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FROM THE MESOLITHIC TO THE MAHAJANAPADAS: THE MARCH TOWARDS URBANIZATION IN THE GANGA BASIN
Publisher:
Aryan Books International
| Author:
B.B. Lal
| Language:
English
| Format:
Hardback
Publisher:
Aryan Books International
Author:
B.B. Lal
Language:
English
Format:
Hardback
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244
The 6th-5th centuries before the Common Era witnessed an outburst of urbanization in the Ganga Basin. Cities sprang up with houses built of kiln-fired bricks and oriented along the cardinal directions. Sanitation was taken due care of, with soakage jars, ‘ring wells’ and public drains. Water-supply was ensured by constructing wells and reservoirs.
Surplus agricultural produce and storage thereof in granaries testified to basic economic health. Trade was in full swing and there were long-distance trade-routes, such as Uttarapatha and Daksinapatha. Systems of weights and coinage emerged and that of writing was not left behind.
All this coincided with the emergence of Sodasa Mahajanapadas (Sixteen Big States), which throws light on the contemporary political set-up. Matrimonial alliances on the one hand and wars on the other became common features. A striking point about the Ganga Civilization is that whereas the Harappan Civilization was confined to the north-western part of India, this civilization covered the entire sub-continent -from Pakistan to Bangladesh and down south even to Sri Lanka.
But, as they say, ‘Rome was not built in a day’. It took four millennia for the Ganga Civilization to evolve from a Neolithic base in the 4th millennium BCE. On this foundation impinged a chalcolithic culture, followed by the emergence of iron. Signs of an incipient urbanization began to appear with the Painted Grey Ware Culture towards the end of 2nd millennium BCE. The book deals with this ‘march towards urbanization’ in the Ganga basin.
Description
The 6th-5th centuries before the Common Era witnessed an outburst of urbanization in the Ganga Basin. Cities sprang up with houses built of kiln-fired bricks and oriented along the cardinal directions. Sanitation was taken due care of, with soakage jars, ‘ring wells’ and public drains. Water-supply was ensured by constructing wells and reservoirs.
Surplus agricultural produce and storage thereof in granaries testified to basic economic health. Trade was in full swing and there were long-distance trade-routes, such as Uttarapatha and Daksinapatha. Systems of weights and coinage emerged and that of writing was not left behind.
All this coincided with the emergence of Sodasa Mahajanapadas (Sixteen Big States), which throws light on the contemporary political set-up. Matrimonial alliances on the one hand and wars on the other became common features. A striking point about the Ganga Civilization is that whereas the Harappan Civilization was confined to the north-western part of India, this civilization covered the entire sub-continent -from Pakistan to Bangladesh and down south even to Sri Lanka.
But, as they say, ‘Rome was not built in a day’. It took four millennia for the Ganga Civilization to evolve from a Neolithic base in the 4th millennium BCE. On this foundation impinged a chalcolithic culture, followed by the emergence of iron. Signs of an incipient urbanization began to appear with the Painted Grey Ware Culture towards the end of 2nd millennium BCE. The book deals with this ‘march towards urbanization’ in the Ganga basin.
About Author
A world-renowned archaeologist, Prof. B.B. Lal was the Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India from 1968 to 1972. In the latter year he took voluntary retirement to pursue his research programmes independently. First he joined Jiwaji University, Gwalior, as a Professor and later the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla, of which he was also the Director.
Professor Lal's excavations cover a very wide range - from Paleolithic times to early historical. At Kalibangan, Rajasthan, he unearthed a prosperous city of the Harappan Civilization. The excavations at Hastinapura, Indraprastha, etc. have established that there was a kernel of truth in the Mahabharata, even though the epic is full of interpolations. Likewise, his excavations at Ayodhya, Sringaverapura, etc. have indicated that the Ramayana too has a basis in history. In 1961, he conducted excavations in Egypt also, which threw welcome light on Egyptian prehistory.
His publications include over 150 seminal research papers, published in scientific journals, both in India and abroad: USA, UK, France, Italy, Russia, Egypt, Afghanistan, Japan, etc. Amongst his latest books are: Historicity of the Mahabharata: Evidence of Literature, Art and Archaeology (2013); The Rigvedic People: 'Invaders'? f Immigrants'? Or Indigenous (Evidence of Archaeology and Literature) (2015); Kausambi Revisited (2017).
In 1994, Prof. Lal was awarded D. Litt. (Honoris causa) by Institute of Archaeology, St. Petersburg, Russia. The same year he presided over World Archaeological Congress. He has been Chairman and member of several committees of UNESCO. In 1982, Mithila Visvavidyalaya honoured him with the title of Mahamahopadhyaya. In 2014, the Deccan College, Postgraduate and Research Institute, Pune (Deemed to be University) conferred on him D. Litt. (Honoris causa). In 2019, the Vice President of India honoured Prof Lal by releasing a three-volume set of a book titled Felicitating a Legendary Archaeologist: Prof B.B. Lal.
In recognition of his contribution to archaeology, the President of India honoured him in 2000 with the award of Padma Bhusana.
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