Prehistoric Background Of Rajasthan Culture

Here's a comprehensive summary of V. N. Misra's "Prehistoric Background of Rajasthani Culture":

This essay by V. N. Misra delves into the deep prehistoric past of Rajasthan, extending our understanding of its history far beyond the commonly known medieval Rajput era. It emphasizes that to truly comprehend Rajasthan's diverse ethnic and cultural landscape, including its material culture, economic patterns, and technological advancements, one must examine its unwritten history, which stretches back thousands of years before written records. Archaeological discoveries are crucial for this understanding, revealing that many aspects of modern Indian culture have prehistoric roots.

Misra outlines the chronological framework of Rajasthan's prehistory for easier comprehension, dividing it into several key periods:

1. Earliest Hunter-Gatherers: The Lower Palaeolithic: This period, characterized by the Acheulian culture, is marked by stone tools like handaxes, cleavers, and choppers. These tools, made from river pebbles, suggest a nomadic lifestyle centered around riverbanks, where early humans hunted, processed meat, and gathered roots. While living sites are yet to be discovered, the abundance of tools indicates a significant Acheulian population. The geographical distribution suggests an avoidance of the dense Aravalli forests.

2. Advanced Hunter-Gatherers: The Middle Palaeolithic: Following the Lower Palaeolithic, this phase saw the use of finer stone tools made from flakes, employing techniques like the Levallois. The tools became smaller and more sophisticated, including scrapers, points, and borers, indicating a greater reliance on wood for tools and weapons. Handaxes continued to be used but were more refined. Factory sites where these tools were manufactured have been found, particularly in limestone outcrops. The Luni river basin in western Rajasthan shows a more evolved picture of this culture.

3. Final Hunter-Gatherers: The Mesolithic: This period, beginning around 12,000 years ago, is defined by the widespread use of microliths – tiny, finely crafted stone tools often made from blades and retouched to create geometric shapes. These microliths were likely hafted onto bone or wood to form composite tools like arrows, knives, and sickles, signifying a more efficient hunting technology, particularly the bow and arrow. Rajasthan has yielded rich evidence of this age, with significant discoveries at sites like Bagor and Tilwara.

   • Bagor: A large village on the Kothari river, Bagor was occupied for nearly five millennia, starting around 4,500 BCE. Its inhabitants lived in wattle huts, produced microliths, and their economy was a blend of hunting, stock-raising, and collecting. They buried their dead within the settlement and achieved a level of economic stability that allowed for settled life.
   • Tilwara: Located on the Luni river, Tilwara was a smaller and later settlement compared to Bagor. Its inhabitants also used microliths and engaged in hunting and stock-raising. Later stages saw the introduction of pottery and beads. The survival of this hunting-pastoral culture in the arid Barmer region until the early centuries CE is attributed to the unfavorable geographical conditions for agriculture.

4. The Beginnings of Settled Village Life: The Chalcolithic: The transition to settled village life and agriculture is primarily seen in Mewar and the Ghaggar basin.

   • Bagor (Middle Levels): The middle phases at Bagor show the introduction of new material traits, including copper/bronze tools, pottery, and stone beads, along with changes in burial practices. While not a full-fledged agricultural settlement, its early date suggests the existence of more developed village settlements elsewhere.
   • Ahar Culture (Mewar): Starting around 2,000 BCE, fifty village settlements have been identified in the Banas river valley. Excavations at Ahar and Gilund reveal a settled agricultural economy, with evidence of mud-brick and stone houses. The Aharians were skilled in copper smelting and casting, largely dispensing with stone tools, hence the description of this as a "Copper Age" culture. Their pottery, including Red ware, Black-and-Red ware, and Grey ware, shows sophisticated forms and decoration, with some similarities to the Harappa culture.
   • Ghaggar Basin (Kalibangan): Early agricultural settlements are also found in the Ghaggar valley, with Kalibangan being a key excavated site. The pre-Harappan culture at Kalibangan, preceding the Indus Valley Civilization, shows evidence of mud-brick walls, houses, copper tools, and distinctive pottery. Their settlements were prosperous and fortified.

5. Beginnings of Urban Life: The Indus Civilization: The pre-Harappan settlement at Kalibangan was followed by a full-fledged Harappan urban settlement. This civilization, characterized by a citadel and a lower town with a grid-like street plan, mud-brick structures, and advanced civic amenities like drainage, signifies a significant leap in urban development. Harappan pottery and material culture, including seals, weights, and figurines, are well-documented. Burial practices also reveal distinct traditions. The decline of the Harappan culture in this region is theorized to be linked to changes in the Saraswati river's course.

6. The Spread of Settled Village Life: The Beginnings of Iron Age: The widespread adoption of agriculture was facilitated by the introduction of iron tools around the beginning of the first millennium BCE. This period is associated with the Painted Grey ware culture, found at sites like Noh and Bairat. Users of this ware were familiar with iron tools and also used Black-and-Red ware. The subsequent Northern Black Polished ware period, around 500 BCE, marks the emergence of the first urban settlements after the Harappan cities, ushering in the historical period. The essay concludes by highlighting that the foundations of Rajasthan's historical achievements in art, architecture, and literature were laid by the persistent efforts of prehistoric peoples in establishing settled life and a secure economic base against environmental challenges.

In essence, Misra's essay provides a detailed archaeological narrative of Rajasthan's deep past, tracing the evolution of human culture from the earliest stone tool users to the establishment of settled agricultural communities and urban centers, underscoring the fundamental role of prehistory in shaping the region's rich cultural heritage.