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1419

Ancient civilizations of the world

Part 1 India

Shantimoy Chakraborty
Helsinki, October 2012

We are living in a modern globalized world, where often it is very difficult to understand which part of this
planet you are in. Some super markets, some food shops are same everywhere due to the globalized
economy. Achievements of modern science are everywhere. A small village in India will have probably
the same mobile communication field as in some small localities of the USA or any other part of the world.
So the civilization in present days is global and in it will continue to be like that in many years to come. My
hope is that people will forget the animosities and merge into a true great civilization without wars and
controversies and live a peaceful prosperous life. Well, nothing stops me to dream nice things!
However, this was not the case few thousand years back while distinct civilizations prevailed in different
parts of the world in different times. Some of them clashed with one another and others were peaceful.
Some parts of the world lived very primitive way of life, which basically was confined to the struggle for
food. In other parts people lived a very organized higher level life, where art, architecture, music , religion
etc achieved a very high degree of sophistication.
Many of the civilizations are still unknown. The archeologists are discovering new civilizations as their
work progresses. Here I would try to give a summary of the ancient civilizations: when they emerged,
what were the main features of their civilization and if there was a reason for their end or it still prevails.
The first part of it naturally occupies the Indian civilizations. It is great and still continues to be. It
contributed to the worlds culture and economy to the fullest extent a civilization can. It had some
th
th
setbacks in the modern history during the period from 18 to 20 century. Just to quote some figures: in
the year 1700 Indias contribution to the world economy was 20% of the world GDP, while in 1950 the
contribution went down to 4%. Obviously, it was due to the colonial exploitation of India by foreign rulers.
Now that since the late 1990-s the economy is growing at a good rate, the contribution to world economy
is increasing and is about 8% now. India has about 17% of the world population. So it naturally has to
contribute at least 17% to the world economy.
Lets see what in brief the ancient Indian civilizations were about. What were the main features
characterizing the Indian civilizations? The other ancient civilizations like Greek, Chinese, Egyptian,
Maya etc. will be discussed in the next parts.

Civilization Emerging
period

Indian - Indus

4500 3700
years ago

Main features

India - Aryan

About 3600
years ago

Cities like Harappa, MohenjoDaro and Kalibangan;

Population about 35 000 in
each center;
Houses on raised platforms
made of bricks, two storied
buildings, pottery, granaries,
large baths etc.
Trade relations with outside
world; traded commodities
included pottery, inlays,
precious woods, ivory combs,
pearls, semi-precious stones
etc.
Development of cotton,
invention of the technology to
turn cotton to yarn and yarn to
cloth.
Grew wheat, barley, field-peas,
melons, sesame and dates.
Domesticated humped cattle,
short-horn cattle, and
buffaloes, and perhaps even
pigs, camels, horses, and
donkeys.
About 400 symbolic pictures
yet to be deciphered
The Indo European speaking
tribes entered India from
eastern Iran by 1500 BC.
The Rig Veda the main
religious and socio-economic
text was written during 3300
3100 years ago. It exhibits the
ability of the Aryan mind to
grasp the multiple dimensions
of human life. The language
(Sanskrit) which exhibits
immense potentialities in its
vocabulary reveals that the
community was full of
potentialities
The tribes were called Gana
(literally a "collection" - of

Reason for
decline/
progress

What
replaced
the
previous
civilization

Came under
pressure about
3900 years
ago from the
intruding
Aryans and
almost
disappeared
about 3700
years ago

Aryan
civilization

The Aryans
possessed
what the Indus
civilization
lacked: they
were youthful
enough to be
receptive,
adaptive and
assimilative,
transforming
themselves
into a
comprehensive
civilization
which in due
course of time

From then on
new people
and races
entered India
and settled
here bringing
with them
diverse
ideas, beliefs
and traditions
and in course
of time
amalgamated
within the
Indian
civilization.

people).
They lived in simple houses
made of straw and sometimes
wood. They did not have the
well planned city structure in
the beginning like the Indus
civilizations had.
The chief of each tribe held all
the powers and it passed from
father to son and so on.
The social life centered on
Yagna.
They also introduced horse
and raced chariots.
They were religious and
prayed to many gods and
goddesses. The caste system
has its beginning based on
occupations.
Education was oral and writing
was done on bark and leaves
which has not left any records.
People enjoyed lavish
embroidery and
embellishments.

became
essentially
composite in
character.

References:
1. http://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/History/prelims/Indus-and-Vedic-Civilisation.html
2. Wikipedia sources


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