🗺️ Introduction to Ancient Civilizations in Rajasthan

• 🌊 Evidence of Stone Age Culture Along Rivers in Rajasthan
• 🛡️ The Archaeological Survey of India was established in 1861 under the leadership of Alexander Cunningham.
• 🔄 In 1902, it was reorganized by John Marshall.
• 🏺 In 1871, A.C.L. Carlleyle initiated archaeological surveys in Rajasthan, focusing on the Dausa region, where evidence of hard stone tools and human remains was found.
• 📚 Italian scholar L.P. Tessitori studied the archaeological remains of Bikaner and the Ghaggar River.

🪓 Discovery of Hand Axes (Hast Kuthar)

🪓 Discovery of Prehistoric Hand Axes in Jaipur and Indragarh (Bundi)

🏺 Kalibangan Civilization (Hanumangarh)

🗺️ Introduction

• 🌍 Second Archaeological Site of Independent India (First: Ropar, 1950).
• 🏢 Excavation: Conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
• 🖤 Meaning: “Black Bangles.”
• 🌊 Situated at the confluence of the Saraswati/Drishadvati (Ghaggar) River.
• 📜 Reference: “A Survey Work of Ancient Sites Along the Lost Saraswati River” by (Aurel Stein).

🏛️ Features

• 🏰 Two Parts: Fortified and Unfortified.
• 🛠️ Oldest Remains of Indus Valley Civilization in Rajasthan.
• 🏺 Classification: Bronze Age, Urban, Proto-Historic, Post/Pre-Harappan Civilization.
• 📖 Historian Dashrath Sharma: Described it as the “Third Capital of the Indus Valley Empire.”
• 🕵️ Luigi Tessitori: Identified pre-Mauryan and prehistoric remains of the Indus Valley Civilization.

🔍 Search and Excavation

🗿 Important Discoveries

• 🌋 Evidence of Earthquakes
• 🌾 Fields Ploughed with a Plough
• 🪵 Wooden and Brick Drains
• 🛕 Earthen Platforms
• 🐄 Bowls with Cow Motifs
• 🛠️ Copper Bulls, Bronze Mirror
• 🦷 Ivory Comb, Clay Utensils
• 🐫 Camel Bones, Glass Beads
• 🎲 Toys, Circular and Oval Wells
• 🔥 Seven Fire Altars, Coin of Goddess Kumari
• 🌾 Mixed Crops: Barley, Millet, Wheat, Chickpeas, Mustard (❌ No Rice)
• 🎨 Pottery: Black Geometric Designs on Red Background
• 📜 Similarity: Kot Diji (Pakistan)

🏛️ Museums and Decline

• 🏛️ Museum: Established in 1985-86 (State Government).
• ⚠ Decline:
  
  
  
  • According to K.U.R. Kennedy: Infectious diseases.
  • Others: Natural disasters.
  
  
  
  

🏺 Ahar Civilization (Ahad Civilization)

🗺️ Introduction

• 🌊 This civilization is located in the Udaipur district, along the banks of the Banas River.
• ⏳ It is related to the Copper Age (Chalcolithic period).
• 📜 The ancient inscriptions refer to Ahar by its old name ‘Tamravati.’
• 🏛️ It is also known as the ‘Banas Civilization,’ ‘Dhulkot,’ or ‘Aghatpur.’
• ⏳ This civilization is around 4000 years old.

🔍 Discovery and Excavation

• 🛠️ Discovery:
  
  
  
  • In 1953, Akshay Kirti Vyas made the discovery of the Ahar Civilization.
  
  
  
  
• 🔍 Major Excavations:
  
  
  
  • 1955-56: Excavations were led by Ratan Chandra Agarwal (R.C. Agarwal).
  • 1961-62: Excavations were conducted by H.D. Sankalia (Hansmukh Dhirajlal Sankalia) and V.N. Mishra from Pune University.
  
  
  
  

🛠️ Features

• 🏭 Copper melting furnace and copper tools found.
• 🛕 It is called ‘Tamravati Nagari’ (City of Copper).
• 🐂 Clay Bull Figurine (‘Banasiyal Bull’), printing stamps, flour grinding mill.
• 🎨 Red-black pottery (Krishna-Lohit pottery):
  
  
  
  • Geometric patterns etched in white color.
  
  
  
  
• 🏺 Clay grain storage pot:
  
  
  
  • Known as ‘Gore’ and ‘Koth’.
  
  
  
  
• 🏺 Black and Red ware (Distinctly shaped vessels):
• 🧱 Residential building foundations:
  
  
  
  • Made of bricks with a mixture of quartz and chips in the soil.
  
  
  
  
• 🌾 Food items:
  
  
  
  • Wheat, millet, and rice.
  
  
  
  
• ❌ Unfamiliar with silver metal.
• ⚰️ Burial method:
  
  
  
  • Evidence of burying with the head facing north.
  
  
  
  
• 🛠️ Materials found:
  
  
  
  • Ram-shaped and crystal tools, stone grinder, two-faced stove, frying pan, pen.
  • Lapis Lazuli (imported from Iran).
  
  
  
  

🕰️ Time Period

• Copper Age
• Iron Age

🌍Major Sites of Ahar-Banas Culture

• Gilund (Rajsamand)
• Ojiyana (Badnor-Bewar)
• Balathal (Vallabhnagar, Udaipur)

🌇 Comparison of Civilization

⚒️ Ganeshwar Civilization (Neem Ka Thana, Sikar)

This Civilization is developed at the confluence of the Kantali River and is known as a Pre-Harappan Civilization and a Copper Age Civilization

• 🔍Search and Excavation:
  
  
  
  • In 1972, Ratan Chandra Agrawal made its discovery.
  • In 1977, Ratan Chandra Agrawal conducted the initial excavation.
  • In 1978-79, Shri Vijay Kumar carried out its detailed excavation.
  
  
  
  
• 🌍Geographical Region:
  
  
  
  • This civilization flourished in the eastern regions of Rajasthan and the Gangetic Valley.
  
  
  
  
• 🛠️Special Identity:
  
  
  
  • It is called the ‘Mother of the Copper Civilization’ because the oldest (around 2800 BCE) copper tools were found here.
  • Copper tools – Arrows, fishhooks, double-spiral copper pins, razor blades, rings.
  
  
  
  
• 🏠Construction Materials:
  
  
  
  • Houses were made of stones 🏠.
  • Evidence of stone dams has been found here 🏞️.
  • No evidence of the use of bricks has been found.
  
  
  
  
• 🏺 Pottery:
  
  
  
  • Two types of vessels of reddish-brown color:
    
    
    
    • Thin vessels of light red color from the pre-Harappan culture.
    • Strong vessels of red smooth clay with distinctive pottery designs.
    
    
    
    
  • These pottery vessels are of the earthenware type.
  
  
  
  
• 🔗 Relation to Harappa:
  
  
  
  • Copper was supplied to the Harappa civilization from here.
  
  
  
  
• 🏗️ Other discoveries:
  
  
  
  • A large number of copper tools were found during the excavation in 2006
  
  
  
  

🏺 Bairath Civilization (Virat Nagar, Kotputli-Bahrod, East Jaipur)

🗺️ Introduction

• 🏛️ Bairath was the capital of the Matsya Mahajanapada in ancient times.
• 📜 Expansion of Matsya Mahajanapada:
  
  
  
  • It extended to the modern districts of Jaipur (Kotputli-Bahrod), Tonk, Alwar, Karauli, and Bharatpur.
  
  
  
  
• 🕰️ Mahabharata Era:
  
  
  
  • The Pandavas spent one year of their exile here.
  
  
  
  
• 🌊 This civilization is located at the mouth of the Ban Ganga River.
• 📜 This site is currently known as Virat Nagar.
• 🏛️ A Mauryan-era Ashoka inscription has also been found here.

🔍 Discovery and Excavation

• 🛠️ First Excavation:
  
  
  
  • In 1936-37 AD by Daya Ram Sahni.
  
  
  
  
• 🔍 Re-excavation:
  
  
  
  • In 1962-63 AD by Nilratan Banerjee and Kailash Nath Dikshit.
  
  
  
  
• 🏺 Major Discoveries:
  
  
  
  • During the reign of Raja Ramsingh of Jaipur, an excavation uncovered a golden urn (Kalash) containing the relics of Lord Buddha.
  • In 1837 AD, Captain Burt discovered the Bhabru inscription on Beejak Hill.
  • The inscription, written in Brahmi script, mentions ‘Buddha-Dhamma-Sangha.’
  • In 1990, painted rock shelters were found at the Bairath site.
  • In 1999, from Beejak Hill:
    
    
    
    • Remains of a Mauryan-period stupa and chaitya.
    • The remains of the first Buddhist temple in India
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

🛠️ Important Remains

• 🧱 Circular Chaityagriha (300 BCE to 300 CE):
  
  
  
  • Made of 26 wooden pillars, bricks, and stones.
  
  
  
  
• 🏺 Pottery:
  
  
  
  • Colored pottery and remains of Buddhist culture.
  
  
  
  
• 🪙 Coins:
  
  
  
  • Panchmark coins of Ashoka the Great (the oldest coins of India).
  • 28 coins of Indo-Greek rulers (16 coins of the Greek ruler Menander).
  
  
  
  
• 🗿 Rock carvings and evidence of pre-Aryan presence.

🌄 Major Hills

• Ganesha Dungri.
• Beejak Hill.
• Mahadevji Dungri.
• Bhim Dungri

🕵️ Historical and Cultural Significance

• 🏺 Evidence of post-Gupta period conch script.
• 🌏 During the time of Harshavardhana, the Chinese traveler Xuanzang visited here.
• 🏆 Hiuen Tsang (Xuanzang)’s Titles:
  
  
  
  • ‘Prince of Pilgrims.’
  • ‘Scholar of Ethics.’
  • ‘Sakyamuni.’
  
  
  
  
• 📖 Hiuen Tsang (Xuanzang) wrote a book titled ‘C.Y. Ki,’ which contains information about the Shunga dynasty (Pushyabhuti).