern History”
• Robert Bruce Foote is known as “The father of India’s Prehistory”
• Alexander Cunningham is called ‘The father of Indian archaeology”.
• The book “Man Makes himself” written by V. Gordon Childe.
• The study of the past examining the remaining materials is called Archaeology.
• The study of coins is known as Numismatics.
• The study of inscription is known as Epigraphy.
• Geological survey of India (GSI) was established in the year 1851.
• Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was established in the year 1861.the first Director-General was Alexander Cunningham.
• The earliest evidence of man in India was found in Bori in Maharashtra.
• Prehistory period (3000000 BC-2500 BC) – No written evidence.

Proto History Period (2500 BC- 600 BC)– Unreadable written evidence.

Historical Period (600 BC –till date)- Readable written evidence.

• Indian history is divided into three periods:

Ancient History – from Stone Age to the death of Harshabardhana (647 AD)

Medivel History – The death of Harsabardhana (647 AD) to the battle of Plassey (1757 AD)

Modern History- The battle of Plassey (1957 AD) to till date

• Some important term about time:

Decade – The period of 10 years

Century – The period of 100 years

Millennium – The period of 1000 years

First half of a century – First 50 years of a century

Second half of a century – Last 50 years of a century

Second decade of 20^th century – 1911 AD to 1920 AD

Seventh decade of 18^th century – 1761 AD to 1770 AD

5^th century BC – 500 BC to 401 BC

19^th century AD – 1801 AD– 1900 AD

BC / BCE– Before Christ / Before the Common Era

AD / CE– Anno Domini (Birth of Jesus Christ) / Common Era

Time Line

1000 BC 500 BC 1 BC 0 1 AD 500 AD 1000 AD

Stone Age

• Stone Age (3000000 BC – 1000 BC) is divided into three parts:

1) The Palaeolithic age or Old Stone Age (3000000 BC -10000 BC)

2) The Mesolithic Age or Middle Stone Age (9000 BC – 4000 BC)

3) The Neolithic Age or New Stone Age (4000 BC -1000 BC)

The Palaeolithic Age or Old Stone Age

• The word “Palaeolithic” consist of two Greek words, Palaeo means old and Lithic means stone.
• The word Palaeolithic was coined by archaeologist Jhon Lubbock in 1865.
• Palaeolithic age is divided into three part:

1) Lower Palaeolithic Age (3000000 BC – 100000 BC)

2) Middle Palaeolithic Age (100000 BC - 40000 BC)

3) Upper Paleolithic Age (40000 BC – 10000 BC)

• Ostriches were found in India during The Palaeolithic Period.
• Homo sapiens first appeared in the last of the phase.
• Food hunting and food gathering are sources of economy.
• They lived on tree and in caves.
• Quartzite is used to make all tools like hand axes, choppers Scrapers and blades etc.
• Man during this time used tool of unpolished and undressed.
• Palaeolithic men are also called Quarzite men.
• Palaeolithic men belonged to the Negrito race.
• They had no knowledge of agriculture, fire and pottery.
• Robert Bruce Foote, the British geologist discovered the site Pallavaram in Chingelput district of Tamil Nadu in 1863.
• Palaeolithic site Bimbetka famous for rock printing.it is situated at Raisen district in Madhya Pradesh and close to Narmada River.
• Bimbetka cave was discovered by Dr Vishnu Shridhar Vakankar in 1957.

Bimbetka has the oldest known rock art in the Indian Subcontinent.UNESCO recognized Bimbetka Cave as World Heritage Centre.

• Hungsi a Palaeolithic site is close to the Krishna river.a large numbers of tool made of limestone was found here.

The Mesolithic Age or Middle Stone Age

• The word “Mesolithic” consist of two Greek words, Meso means middle and Lithic means stone.
• This period belonged to Holocene Era.
• Man tammed (domisticated) dog at first.
• Famous Mesolithic site:

Sites Name	Location
Bagor	Rajasthan
Langhnaj	Gujarat
Kaimur	Mirzapur, UP
Adamgarh Hill	Madhya Pradesh
Brahmgiri	Karnataka
Adichnallur	Tamil Nadu

 

• Evidence of first domestication of animals is found in Bagor and Adamgarh Hills.
• Mr Jhon Evans excavated Sakkar and Rohri sites (Sindh) in 1866.
• Mesolithic men stared making pots. In this period made pottery by hand.

The Neolithic Age or New Stone Age

• The word “Neolithic” consist of two Greek words; Neo means

new and Lithic means stone.

• Neolithic men domesticated sheep and goat.
• Neolithic men are food producer.
• Famous sites:-

Sites Name	Location
Mehargarh	Bolan district, Pakistan
Gufkral, Burzaham	Jammu and Kashmir
Chirand	Bihar
Belan Valley, Koldhiva	UP
Hallur	Karnataka

 

• Mehargarh is the oldest Neolithic site in India. The oldest evidence of Wheat and Barly cultivation was found from Mehargarh in Indian Subcontinent.
• Neolithic men cultivated Wheat, Barly Paddy etc
• The oldest evidence of the Paddy cultivation was found Koldihawa at Allahabad district in Uttar Pradesh in Indian Subcontinent.
• Use of potter wheel first appears during the Neolithic age.

The Metal Age

Chalcolithic Age or Copper Stone Age

(3500 BC -1000 BC)

• Copper was the first metal to be used.
• Presence of printed pottery (black and red) in this period.
• The practice of burying the dead body in a particular direction.
• Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin.
• Chalcolithic sites:

Kayatha in Madhya Pradesh

Jorwe in Maharashtra (except part of Vidarbha and Konkan).

Iron Age

(1000 BC – 500 BC)

• Mass production of weapons made from iron and steel.
• Iron is frequently referred to in Vadas.