ESSENCE OF

INDIAN
TRATIONAL
KNOWLEDGE
 UNIT 1
INTRODUCTION TO INDIAN
KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM
 Basic structure of the Indian
Knowledge System

✣ KNOWLEDGE (VIDYA) – REAL WEALTH (DHANA)

✣ FOR CENTURIES- GENERATION FROM
GENERATION
✣ KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM – SCHOOLS – GURUKULAS
– MOUTH TO EAR – WRITTEN FORMAT – ANCIENT
KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM - MANUSCRIPT

3
 HISTORY OF INDIA

✣ ANCIENT
✣ CLASSICAL
✣ EARLY MEDIEVAL
✣ LATE MEDIEVAL
✣ EARLY MODERN
✣ MODERN

4
 ANCIENT
✣ MADRASIAN CULTURE

✣ SOANIAN, C. 500,000 BCE

✣ NEOLITHIC, C. 7600 – C. 3300 BCE

⨳ BHIRRANA 7570 - 6200 BCE

⨳ JHUSI 7106 BCE
⨳ LAHURADEWA 7000 BCE

✣ MEHRGARH 7000 - 2600 BCE

✣ INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION, C. 3300 – C. 1700 BCE

✣ POST INDUS VALLEY PERIOD, C. 1700 – C. 1500 BCE

✣ VEDIC CIVILIZATION, C. 1500 – C. 500 BCE

⨳ EARLY VEDIC PERIOD 5

 Classical

✣ MAURYA DYNASTY, C. 322 – C. 185 BCE

✣ SANGAM PERIOD

✣ SHUNGA DYNASTY, C. 185 – C. 75 BCE

✣ KANVA DYNASTY, C. 75 – C. 30 BCE

✣ KUSHAN DYNASTY, C. 30 – C. 230 CE

✣ SATAVAHANA DYNASTY, C. 30 BCE – C. 220 CE

✣ GUPTA DYNASTY, C. 200 – C. 550 CE

6
 Early medieval
✣ CHALUKYA DYNASTY, C. 543 – C. 753 CE

✣ HARSHA'S DYNASTY, C. 606 CE – C. 647 CE

✣ KARAKOTA DYNASTY, C. 724 – C. 760 CE

✣ ARAB INVASION, C. 738 CE

✣ TRIPARTITE STRUGGLE, C. 760 – C. 973 CE

⨳ GURJARA-PRATIHARA DYNASTY

⨳ RASTRAKUTA DYNASTY

⨳
7
PALA DYNASTY
 Late medieval

✣ DELHI SULTANATE, C. 1206 – C. 1526 CE

⨳ SLAVE DYNASTY

⨳ KHALJI DYNASTY

⨳ TUGLUQ DYNASTY

⨳ SAYYID DYNASTY

⨳ LODHI DYNASTY

✣ PANDYAN DYNASTY, C. 1251 – C. 1323 CE

✣ VIJAYANAGARA, C. 1336 – C. 1646 CE

8
 Early modern

✣ MUGHAL DYNASTY, C. 1526 – C. 1540 CE

✣ SURI DYNASTY, C. 1540 – C. 1556 CE

✣ MUGHAL DYNASTY, C. 1556 – C. 1857 CE

⨳ BENGAL SUBAH, C. 1576 – C. 1757 CE

✣ MARATHA EMPIRE, C. 1674 – C. 1818 CE

✣ COMPANY RAJ, C. 1757 – C. 1858 CE

9
 Modern

✣ THE GREAT REBELLION, C. 1857 – C. 1858 CE

✣ BRITISH RAJ, C. 1858 – C. 1947 CE

⨳ INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT

✣ INDEPENDENT INDIA, C. 1947 CE – PRESENT

10
 Indus Valley Civilization
3000-1500 BCE

✣ IN 1922, ARCHAEOLOGISTS EXCITING DISCOVERY – A UNKNOWN

CIVILIZATION. CALLED HARAPPA.

✣ SHORTLY ANOTHER CITY CALLED MOHENJO-DARO.

✣ SINCE THAT TIME, ARCHEOLOGISTS HAVE FOUND OVER 1400 CITIES

FROM THIS SAME CIVILIZATION.

✣ MOST TOWNS AND CITIES IN ANCIENT TIMES WERE BUILT ALONG

WATERWAYS AND RIVERS. 11

 Indus Valley Civilisation

OVER 4,000 YEARS AGO, IN THE

INDUS VALLEY, PEOPLE BUILT
HUGE, PLANNED CITIES, WITH
STRAIGHT STREETS, AND BRICK
Geographical range South Asia
HOMES WITH PRIVATE BATHS! KIDS
Period Bronze Age South Asia
Dates c. 3300 – c. 1300 BCE PLAYED WITH TOYS AND WOMEN
Type site Harappa WORE LIPSTICK
Preceded by Mehrgarh
Painted Grey Ware
Followed by culture
Cemetery H culture
12
 Indus Valley Civilisation

MOHENJO-DARO, SINDH PROVINCE, PAKISTAN,

SHOWING THE GREAT BATH
MOHENJO-DARO, ON THE RIGHT BANK OF THE
INDUS RIVER, IS A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE
SITE, THE FIRST SITE IN SOUTH ASIA TO BE SO
DECLARED.

MINIATURE VOTIVE IMAGES OR TOY MODELS

FROM HARAPPA, C. 2500 BCE.
HAND-MODELED TERRACOTTA BOAT IN THE
SHAPE OF A BULL, AND FEMALE FIGURINES. KOT
DIJI PERIOD (C. 2800-2600 BC).

13
 Indus Valley Civilisation

✣ DHOLAVIRA IN GUJARAT,
INDIA ARTIFICIALLY
CONSTRUCTED RESERVOIRS ✣ THE DANCING
GIRL OF
MOHENJO-DARO;
2300-1750 BCE;
BRONZE; HEIGHT:
✣ STAMP SEALS, SOME OF THEM WITH 10.8 CM (41⁄4 IN.);
INDUS SCRIPT; PROBABLY MADE OF
STEATITE; BRITISH MUSEUM
(LONDON)

✣ FRAGMENT OF A LARGE DEEP VESSEL; CIRCA

2500 BC; RED POTTERY WITH RED AND BLACK
SLIP-PAINTED DECORATION; 12.5 × 15.5 CM
(415⁄16 × 61⁄8 IN.); BROOKLYN MUSEUM (NEW
YORK CITY)
14
 7 Major Cities of Indus Valley
Civilization
FACTS ABOUT INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION’S
CITY STATE/COUNTRY
CITIES
SINDH PROVINCE, IT WAS LOCATED ON THE RIGHT BANK OF RIVER
MOHENJODARO
PAKISTAN INDUS.
IT WAS LOCATED ON THE BANKS OF GHAGGAR
KALIBANGAN RAJASTHAN
RIVER

SINDH PROVINCE, IT WAS ON THE LEFT BANK OF RIVER INDUS, TO THE

CHANHUDARO
PAKISTAN SOUTH OF MOHENJODARO

IT WAS LOCATED AT THE HEAD OF GULF OF

LOTHAL GUJARAT
CAMBAY
SURKOTADA GUJARAT IT WAS AT THE HEAD OF RANN OF KUTCH

IT WAS SITUATED ON THE BANKS OF NOW EXTINCT

BANAWALI HARYANA
SARASWATI RIVER

DHOLAVIRA GUJARAT IT WAS EXCAVATED IN THE KUTCH DISTRICT

15
Indus Valley Civilisation

✣ MAJOR SITES AND EXTENT OF THE

INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION

16
 7 Important facts on Indus Valley
Civilization

✣ JOHN MARSHALL WAS THE FIRST RESEARCHER TO USE THE TERM, ‘INDUS VALLEY
CIVILIZATION’.

✣ INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION SPREAD FROM THE YEAR 2500 – 1750 BC ACCORDING
TO RADIO-CARBON DATING.

✣ THE MOST DISTINCTIVE FEATURE OF THE HARAPPAN CIVILIZATION WAS ITS

URBANIZATION.

✣ MOREOVER, SHEEP AND GOATS, DOGS, HUMPED CATTLE BUFFALO, AND

ELEPHANTS WERE DOMESTICATED IN INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION.

✣ THE CAPITAL CITIES ARE MOHENJODARO AND HARAPPA.

✣ THE PORT CITIES ARE SUTKAGENDOR, BALAKOT, LOTHAL, ALLAHDINO, AND

KUNTASI.
17
 Harappan Civilisation
✣ HAND-MODELED TERRACOTTA BOAT
IN THE SHAPE OF A BULL, AND
FEMALE FIGURINES. KOT DIJI PERIOD
(C. 2800-2600 BC)

✣ VIEW OF GRANARY AND GREAT HALL

ON MOUND F IN HARAPPA

✣ ARCHAEOLOGICAL REMAINS OF
WASHROOM DRAINAGE SYSTEM
AT LOTHAL

18
 Harappan Civilisation

✣ "PRIEST KING" STATUE,

✣ HARAPPAN WEIGHTS
MOHENJO-DARO, LATE
MATURE HARAPPAN FOUND IN THE INDUS
PERIOD, NATIONAL VALLEY
MUSEUM, KARACHI,
PAKISTAN

✣ HARAPPAN BURNISHED
✣ TRADE
AND PAINTED CLAY OVOID
ROUTES
VASE, WITH ROUND
BETWEEN
CARNELIAN BEADS. (3RD
MESOPOTA
MILLENNIUM-2ND
MIA AND
MILLENNIUM BCE)
THE INDUS

19
 Vedic Civilization

✣ THE VEDIC CIVILIZATION WAS THE CULTURE AND

TRADITIONS OF THE SOCIETY PREVALENT DURING THE

VEDIC AGE ( 1500- 600 BCE).

✣ THE DECLINE OF INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION BY 1500 BCE,

THE NEXT WAVE OF CIVILIZATION BEGAN TO TAKE SHAPE IN

FORM OF ARYAN OCCUPATION OF INDO-GANGETIC PLAIN.

20
 Indo-Aryan Migration to Vedic
Civilization
✣ TYPICALLY, THE AGE OF ARYANS IS KNOWN AS THE VEDIC AGE BECAUSE THE
FOUR MAJOR VEDAS WERE CREATED IN THIS TIME.

✣ THE WORD ARYAN IS DERIVED FROM THE SANSKRIT WORD “ARYA” WHICH
MEANS NOBLE, NOT ORDINARY.

✣ THEY ARRIVED FROM RUSSIAN STEPPES, AS IS BELIEVED AND AGREED TO BY

MAJORITY HISTORIANS.

✣ BUT VARIOUS SCHOLARS VOICE DIFFERENT OPINION ABOUT THIER ORIGIN.

BAL GANGADHAR TILAK ARGUED THAT ARYANS CAME FROM THE ARCTIC
REGION FOLLOWING THEIR ASTRONOMICAL CALCULATIONS.

✣ IT IS GENERALLY AGREED THAT THEY SPOKE INDO-ARYAN LANGUAGE,

SANSKRIT.

✣ THEY WERE SEMI-NOMADIC, PASTORAL

21 PEOPLE, WHO LED A RURAL LIFE AS
 Vedic Civilization – Early Vedic Period (EVP) and
Later Vedic Period (LVP)

EARLY VEDIC PERIOD OR RIG LATER VEDIC PERIOD OR

VEDIC PERIOD (1500 BC – 1000 BC) PAINTED GREY WARE PHASE
INITIALLY, THE ARYANS LIVED IN THE (1000 BC – 600 BC)
LAND KNOWN AS “SAPTA SINDHU”
DURING THIS TIME, THE ARYANS
(LAND OF THE SEVEN RIVERS). THESE
MOVED EASTWARDS AND OCCUPIED
SEVEN RIVERS WERE: SINDHU (INDUS),
WESTERN AND EASTERN UP
VIPASH (BEAS), VITASTA (JHELUM),
(KOSALA) AND BIHAR.
PARUSHNI (RAVI), ASIKNI (CHENAB),
SHUTUDRI (SATLUJ) AND SARASWATI.

22
 Early Vedic Period

POLITICAL STRUCTURE
✣ MONARCHICAL FORM OF GOVERNMENT WITH A KING KNOWN AS RAJAN.

✣ PATRIARCHAL FAMILIES. JANA WAS THE LARGEST SOCIAL UNIT IN RIG

VEDIC TIMES.

✣ SOCIAL GROUPING: KULA (FAMILY) – GRAMA – VISU – JANA.

✣ TRIBAL ASSEMBLIES WERE CALLED SABHAS AND SAMITIS. EXAMPLES OF

TRIBAL KINGDOMS: BHARATAS, MATSYAS, YADUS AND PURUS.

23
 Early Vedic Period

SOCIAL STRUCTURE

✣ WOMEN ENJOYED A RESPECTABLE POSITION. THEY WERE ALLOWED

TO TAKE PART IN SABHAS AND SAMITIS. THERE WERE WOMEN POETS

TOO (APALA, LOPAMUDRA, VISWAVARA AND GHOSA).

✣ CATTLE ESPECIALLY COWS BECAME VERY IMPORTANT.

✣ MONOGAMY WAS PRACTISED BUT POLYGAMY WAS OBSERVED

AMONG ROYALTY AND NOBLE FAMILIES.

✣ THERE WAS NO CHILD MARRIAGE.

24
 Early Vedic Period

ECONOMIC STRUCTURE

✣ THEY WERE A PASTORAL AND CATTLE-REARING PEOPLE.

✣ THEY PRACTISED AGRICULTURE.

✣ PRODUCTS MADE OUT OF COPPER, IRON AND BRONZE WERE IN USE.

✣ THEY HAD HORSE CHARIOTS.

✣ RIVERS WERE USED FOR TRANSPORT.

✣ COTTON AND WOOLLEN FABRICS WERE SPUN AND USED.

✣ INITIALLY TRADE WAS CONDUCTED THROUGH THE BARTER

SYSTEM BUT LATER ON COINS CALLED ‘NISHKA’ WERE IN USE.
25
 Early Vedic Period

RELIGION

✣ THEY WORSHIPPED NATURAL FORCES LIKE EARTH, FIRE, WIND, RAIN,

THUNDER, ETC. BY PERSONIFYING THEM INTO DEITIES.

✣ INDRA (THUNDER) WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT DEITY. OTHER DEITIES

WERE PRITHVI (EARTH), AGNI (FIRE), VARUNA (RAIN) AND VAYU

(WIND).

✣ FEMALE DEITIES WERE USHAS AND ADITI.

✣ THERE WERE NO TEMPLES AND NO IDOL WORSHIP

26
 Later Vedic Period

POLITICAL STRUCTURE:

✣ KINGDOMS LIKE MAHAJANAPADAS WERE FORMED BY

AMALGAMATING SMALLER KINGDOMS.

✣ KING’S POWER INCREASED AND VARIOUS SACRIFICES WERE

PERFORMED BY HIM TO ENHANCE HIS POSITION.

✣ SACRIFICES WERE RAJASUYA (CONSECRATION CEREMONY),

VAJAPEYA (CHARIOT RACE) AND ASHWAMEDHA (HORSE SACRIFICE).

✣ 27
THE SABHAS AND SAMITIS DIMINISHED IN IMPORTANCE.
 Later Vedic Period
SOCIAL STRUCTURE:

✣ THE VARNA SYSTEM OF SOCIAL DISTINCTION BECAME MORE DISTINCT. THIS

BECAME LESS BASED ON OCCUPATION AND MORE HEREDITARY.

✣ THE FOUR DIVISIONS OF SOCIETY IN DECREASING SOCIAL RANKING WERE:

BRAHMANAS (PRIESTS), KSHATRIYAS (RULERS), VAISHYAS
(AGRICULTURISTS, TRADERS AND ARTISANS), AND SHUDRAS (SERVERS OF
THE UPPER THREE CLASSES).

✣ WOMEN WERE NOT PERMITTED TO ATTEND PUBLIC ASSEMBLIES LIKE

SABHAS AND SAMITIS. THEIR POSITION IN SOCIETY DIMINISHED.

✣ CHILD MARRIAGES BECAME COMMON.

✣ SUB-CASTES BASED ON OCCUPATION ALSO EMERGED. GOTRAS WERE

INSTITUTIONALISED.
28
 Later Vedic Period

ECONOMIC STRUCTURE:

✣ AGRICULTURE WAS THE CHIEF OCCUPATION.

✣ INDUSTRIAL WORK LIKE METALWORK, POTTERY AND CARPENTRY

WORK ALSO WAS THERE.

✣ THERE WAS FOREIGN TRADE WITH FAR OFF REGIONS LIKE BABYLON

AND SUMERIA.

29
 Later Vedic Period

RELIGION

✣ PRAJAPATI (CREATOR) AND VISHNU (PRESERVER) BECAME IMPORTANT

GODS.

✣ INDRA AND AGNI LOST THEIR SIGNIFICANCE.

✣ IMPORTANCE OF PRAYERS DIMINISHED AND RITUALS AND SACRIFICES

BECAME MORE ELABORATE.

✣ THE PRIESTLY CLASS BECAME VERY POWERFUL AND THEY DICTATED THE

RULES OF THE RITES AND RITUALS. BECAUSE OF THIS ORTHODOXY,

30
 Vedic Literature:

✣ THE TERM VEDA MEANS “SUPERIOR KNOWLEDGE” IN

SANSKRIT.
⨳ RIG VEDA – EARLIEST VEDA. HAS 1028 HYMNS IN PRAISE
GODS.
⨳ YAJUR VEDA – HAS DETAILS OF RULES TO BE
FOLLOWED DURING SACRIFICES.
⨳ SAM VEDA – HAS A COLLECTION OF SONGS. THE
ORIGINS OF INDIAN MUSIC
⨳ ATHARVA VEDA – HAS A COLLECTION OF SPELLS AND
CHARMS.

31
 BESIDES THE VEDAS,

✣ BRAHMANAS – PROSE ABOUT VEDIC HYMNS, RITUALS AND

PHILOSOPHIES.

✣ ARYANKAS – DEAL WITH MYSTICISM, RITES AND RITUALS.

✣ UPNISHADS – PHILOSOPHICAL TEXTS DEALING WITH SOUL,

MYSTERIES OF NATURE.

✣ RAMAYANA WAS AUTHORED BY VALMIKI.

✣ MAHABHARATA WAS WRITTEN BY VED VYASA.

32
 Basic structure of the Indian
Knowledge System
✣ KNOWLEDGE (VIDYA) – REAL WEALTH (DHANA)

✣ FOR CENTURIES- GENERATION FROM GENERATION

✣ KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM – SCHOOLS – GURUKULAS –

MOUTH TO EAR – WRITTEN FORMAT – ANCIENT

KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM - MANUSCRIPT

33
 Basic structure of the Indian
Knowledge System

✣ MANUSCRIPT – INDIA’S OLDEST & LARGEST

COLLECTION OF MANUSCRIPT

✣ THE ONLY COUNTRY HAVE MANUSCRIPR FOR

PRESERVING MANUSCRIPT

✣ 2002 – NATIONAL MISSION FOR MANUSCRIPT HAVE

ORGANISED MRC – MANUSCRIPT RESOURCE CENTER,
MCC – MANUSCRIPT CONSERVATION CENTERS
34
 Basic structure of the Indian
Knowledge System
✣ LAST 5 YEARS – AN EXTENSIVE PROGRAMME

✣ 18000 PEOPLE IN A SURVEY IDENTIFIED MORE THAN

50,000 MANUSCRIPT

✣ ALL THE MANUSCRIPT ARE DIGITALIZED

✣ OVERALL 2 MILLION MANUSCRIPT IS CATALOGUED IN

“KRITISAMPADA”
✣ PUBLISHED IN THE WEBSITE
35
www.namami.org
PURANAS

36
 VEDA

✣ THE FIRST MANUSCRIPT ( DOCUMENT)

✣ VEDAS (VID/ KNOWLEDGE)

✣ “ZERO” IS THE GREATEST CONTRIBUTION

✣ UNESCO – DECLARED VEDAS IN INDIA AS A

MASTERPIECE OF ORAL & INTANGIABLE “HERITAGE
OF HUMANITY” 37
 VEDA

✣ VEDAS (SHRUTI) – THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF

KNOWLEDGE
✣ EARLY STAGE VEDAS ARE CHANTED

✣ ADI SHANKARA WHO CREATED THESE SCRIPTURES IN

WRITTEN FORMAT

38
 VEDA

✣ VEDAS COMPRISE:
✔ SANSKRT POETRY
✔ PHILOSOPHICAL DIALOGUE
✔ MYTH
✔ RITUAL
✣ WHICH ARE COMPOSED BY “ARYANS” 3500 YEARS AGO
✣ OUT OF 1000 VEDIC RECITATION ONLY 13 BRANCHES
SURVIVE RECENTLY

39
 VEDA
✣ MULTITUDE VEDAS:

✣ RIGVEDA - ANTHOLOGY OF SACRED HYMNS

✔ 700-1100 BC
✔ 1028 HYMNS IN 10600 VERSES- 10 MANDALS (BOOKS)
✣ SAMAVEDA - MUSICAL ARRANGEMENT
✔ 700-1100 BC
✔ 549 VERSES
✣ YAJURVEDA –PRAYERS & SACRIFICIAL
✔ 200-1000 BC
✔ 2 VERSES – 1.YAJUS (QUIETLY)
2. NIGADA (CHANTING)

✣ ATHARNAVEDA - INCANTATIONS
40 & SPELLS
 UPAVEDA

✣ VEDA- KNOWLEDGE

✣ UPAVEDA - SELF KNOWLEDGE

✣ ORIGINATED FROM EACH BRANCH OF VEDA

41
 BRANCHES OF UPAVEDA – APPLIED
SECONDARY KNOWLEDGE

✣ DHANURVEDA – ARCHERY (YAJURVEDA)

✣ SHAPTYAVEDA – ARCHITECTURE (ATHARVAVEDA)

✣ GHANDHARVAVEDA – MUSIC & DANCE (SAMAVEDA)

✣ AYURVEDA – MEDICINE (RIGVEDA)

✣ ARTHASHASTRA – ECONOMICS (ATHARVEDA)+

42
 VEDANGAS

✣ LAST TREATIES OF VEDIC LITERATURE

✣ WHICH IS NARRATED AS ANGAS

✣ PURUSHA (MEN) WITH 6 LIMBS AS

43
 SIX VEDANGAS

✣ CHANDAS – 2 FEET – METER (SENSE OF MANTRA)

✣ KALPA- 2 ARMS – RITUAL

✣ JYOTISHA – EYES (ASTRONOMY)

✣ NIRUKTA – ETYMOLOGY (MEANING OF USAGE)

✣ SHIKSHA – NOSE – PHONETICS (PRONUNCIATION)

✣ VYAKARNA – MOUTH – GRAMMAR

44
 SHASTHRAS

SHASTHRAS- MEANS PERCEPT, RULES, MANUALON A

SPECIFIC FIELD OF KNOWLEDGE

45
 BRANCHES OF SHASTHRAS
✣ DHARMASHASTHRA – “MANUALS ON DHARMA”

(RIGHTENOUSNESS SCIENCE) – rules of conduct & rites

✣ MIMAMSASHASTHRA – “REFLECTION / CRITICAL

INVESTIGATION” – focus on earlier action

✣ PURNASHASTRHA – “ANCIENT OLD” – history of Indian literatures

✣ THARKASHASTRHA – “SCIENCE OF DIALECTICS” - art of debate

46
47
 BEGIN OF
MODERN SCIENCE

48