Prehistory of Haryana | HPSC Preparation: All subjects - HPSC (Haryana) PDF Download

Historical Significance of Haryana

• Haryana, known for its ancient roots and the birthplace of the Bhagwad Gita, witnessed the famous Mahabharata battle in which Lord Krishna imparted his knowledge to Arjuna. The Aryans, who resided in this land, wrote the four Vedas, namely the Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Atharva Veda, and Sam Veda. The events that took place in Haryana played a significant role in shaping the destiny of India.
• Over the last century, many archaeological mounds have been found and studied in Haryana, providing insight into the history and cultural richness of the ancient people of Haryana. Archaeological explorations were first conducted by scholars such as Cunningham, C. Rodgers, D.B. Spooner, and others. 
• Excavated objects reveal the presence of human life in the region during the ancient period, with Stone Age tools found in Pinjore, Chandigarh, and Ferozepur Jhirka. Stone tools from the lower Palaeolithic age have also been discovered in several locations, including Dera Karoni, Mansa Devi, Ahian, Dhamla, Kotla, Paplona, and Suketri in Kalka tehsil, which are located in the Shiwalik foothills of Ambala district. These tools include choppers, cores, unworked flakes, scrapers, cleavers, and hand axes. 
• The skilled potters belonging to Banawali in Hisar district during the pre-Harappan period of the 3rd millennium B.C. were known for their pottery decorated with a variety of shapes using gold beads, semi-precious stones, terracotta, steatite and bangles made of clay, shell and copper. 
• The pre-Harappans were later replaced by Harappans around 2300 B.C. The Harappan civilization exhibited excellent craftsmanship as evidenced by their seals, and their terracotta figurines give us an insight into their folk art. 
• Mitathal, another Harappan site located in Bhiwani district, has yielded many significant findings, such as gold beads and pieces, arrowheads, razor blades, sickle-hooks, chisels and nails made of copper and bronze, beads made of semi-precious stones, terracotta bangles, cakes, marbles, figurines, toy-cart frames, wheels and cakes bearing Harappan characters. 
• The late Harappan culture was widely spread throughout Haryana, as demonstrated by the discovery of their pottery at various sites in districts such as Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Jind, Hisar, Bhiwani, Rohtak, Mahendragarh and Gurgaon. During the Vedic age, the holy rivers Saraswati, Drsadvati and Yamuna were the locations where the Vedic hymns were composed and recited. Sarasvati is revered as the goddess of speech and associated with Brahma and his creation. 
• The River Drsadvati was linked to the lighting of sacred fires and offerings made by Bharata Princes, Devasravas and Devavata on its banks. The Yamuna river, on the other hand, was renowned for its connections to Lord Krishna. In addition to this, the Vedic age saw the use of various materials like terracotta, iron, copper, stone, glass, ivory, bones and shells to make artefacts. 
• After the Painted Grey Ware, the Northern Black Polished (NBP) ware was discovered at several sites in Ambala district, Kurukshetra, Panipat, Sonipat and Rohtak. The discovery of Mauryan terracottas from various places indicates Mauryan control over the region.

The Palaeolithic Age

• During the Palaeolithic era, stone tools were used for various purposes such as hunting, cutting and boring. These tools were generally made of quartzite, a hard rock. Initially, primitive man made pebble tools using smooth and round pebbles, which included crude axes, cleavers, scrapers, and flakes. 
• However, in the later stages of the Palaeolithic period, there was an advancement in tool-making techniques. Hard-axes were made of materials like quartzite, sandstone, and chalcedony, and they were shaped like ovals and pears.

The Neolithic Age or New Stone Age

• Man's ability to make progress is an inherent quality that sets him apart from animals. This led to the development of the Neolithic age after thousands of years. During this era, people still relied solely on stone tools and were unaware of any metals. However, their tools were very different from those of the previous age. 
• Firstly, they used stones other than quartzite. Secondly, they were not just chipped but, in most cases, were also ground, grooved, and polished. During the Neolithic age, people made their tools out of fire grained dark green trap, although examples of basalt gneiss, stone, and quartzite were also found.

The Copper and Bronze Age

• The copper and bronze age civilization and culture in northern India is believed to have come after the Indus Valley civilization because the people of the Indus Valley used stone tools that looked like larger microliths, while the copper tools and weapons used in the later period were of a simpler type.

Archaeological evidences of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Haryana

• Over a century ago, Sir Alexander Cunningham, C. Rodgers, D.B. Spooner, and others initiated archaeological explorations in Haryana. However, their explorations were mainly exploratory in nature and focused primarily on historical periods, lacking advanced knowledge and scientific methods. 
• It was not until B.B. Lal's discovery of the Painted Greyware, a protohistoric ceramic industry dating back to the first half of the first millennium B.C. at Kurukshetra, Pehowa, Amin, Panipat, etc., that archaeological findings for the pre-Buddha history of the region were brought to light. 
• Lal associated this pottery with the Aryans of the Mahabharata period. Stone age tools discovered at Pinjore and Chandigarh and Ferozepur Jhirka also suggest the ancient history of human habitation in this region.
• The Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture, and Archaeology at Kurukshetra University conducted an excavation attempt, which was the first of its kind. Dr. Udai Vir Singh and Dr. Suraj Bhan were involved in excavations at Daulatpur, KaranKa-Kila, and Mirzapur. 
• Dr. Suraj Bhan had been exploring the region since 1961, and he discovered around two hundred archaeological sites. He conducted independent excavations at Sugh (1964-65), Mitathal (1968), and Siswal (1970). Along with Jim. G. Shaffer, he carried out an extensive archaeological survey in northern Haryana, uncovering several pre-Harappan, Late Harappan, P.G.W., historical, and medieval sites. 
• During the Banawali excavations, Shri R.S. Bisht uncovered one of the most significant town sites of the Pre-Harappan and Harappan cultures in the region.
• Shri J.P. Joshi from the Archaeological Survey of India made a significant discovery during the Bhagwanpura excavations, revealing evidence of an overlap between the late-Harappan and painted grey ware cultures. This discovery is of great importance for the study of the region's early culture and history. 
• The various archaeological discoveries mentioned above provide clear evidence that the region was inhabited from ancient times and was a hub for cultural and political activities. This suggests that the region may hold answers to important questions about early history and archaeology.