THEME TWO

KINGS FARMERS AND TOWNS

HISTORY CLASS XII
1

DISCUSS THE EVIDENCES OF CRAFT PRODUCTION IN EARLY

HISTORIC CITIES?

DISCOVERY OF A WIDE RANGE OF PRODUCTS

A wide range of artefacts has been recovered from early historic
cities. These include fine pottery bowls and dishes, with a glossy
finish known as Northern Black Polish Ware (NBPW), probably
used by the rich people. Ornaments tools and weapons vessels
figurines made of wide range of material gold silver, copper
bronze , ivory, glass, shell and terracotta.

DIFFERENCES WITH EVIDENCES FOUND IN HARAPPAN CITIES:

DIFFERENCES IN METALS USED AND KNOWLEDGE OF
METALLURGY.
During 6 c BCE the craftsmen used metals like iron, copper and
gold. Whereas the Harappans used only copper tin and bronze
and had not discovered iron which was the most useful. The
knowledge of iron enabled the NBPW cult to clear forests and
practice cultivation.
MATERIALS USED FOR PRODUCTION WERE NOT PROCURED FROM
FAR OFF PLACES.
Unlike the Harappan craft items were procured by them were not
from far off places. Harappan used overland and maritime trade
to procure raw material. Example- they procured copper from the
Khetri mines of Rajasthan and Oman.
CRAFT ITEMS OF NBPW REGION WERE UTILITARIAN IN NATURE.
The craft items found in the NBPW regions were mainly utilitarian
in nature and hardly any luxury goods have been recovered from
this region. Whereas in a Harappa numerous luxury goods have
been recovered especially from the urban centres these goods
were made of material procured from far off places, rare
material, and were made with the help of a complicated
technology.

D ABSENCE OF JEWELLERY BEADS AND TOYS:

Unlike Harappa the artefacts found from the circa 6 th century
does not have any jewellery, toys or beads. This indicates
absence of craft production.
E SEALS AND COINS USED FOR TRADE
In the Harappan civilization several seals have been recovered
which contains scripts and motifs revealing important
information about trade. The cities of circa 6 th centuries have

evidences of coins found in hordes or in scattered. This indicates

prevalence of trade and commerce.
2

A
B
C

DESCRIBE THE SALIENT FEATURES OF MAHAJANAPADAS

During circa 6 th centuries many early states and cities emerged.
These early settlements were characterized by use of iron and
development of coinage.
According to the Buddhist and Jain texts there were 16 states or
Mahajanapadas
The most important among the sixteen early Mahajanapadas
were Vajji, Magadha, Khosala, Kuru, Panchala, Ghandhara, and
Avanti.
Most of the mahajanapadas were ruled by kings. These were
called ganas and sanghas. These were simple form of tribal
oligarchy. In this form of oligarchy the rajas or chieftains ruled in
their own region independently. However these rajas submitted
their suzerainty to a more powerful ruler popularly known in
those days as chakravartin ruler. The rajas had to pay this ruler
an annual tribute and help them with forces whenever they
required.

D Both Mahavira and Buddha belonged to such gana.in some cases

as in the case of Vajji the rajas collectively controlled resources
like land.
E Each mahajanapada had a capital city which was often
fortified .Maintaining these fortified cities as well as providing for
incipient army and bureaucracies required resources. Thus the
rulers collected taxes from all the social categories.
3
1

HOW DO HISTORIANS RECONSTRUCT THE LIVES OF ORDINARY

PEOPLE?
As ordinary people did not leave any accounts of their thoughts
and experiences , historians examine the stories of
JATAKAS AND PANCHATANTRA
These were stories with teachings of Buddhism written in Pali the
language of the common people. They were written around the
middle of the first millennium CE.
EXAMPLE- The Gandatindu Jataka describes the plight of the
subjects of a wicked king. The king once went in disguise to find
out what his subjects thought about him. He found that each one
of them cursed him for their miseries.
They complained that by night the robbers came and looted
them and during the day the can say the tax collectors came and
troubled them. This explains that the kingdom did not have a
proper law and order system and the taxes were too high and the
collectors often extorted the poor farmers. Thus we can say that
the common people were not happy.

3
4

ESCAPE TO THE FOREST was a common method adopted by the

ordinary people to get rid of all their troubles.
CONCLUSION The important manuscripts written by the king in
the form of autobiographies, biographies or prashasthi glorified
the ruler and his rule. However the ordinary people were not
always happy with the rule
COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE LIST OF THINGS GIVEN TO THE
PANDYAN CHIEF (SOURCE3) WITH THE PRODUCE OF THE VILLAGE
OF DANGUNA (SOURCE 8). DO YOU NOTICE ANY SIMILARITIES OR
DIFFERENCES?

1
2
2
3
4

PRODUCTS BROUGHT TO PANDYAN CHIEF

These goods were a variety of forest products which also were
important for the international trade network.
Goods were made of semiprecious forest products like ivory
antimony fragrant wood , fans made of hair of deer, honey red
ochre etc.
Products of subsistence cultivation. Turmeric cardamom, pepper
coconut mangoes, fruits, onion, sugarcane, arecanut, banana
etc.
Some important medicinal herbs were also given to the chief.
Animals useful in the army, for entertainment and of economic
importance were also given to the chief example, tiger, lion,
elephants, monkeys, bear, deer, musk deer, fox ,peacock,
musket, wild cock and speaking parrots.

The abovementioned gifts were given to a chieftain by the forest

dwellers who accepted his suzerainty, the tribute paid was a kind
of informal tax given. All the goods mentioned here are mainly
forest products or products of subsistence agriculture .

According to source 8 the Satvahana queen Prabhavati Gupta

gave an exemption to the village of Danguna which she had
donated to a Brahmin called Chanalasvamin in order to increase
her own religious merit