Ancient India (Prehistory to c. 1200 CE)
Ancient India (prehistory to c. 1200 CE) tests chronology, material cultures, textual traditions and the relationship between political authority and religion. Expect questions that ask you to identify a period from artefacts, match a dynasty to an inscription, or judge which source supports a claim.
Core sequence and terms
- Prehistory: Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic; Mehrgarh, Bhimbetka, Inamgaon. Harappan urbanism (c. 2600–1900 BCE) with standardised weights, seals, grid towns and drainage; Lothal, Dholavira, Kalibangan.
- Vedic corpus: Rigveda, later Samhitas, Brahmanas, Upanishads; sabha, samiti, rajan, varna. Iron Age megaliths and PGW.
- Mahajanapadas, Mauryan state (Arthashastra, edicts, dhamma), Satavahanas, Kushanas, Guptas, post-Gupta regional kingdoms; temple forms (nagara, dravida) and Buddhist/Jain monastic networks.
Worked example
Question: Which evidence is strongest for Mauryan administrative practice? Reasoning: Ashokan edicts are contemporary inscriptions, so they directly attest royal communication and officials; Arthashastra is prescriptive and its date and stratification are debated; Megasthenes survives only in later quotations; Puranas give dynastic memory, not administrative detail. Best answer: edicts, used with Arthashastra as corroboration.
Traps
Do not collapse Harappan and Vedic chronologies; do not read epics as verbatim event records; avoid unqualified “Golden Age” labels; keep BCE/CE and regnal versus calendar dates distinct.