History of Ancient India

Important points

1. 1

   The Indus Valley Civilisation (c. 2500–1750 BCE) was a Bronze Age urban civilisation; Harappa was excavated first, in 1921, by Daya Ram Sahni.

2. 2

   Mohenjo-daro (excavated in 1922 by R.D. Banerji) is famous for the Great Bath.

3. 3

   Lothal in Gujarat had the earliest known dockyard.

4. 4

   The Rigveda is the oldest Veda — it has 10 mandalas.

5. 5

   The Gayatri Mantra is in the third mandala of the Rigveda and is addressed to Savitri.

6. 6

   Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya and gave his first sermon at Sarnath.

7. 7

   Mahavira, the 24th Jain Tirthankara, was born at Kundagrama near Vaishali.

8. 8

   Chandragupta Maurya founded the Mauryan Empire around 321 BCE with the help of Chanakya.

9. 9

   Ashoka turned to Buddhism after the Kalinga War (c. 261 BCE).

10. 10

    Megasthenes, the Greek envoy at Chandragupta Maurya's court, wrote Indica.

11. 11

    The Gupta period is called the "Golden Age"; Aryabhata and Kalidasa belong to this era.

12. 12

    Chinese pilgrim Fa-Hien visited India under Chandragupta II, and Hiuen Tsang under Harshavardhana.

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