E-LESSON-1 HISTORY-1

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B.A.English 2 All right are reserved with CU-IDOL HISTORY-I BAQ111 First Course Code: 1 Semester: 1 SLM Unit : E-Lesson: www.cuidol.in Unit-1 (BAQ111)

HISTORY-I OBJECTIVES INTRODUCTION 33 After studying this unit, you will be able to: The definition of ancient refers to an era that Describe the importance of ancient Indian history existed a very long time ago. Ancient is also defined as someone or something that has lasted a very long time. Analyse the sources of Ancient Indian History Excavation of Mohenzodaro and Harappa, by R.D. Banerjee and Dayaram Sahani, was the most exhilarating event of the 20th century A.D. for the Indian historians www.cuidol.in Unit-1 (BAQAQ11111)1) . INASlTl ITriUgThEt OarFeDrIeSsTeArNvCeEd AwNitDh OCNUL-IIDNOE LLEARNING .

TOPICS TO BE COVERED 4 > Define the term Ancient and significance of HISTORY-I studying Ancient Indian History > Physical Features of India > The Mountain Ranges of The Himalayas > Area of India https://www.slideshare.net/indrani97321/sst-ppt-on-p www.cuidol.in Unit-1 (BAQ111) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

DEFINE THE TERM ANCIENT AND SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDYING ANCIENT 5 INDIAN HISTORY The definition of ancient refers to an era that existed a very long time ago. Ancient is also defined as someone or something that has lasted a very long time. The ancients strove for unity. History is the study of past events and achievements of man. People are not considered civilized unless they know writing the different forms of writing prevalent in India today are all derived from the ancient scripts It informs us how, when, and where people developed the earliest cultures in our country. The study also indicates how they started agriculture which made life secure and settled.  It also shows how the ancient Indians discovered and utilized natural resources, and how they created the means for their livelihood. Therefore, it is essential to reconstruct ancient Indian history with the help of large varieties of historical evidence and their interpretation. www.cuidol.in Unit-1 (BAQ111) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

MAIN SOURCES OF ANCIENT INDIAN 6 HISTORY All right are reserved with CU-IDOL  LITERARY SOURCES  ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOURCES AND ACCOUNTS OF THE FOREIGN HISTORIANS AND TRAVELLERS www.cuidol.in Unit-1 (BAQ111)

PHYSICAL FEATURES OF INDIA 7 The wide range of physical features of India makes the country a complete geographical study. A thorough knowledge of the geography of a country has a very important role to play in a complete study of its history and India is no exception. The history of any country cannot be understood without some knowledge of its geography. Geography has also given India a distinct existence and maintains a clear identity of her own. These are as follows •The Mountain ranges of the Himalayas in the North •The great Indo-Gangetic plain or Northern Plain •The Deccan Plateau •The Coastal Ghats •The Islands •The Indian Desert Historically, India is an ancient country, known as Bharatvarsh. It is surrounded by the sea on three sides, separated from the rest of Asia by a lofty mountain chain. Hence, it has become an independent entity called the Indian subcontinent. In size, India is the seventh largest country in the world. It is a vast country characterized by great diversity in its physical feature. Therefore, it is necessary to acquire some knowledge about principal physical features. www.cuidol.in Unit-1 (BAQ111) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

THE MOUNTAIN RANGES OF THE 8 HIMALAYAS • In the north of India, there are the lofty Himalaya Mountains which spread out both to the East as well as the West stretching from Kashmir in the West to Assam in the East. • In the north-west of India, there are several passes like the Khyber, the Tochi, the Gomal, etc., which served as channels of commercial and cultural exchange between India and other countries in the past. • The ranges of Himalayas are divided into two groups. • The Himalaya comprises of three parallel ranges in its longitudinal extent. • The outer range of the Himalayas is called the Shiwalik Hills. • Apart from the longitudinal divisions, the Himalayas have been divided on the basis of regions from west to east. • In the north-western direction, the broken Himalayan ranges contain the major routes linking the Indian plains with Iran and Central Asia through Afghanistan. www.cuidol.in Unit-1 (BAQ111) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

AREA OF INDIA 9 India accounts for 2.42 per cent of the world’s total land area; whereas it sustains 16 per cent of the world population. The land frontiers of India measure 15,200 km. Pakistan, Afghanistan China, Nepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh share common boundaries with India. The kingdom of Bhutan is situated in the Eastern Himalaya. It is a small country and the responsibility of its defense rests with India. Most of our boundary with Pakistan and Bangladesh is almost man-made.There is no mountain range or river to form a natural boundary. The international boundary of India passes through a variety of landforms - barren desert lands, lush green agricultural fields, gushing rivers, snow clad mountains as well as densely forested mountain ranges. The defence of such an international boundary passing through various kinds of terrains is certainly a difficult job. An Indian soldier is, therefore, exposed to various types of extremely hostile conditions on the course of his duty. Sometime, he is posted on the icy cold glaciers. At times he has to bear the wrath of the burning sun and he has to face in the hot sands of the desert. www.cuidol.in Unit-1 (BAQ111) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

Key Words/Abbreviations 10  Physical Futures:- A natural feature on the surface, such as water, mountains, and deserts. Usage: Deserts, mountains, and lakes, are all Physical Features.  History:- History is the past as it is described in written documents, and the study thereof.  India:- India has a myriad of landscapes, great heritage and culture, varied flora and fauna. www.cuidol.in Unit-1 (BAQ111) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

Learning Activity 11 1. Describe the main Physical Features of India ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Estimate the influence of the Himalayas and the Great Northern Plains on the course of Indian History ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- www.cuidol.in Unit-1 (BAQ111) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

Summary  The physical features of India can be grouped under the following physiographic divisions having special 12 characteristics. These are the Mountain ranges of the Himalayas in the North, the great Indo-Gangetic plain or Northern Plain, the Deccan Plateau, the Coastal Ghats, the Islands, and the Indian Desert.  The ranges of Himalayas are divided into two groups. The hills like the Hindukush, Sulaiman, Safed Koh, and Kirthar forms the first group, which lie the North-W est region of the Himalayas, while the second group consists of the hills like the Khasi, Jaintia. Pat Koi etc., which lie in its Eastern region.  The outer range of the Himalayas is called the Shiwalik Hills. The Shiwalik Hills, also known as Churia Hills that stretches from the Indus River about 2,400 km eastwards close to the Brahmaputra River.  The Andaman & Nicobar Islands located in the Bay of Bengal and lie on the Indian Ocean. The Indian desert lies towards the western margins of the Aravali Hills.  The huge Himalayan Mountain and its western and eastern ranges in the north have separated India from the rest of Asia. The huge rivers originating from the Himalayan Mountains such as the Ganga, the Jamuna, the Indus, the Brahmaputra, etc., have made the northern plain extremely productive. www.cuidol.in Unit-1 (BAQ111) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

Frequently Asked Questions 13 1. Name the physiographic division of India. (For more information see SLM) Ans: These are the Mountain ranges of the Himalayas in the North, the great Indo-Gangetic plain or Northern Plain, the Deccan Plateau, the Coastal Ghats, the Islands, and the Indian Desert. 2. Write the name of river orginating from Himalaya. (For more information see SLM) Ans: The huge rivers originating from the Himalayan Mountains such as the Ganga, the Jamuna, the Indus,the Brahmaputra, etc., 3. Who was the first identifier of indus civilisation? (For more information see SLM) Ans: The first credit of identification of the ruins of the Indus civilisation goes to Charles Masson, a deserter from the East India Company’s army. www.cuidol.in Unit-1 (BAQ111) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

Multiple Choice Questions 1. The word Himalaya means.. 14 (a) the “abode of house” (b) the “abode of snow” (c) the “abode of sky” (d) the “abode of hill” 2. The Deccan plateau looks almost like a (a) Circle (b) Triangle (c) Rectangle (d) Oval 3. The Lakshadweep lies closer to Coast of which state of India? (a) Kerala (b) Gujurat (c) Odisha (d) Andhra Pradesh Answers: 1.(b) 2.(b) 3. (a) www.cuidol.in Unit-1 (BAQ111) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

References 15  Tripathi, R.S. (2016). Prachin Bharat Ka Itihas : Seventh Edition. Jaipur: Royal Publication.  V.C. Pandey(1986). Political and Cultural History of Ancient India-Part I, Allahabad: Vishal Publication.  Mookerji, R.N. (1947). Ancient India. Delhi: Motilal Banarsi Das PublishersPvt. Ltd..  Basham, A.L.(1967). The Wonder that was India. London: Arthur Probsthain.  Davies, C.C. (1949). An Historical Atlas of Indian Peninsula. India: Oxford University Press  Majumdar, R.C. (2017). Ancient India. Delhi: Motilal Banarsilal Publishers Pvt. Ltd.  Dhillon, S.K. (1991). Religious History of Early Medieval Punjab. Punjab: National Book Organisation. Web Resources  https://www.ancient.eu/india/  https://www.culturalindia.net/india-history/ancient-india/index.html www.cuidol.in Unit-1 (BAQ111) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

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