Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya - NCERT

HISTORY

Kasturba Gandhi Balika VidyalayaBridge Course

for Girls Entering Upper Primary Stage

ISBN- 978-81-5007-131-1

23070

Department of Women’s Studies

National Council of Educational Research and TrainingSri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi - 110016

Bahuroope GandhiAnu Bandyopadhyaya

The book vividly narrates how Gandhiji functioned in a variety of ways quite apart from politics and the public scene. The book describes how multifaceted personality he was as a barrister, author, kisan, weaver, nurse, journalist, mason, shoemaker, carpenter, blacksmith and barber. For this amazing devotion to, and capacity for different ways of work he won the title Karamvir from his South African colleagues. This book is a must for every book lover and one who wishes to know about Gandhi.

Rs. 12.00/Paperback/174 pp

?kfM+;ksa dh gM+rky

#- 40-00@isij cSd@i`"B 62

vf/d tkudkjh osQ fy, Ñi;k www.ncert.nic.in nsf[k, vFkok dkWihjkbV i`"B ij fn, x, irksa ij O;kikj çca/d ls laioZQ djsaA

jes'k Fkkuoh

HISTORYHISTORYHISTORYHISTORYHISTORY

Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya

Bridge Course



First EditionOctober 2010 Asvina 1932

PD 10T SU

© National Council of EducationalResearch and Training, 2010

` ??.??

Printed on 80 GSM paper

Published at the Publication Departmentby the Secretary, National Council ofEducational Research and Training, SriAurobindo Marg, New Delhi 110 016 andprinted at ............................................................... ?

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

q No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval

system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,

mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior

permission of the publisher.

q This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way

of trade, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise disposed of

without the publisher’s consent, in any form of binding or cover

other than that in which it is published.

q The correct price of this publication is the price printed on this

page, Any revised price indicated by a rubber stamp or by a

sticker or by any other means is incorrect and should be unac-

ceptable.

Publication Team

Head, Publication : Neerja Shukla

Department

Chief Production : Shiv Kumar

Officer

Chief Editor : Shveta Uppal

Chief Business : Gautam Ganguly

Manager

Production Assistant : ?

Cover, Layout Design and Illustrations

Blue Fish

OFFICES OF THE PUBLICATION

DEPARTMENT, NCERT

NCERT Campus

Sri Aurobindo Marg

New Delhi 110 016 Phone : 011-26562708

108, 100 Feet Road

Hosdakere Halli Extension

Banashankari III Stage

Bangalore 560 085 Phone : 080-26725740

Navjivan Trust Building

P.O.Navjivan

Ahmedabad 380 014 Phone : 079-27541446

CWC Campus

Opp. Dhankal Bus Stop

Panihati

Kolkata 700 114 Phone : 033-25530454

CWC Complex

Maligaon

Guwahati 781 021 Phone : 0361-2674869

ISBN- 978-81-5007-131-1

The National Curriculum Framework-2005 states that a critical functionof education for equality is to enable all learners to claim their rights aswell as to contribute to society and the polity. We need to recognise thatrights and choices in themselves cannot be exercised until essentialhuman capabilities are recognised. Thus, in order to make it possible forall learners from different socio-economic backgrounds, especially girls,to claim their rights as well as play an active role in shaping collectivelife, education must empower them to overcome the disadvantages ofunequal socialisation and enable them to develop their capabilities ofbecoming equal citizens.

Reaching out to the girl child has been central to the efforts ofUniversalising Elementary Education (UEE). The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

(SSA), a national flagship programme for UEE recognises the need forspecial efforts to bring girls, especially from disadvantaged groups, toschools, and to bridge gender disparities in education at the elementarylevel. In this regard the Ministry of Human Resource Developmentattempts to address social, cultural and economic deprivation faced bygirls from marginalised and disadvantaged sections of remote and ruralareas, by instituting the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV)scheme, an innovative and promising initiative of the Government ofIndia. Introduced as a scheme in 2004 it became a part of SSA in 2007.Currently it is operational in twenty-four states and one union territory.

The Bridge course is also an important step in translating some ofthe concerns stated in the Right of Children to Free and CompulsoryEducation Act, 2009, particularly in the context of ensuring that thechildren belonging to weaker sections and disadvantaged groups are notdiscriminated and prevented from pursuing and completing elementaryeducation; and providing course of study for elementary education.

A National Consultation on KGBV was organised by NCERT from11 to 12 August 2008 to share experiences generated by the KGBV schemeoperational over the last few years. This consultation brought togetherscholars from different fields. The consultation strongly recommendedthe development of Bridge Courses for girls enrolling in KGBV. It alsorecommended customised Teacher Training packages for upgrading theskills of KGBV teachers. Under this backdrop, the Department of Women'sStudies took the initiative for developing the Bridge Courses and TeacherTraining packages based on NCF-2005, in collaboration with otherCurricular Departments of NIE, RIEs, University Departments, DIETs ofDelhi, NGOs and practicing school teachers, including teachers of KGBV.

The Bridge Course is a pioneering initiative made by NCERT inaddressing the academic needs of drop out girls who have revisited formalschools after a gap of two or more years. This course has been prepared

Foreword

keeping the learners' contexts in mind. The pedagogical approaches inthese courses in Science, Maths, History, Geography and the Languages—English and Hindi, use simple language with multiple participatoryactivities which can be contextualised as per the requirements of differentKGBVs. The Bridge Course should not be treated as yet another book butis to be used for contextualising activities, preparation of worksheets,project work etc. which would enrich their pedagogical approaches. Thismaterial can be adopted and adapted according to the needs of KGBVgirls. Additions to this material will be a growing approach and an evolvingprocess.

DWS could not have gone ahead with this endeavour without thedirection and guidance of Professor Krishna Kumar, former DirectorNCERT. He had rightly envisioned the importance of the present BridgeCourse in addressing the academic challenges of girls under the KGBVscheme.

We also gratefully acknowledge contributions of the Review Committeechaired by Dr Sharada Jain, Director, Sandhan, Jaipur; and othermembers—Sister Sabina, Former, State Project Director, Mahila SamakhyaSociety, Patna, Bihar; Ms Seema Bhaskaran, State Project Director, MahilaSamakhya Society, Kerala; Ms Amukta Mahapatra, Director School Scape,Chennai for their expert review and suggestions.

We are thankful to the members of Evaluation Team constituted byMHRD—Ms Sarita Mittal, Director EE8; Ms Kiran Dogra, ConsultantGender, EdCIL; and Ms. Dipta Bhog, Director, Nirantar for their inputsand suggestions.

As an organisation committed to systemic reform and continuousimprovement in the quality of its products, NCERT welcomes commentsand suggestions which will enable us to undertake further revision andrefinement.

Director

New Delhi National Council of Educational11 June 2010 Research and Training

iv

The Bridge Course for girls of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV)has been developed keeping in view the guiding principles of the National

Curriculum Framework (NCF)-2005 that marks a departure from the legacy ofbookish learning which continues to shape our system and causes a gapbetween the school, home and community. These materials developed indifferent subject areas, viz. English, Hindi, History, Geography, Science,and Mathematics are based on the NCERT primary and upper primarytextbooks. All these subject areas in the Bridge Course will contribute to thelearning skills of KGBV girls and will prepare them for entering into theupper primary stage. Use of bilingual approach in English and History coursebooks of Bridge Course will take girls ahead in their learning and thinkingskills. The flexibility in the approach and suggested activities taking thehelp of worksheets, teacher demonstration, anecdotes, reciting poems,crossword puzzles, experimenting, hands on skills, oral traditions and readingmaterial across various subjects are the highlights of the Bridge Course.

Each subject area has used key concepts across the primary and upperprimary textbooks of NCERT based on NCF-2005. Each concept has beendealt with through a different kind of activity without bringing any definitionand the content for rote learning. The concept or the idea has been dealtthrough activities for the learners to understand, analyse and then apply inthe given context. It is hoped that this material to be used as the bridgebetween primary and upper primary stage, will fulfill the learning needs ofdropout girls. The activities are suggestive. Any alternate activity can alsobe carried out based on the local specific contexts. Each activity has thescope of creating similar other local-specific activities for encouraginglearners to go beyond the course book. Its scope will get enhanced if thiscreates a space for more such activities.

The Bridge Course developed in different subjects is gender inclusive. Ithighlights the participation and contribution of women in diverse fields.This suggestive material is an effort in keeping the plurality and differentcontexts of KGBV girls in mind. The pedagogical approaches woven in BridgeCourse attempts to address the multilevel and diverse needs of KGBVslocated in different socio-cultural contexts. The Bridge Course has beentried and tested at NIE, NCERT from 22 February to 3 March 2010 on forty-four master trainers deputed by nine states, viz. Andhra Pradesh, Bihar,Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, UttarPradesh and West Bengal.

The feedback received during the training of the master trainers havebeen duly incorporated. However, more suggestions, if any, will be welcome.

Preface

Development Committee

Indu Kumar, Assistant Professor, Central Institute for EducationalTechnology, NCERT, New Delhi

M. Roy Anand, Assistant Professor, DESSH, NCERT

Reetu Singh, Assistant Professor, DESSH, NCERT

Siraj Anwar, Associate Professor, Planning, Programming, Monitoringand Evaluation Division, NCERT, New Delhi

MEMBER-COORDINATOR

Gouri Srivastava, Professor and Head, Department of Women's Studies,NCERT, New Delhi

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)acknowledges the valuable contribution of individuals and organisationsinvolved in the development of this Bridge Course.

Department of Women's Studies (DWS) could not have gone aheadwith this endeavour without the direction and guidance of ProfessorKrishna Kumar, former Director, NCERT. We gratefully acknowledgethe help provided by Professor G. Ravindra, Director, NCERT andProfessor Neerja Shukla, former Head, DWS in this important endeavour.

Special thanks are due to Professor Savita Sinha, Head, Departmentof Education in Social Science (DESSH) for her constant cooperation andsupport. Thanks are due to the practising teachers—Chandra PrabhaBhatia, TGT Social Science, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Ballygunge, Kolkata;Nagendrappa, PGT, History, DMS, RIE, Mysore; Nandita Singh, formerPGT History, Project Associate, ZHCES, Jawaharlal Nehru University,New Delhi; Smita Sahay Bhattacharya, PGT History, Blue Bells School,Kailash Colony, New Delhi; for reviewing the book and to Pramod KumarTiwari, Consultant, Sahitya Akademi, Dr. Kumkum Chaturvedi,D.D. Nautiyal, former Secretary, Commission for Scientific and TechnicalTerminology, for looking into the Hindi box items and poems of each chapterand to Ms Indu Kumar for composing the Hindi poetry.

Thanks are also due to the administration of DWS for their efforts andcooperation. The contributions of Surender Kumar, Meenakshi Tomer,and Kamlesh Rao, DTP operator are duly acknowledged.

Last but not the least, the DWS thanks the Publication Departmentfor the help towards the printing of this document.

Acknowledgement

FOREWORD iii

PREFACE v

1. INTRODUCTION 1 - 2

2. ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WERE HUNTERS 3 - 9AND FOOD GATHERERS

3. EARLY DISCOVERIES AND INVENTIONS 10 - 19

4. THE EARLIEST CITIES 20 - 25HARAPPAN CIVILISATION

5. PEOPLE WHO CAME AND MADE AN IMPACT 26 - 33

6. CONTRIBUTIONS OF SOME EMINENT 34 - 47MEN AND WOMEN OF INDIA

Contents

Gandhi j i ’ s Ta l i smanGandhi j i ’ s Ta l i smanGandhi j i ’ s Ta l i smanGandhi j i ’ s Ta l i smanGandhi j i ’ s Ta l i sman

I will give you a talisman. Wheneveryou are in doubt or when the selfbecomes too much with you, applythe following test:

Recall the face of the poorest andthe weakest man whom you mayhave seen and ask yourself if the stepyou contemplate is going to be ofany use to him. Will he gainanything by it? Will it restore himto a control over his own life anddestiny? In other words, will it leadto Swaraj for the hungry andspiritually starving mill ions?

Then you will find your doubtsand your self melting away.

The Bridge Course in history is designed to give girls a glimpse

of India’s multiple past. It gives an idea as to how human beings

tried to understand their natural and social environment, and

changed their lives from simple living to a more complex one,

i.e. from meeting needs of food, clothing and shelter to needs

of entertainment, employment etc.

There was a constant effort to understand the mysteries of

nature for the purpose of survival. Humans learnt to protect,

produce, preserve and conserve. This led to a more settled life.

The themes in the bridge course are designed to help girls

understand the journey of how humans began their life on

earth. Some discoveries and inventions which tried to

revolutionise human life and the gradual development of early

cities is mentioned in the present course book. It also discusses

how from time to time people entered the porous boundaries of

what was India in the past and made it their

homes. The impact of interaction and

intermingling of local and non-local population

is evident even today. The impact of such

interactions is visible in clothes, food, music,

art and architecture to this day. The last section

highlights the contributions of some eminent

men and women who addressed the issues of

social inequality and national pride.

After studying the bridge course you will be

able to appreciate that we had a multiple past

and our cultural heritage was based on the

contributions of men and women who belonged

to different sections of society.

The bridge course in history should not be

treated as yet another book. It is a modest attempt

for making the study of India's multiple past

interesting and interactive. The various activities

suggested can make the teaching of history come

INTRODUCTION

1

bfrgkl ,d jksekapd ;k=kk gSA ;g;k=kk rqEgsa le; vkSj lalkj osQ vkj&ikjys tkrh gSA vkt ge ftl nqfu;k esa gSamls cuk;k gS gels igys vk, yksxksa usAmuds thou ds lq[k&nq[k] vius ;qxdh leL;kvksa ls tw>us dh mudh dksf'k'ksa]mudh [kkstsa vkSj vkfo"dkj] bUgha dsrkus&ckus esa rks ekuo lekt cnykAge yacs varjky esa /hes&/hes gksus okysifjorZuksa dk vlj bfrgkl ds >jks[ks lsns[k ikrs gSaA bfrgkl i<+ dj ge le>ikrs gSa fd vk/qfud nqfu;k vusd lfn;ksals gks jgs cnykoksa dk ifj.kke gSA

D;ksa i<+sa ge bfrgkl\

22222 KGBV— BRIDGE COURSE IN HISTORY

alive by encouraging girls to draw a link between the present

and the past. Activities given in different chapters can be

contextualised according to the requirement of each KGBV

located in diverse blocks. The box items in Hindi and the poems

can be translated into the local language or changed as per

your requirements.

bfrgkl oks ugha dgkuhftlesa dsoy jktk jkuhmudk thou] mudk jktmudh lsuk] muosQ dktAA

thr fdlh dh] fdlh dh gkjjFk] ?kksMs+] gkFkh] ryokjeaf=k;ksa vkSj eqykf”keksa lsltk gqvk jkt njckjAA

egyksa dk vkSj ;q¼ksa dk ghugha gS C;kSjk blesa vktvke yksxksa dh Hkh blesaxw¡t jgh gS vc vkok”kAA

vke yksx rc D;k djrs FksoSQls djrs xqtj&clj;q¼ksa vkSj gkj&thrksa dkmuij iM+rk Fkk D;k vljAA

efgyk,¡ rc D;k djrh FkhavkSj cPps D;k djrs Fksbfrgkl ds lc dkyksa esaoks lc Hkh rks clrs FksAA

lcdk thou\ lcdh 'kSyhyksd dyk vkSj rht&R;kSgkjbfrgkl esa vkt lHkh gSugha [kkl dksbZ] uk gS vkeAA

µbUnw oqQekj

You have books to read, schools where you learn and gain

knowledge, fire to cook food, utensils to store food, clothes to

wear, cycles or buses to travel distances, ploughs to cultivate

fields, money to buy things and so on. Imagine for a moment

that you are without these and you have to procure food from

nature, eat uncooked food, walk long distances through dense

forests and plains, build your home by yourself, etc. Yes, there

was a time, thousands of years ago, when men, women and

children lived such a life. They moved from one place to another

like nomads, in search of plants, fruits and animals. Their life

depended on hunting and gathering.

WHO WERE THEY?

The earliest known human beings who lived in the sub-continent

were hunters and gatherers. They did not live the way we live

today. They led a nomadic life, that is, they wandered around

mainly in search of food and shelter. They are described as

hunters and gatherers because of their way of life. The knowledge

and skills that we have today, can be traced back to them.

HOW DO WE KNOW ABOUT THEM?

Remains of implements and tools used by hunters and gatherers

have been found at many places. Some of these tools have

been found by archaeologists on the surface of the earth, some

buried under the earth or even under water.

,d le; Fkk tc euq"; taxy esa jgrs Fks] Hkkstu dh ryk'k esa mUgsa nwj&nwj rdHkVduk iMrk Fkk] D;ksafd os iQy&iwQy vkSj vUu mitkuk ugha tkurs FksA mUgsavkx tykuk Hkh ugha vkrk Fkk vkSj u gh vkt tSls ;krk;kr ds lk/u muds iklFksA os ehyksa iSny pydj tkuojksa dk f'kdkj djrs vkSj [kkus ;ksX; dan] ewy]iQy vkSj vUu dk laxzg djrsA jkr dks os taxy esa izkoQfrd rjhds ls cuhxqiQkvksa esa lks tkrsA [krjukd taxyh tkuojksa dk Hk; mUgsa lnk lrkrk jgrk Fkkvr% os lewg esa jgrs FksA ,d txg ds dan] ewy] iQy vkSj vUu tc [kRe gkstkrs rks os nwljh ,slh txg dh ryk'k esa fudy iM+rs tgk¡ budh vf/drk gksA


Based on archaeological evidences we know about

the pattern of living of hunters and gatherers.

Many caves where hunters and gatherers lived have

paintings on the walls. Some of the best examples of

cave paintings are from Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh

and southern Uttar Pradesh. Cave paintings have also

been found in other parts of the world. Below is a

painting from a cave in France.

WHEN, WHERE AND HOW THEY LIVED?

Hunters and gatherers lived in the

Indian subcontinent as early as two

million years ago. They lived in several

places. A few are shown on the given

Map-1 of India. All the places marked

with red triangles are sites from which

archaeologists have found evidence of

hunter -gatherers. Bhimbetka in

Madhya Pradesh is an example of one

such site. People chose these natural

Sites are the places

where the remains of

things used by hunters

and gatherers like tools,

pots and buildings have

been found.

Source: Our Pasts–I, NCERT, p19

Stone Age rock paintings found among the Bhimbetkarock shelters. The Bhimbetka rock shelters are locatedin Raisen District in Madhya Pradesh and exhibit the

earliest traces of human life in India

What is Archaeology?The discovery and study of material remains, especially found bydigging, such as graves, buildings, tools, pottery, etc. which help usto understand past human life and culture, is called Archaeology.

Who is an archeologist?An archeologist is a person who studies human life and culturethrough material remains recovered from excavations and sites.

This painting is from a cave in France. The sitewas discovered by four school children morethan a hundred years ago. Paintings like thiswere made about 10,000 years ago. It ispossible that these paintings were done onceremonial occasions or they were made forspecial rituals performed by hunters before theywent for hunting.

55555ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WERE HUNTERS AND FOOD GATHERERS

caves to live in because they provided shelter from rain, heat

and wind.

Many sites were located near sources of water such as rivers

and lakes. People moved from place to place in search of food.

They hunted wild animals, caught fish and birds, gathered

fruits, roots, nuts, seeds, leaves, stalks and eggs.

Their life was not easy. To collect fruits they needed to know

about the seasons, especially when the fruits ripened. To hunt

animals or catch fish and birds, people needed to be alert,

quick and have presence of mind. Hunting of animals required

Source: Our Pasts–I, NCERT, p14

MAP : 1

Some Important Archaeological Sites


TOOLS THEY USED

It is likely that people made and

used tools of stone, wood and bone,

of which stone tools have survived

to this day. Some of these tools were

used to cut meat and bone, scrap

bark from trees and hides of animal

skin, chop fruits and to dig edible

roots. Tools were also used to chop wood and stitch animal

skin to cover human body. Some of these tools may have been

attached to handles of bone and wood for hunting. As tools

were important, people tried to find places where good quality

stone was easily available. Given above are pictures of the tools

that were used by early humans.

the knowledge of their food habits and their breeding season.

This also helped early humans to think about herding and

rearing these animals themselves.

Women and Men – Who did What?

Source: Our Pasts–1, NCERT, p13

We do not really know the specific activities performed by men andwomen. It is possible that men and women may have done manytasks together. It is also possible that some tasks were done only bymen and others only by women. Can you identify such tasks?

D;k vkidks Kkr gS ;s iRFkj ds vkS”kkj dgk¡ ik, x, \;s vkS”kkj vDlj ufn;ksa ds dxkjksa esa feyrs gSa tgk¡ izkphu ekuo taxyh tkuojksa dsf'kdkj dh [kkst esa ?kwerk&fiQjrk Fkk] ;k xqiQkvksa esa feyrs gSa tgk¡ ekuo jgrk FkkA bl;qx esa iRFkj ds vkS”kkjksa dk [+kwc bLrseky gksrk Fkk] blfy, bls ik"kk.k ;qx dgrs gSaA

budk iz;ksx fdl rjg fd;k tkrk Fkk \euq"; viuh Hkkstu&lkexzh ds fy, yxHkx iwjh rjg izÑfr ij fuHkZj FkkA vius izkjafHkdvkS”kkjksa ls og vusd dke ysrk Fkk] tSls ejs gq, i'kqvksa dh [kky mrkjuk] mudk ekaldkVuk rFkk mudh gfM~M;ksa dks vyx djuk vkfnA /hjs&/hjs vius vuqHkoksa ls mluslh[kk fd iRFkjksa dks jxM+ dj fdl izdkj fpaxkjh fudkyh tkrh gS] vkSj [+kkl ”k:jrksads fy, fdl rjg ds vkS”kkj cuk, tkrs gSaA


Given above are pictures of hand–made stone tools.

Observe them carefully.

Group A has the earliest examples of stone tools.

Group B has stone tools made several thousand years ago.

Group C has stone tools made still later.

Group D has stone tools which were made about 10,000 years ago.

Group E shows natural pebbles.

E

A B

C D



LET’S RECALL

1. Why did hunters and gatherers choose to live in caves and

rock shelters?

2. Why did people move from one place to another in the early

times?

3. Why did people try to find places where good quality stone

was easily available?

4. Who discovered the site of the caves with paintings in France?

LET’S DISCUSS

5. There is no written evidence as regards the life of hunters

and gatherers. What other evidence throws light on hunters

and gatherers?

6. Are there people in our society whose lives, in any way, are

similar to the lives of hunters and gatherers? If so in what

ways are they similar?

LET’S DO

7. Make two columns in your notebook; in the first column,

list the food eaten by hunters and gatherers. In the second

column list the food you eat. Analyse and find similarities

and differences.

8. Draw or collect pictures of tools used by the early humans

and the tools we use today to perform similar tasks.


çkjfEHkd ekuo

ckr gS ;g cM+h iqjkuh]

;g gS lPph ,d dgkuh]

Takxy esa jgrs Fks ekuo]

vkSj ihrs Fks unh dk ikuhA

dan&ewy&iQy [kk ysrs Fks

vkSj fd;k djrs f'kdkj]

nwj&nwj rd ?kwek djrs]

ikus dks viuk vkgkjA

uk Fkh lM+osaQ uk Fkh xkM+h]

uk gksrh Fkh [ksrh&ckM+h]

uk 'kgj Fks uk Fks xk¡o]

uk Fkh jsysa] uk Fkh VªkWeA

ugha gqvk djrs rc ?kj]

vkSj uk gksrs Fks vkS”kkj]

va/sjh xqI+kQkvksa esa lksrs Fks]

iRFkj Fks muds gfFk;kjA

dHkh&dHkh tc iqQjlr feyrh]

cSBosQ oks lkspk djrs Fks]

unh dgk¡ ls ykrh gS ty]

isM+ksa ij dSls yxrs iQyA

oSQls mx tkrk gS ikS/k\

jkr dks D;k lwjt Hkh lksrk\

D;w¡ taxy esa yxrh vkx\

ns[k ftls lc tkrs Hkkx!

vius oqQN ç'uksa dk mlus]

[+kqn oSQls ik;k tokc]

bls tkuus dks vc rqedks]

Ik<+uk gksxk vxyk ikBAµbUnww oqQekj

We learned in Chapter-1 that hunters and gatherers did not

lead a settled life. They moved from place to place depending

upon where they could find plants and animals to eat. Later,

the discovery of fire, invention of the wheel and beginning of

agriculture brought about remarkable changes in the pattern

of living of early humans. These discoveries and inventions

marked the beginning of settled life.

It was probably people in Africa who first began to use fire

for cooking about 8 to 10 lakh years ago. People had always

known about fire because fire occurred naturally when there

were lightning sparks, or when two rocks were struck against

each other. Probably the first people who made fire, started

using it from fires that naturally occurred due to lightning or

forest fires. Then they probably figured out ways to make fire

by striking flints together or by rubbing two sticks. Fire was a

very early discovery, even before people started to cover their

body with animal skin or leaves. Before the discovery of fire,

early humans had started making sharp edged stone tools.

3

EARLY DISCOVERIES AND

INVENTIONS

TkSlk fd rqe tkurh gks] tc ekuo taxy esa jgrk Fkk] og fLFkj thou O;rhr ughadjrk Fkk_ Hkkstu dh ryk'k eas mls ,d LFkku ls nwljs LFkku rd HkVduk iM+rk FkkAtkuojksa ds f'kdkj rFkk [kkus ;ksX; tM+ksa dks [kksndj fudkyus ds fy, og iRFkj dsvkS”kkjksa vkSj gfFk;kjksa dk iz;ksx djrk Fkk] 'kk;n dHkh iRFkjksa ds vkS”kkj cukrs oDrmlls fpaxkjh fudyrs ns• euq"; us tkuk fd vkx dSls tykbZ tk ldrh gSA vkxtykuk lh[k ysus ls mldk thou dkI+kQh ljy gks x;kA xqi+ Qk ds ckgj vkx tyk djog taxyh tkuojksa ds Hk; ls cpk jgrk FkkA fujarj lkspus] fopkj djus vkSj ckjhdhls vkl&ikl ?kV jgh ?kVukvksa dk voyksdu djus ds dkj.k og [ksrh djuk lh[kIkk;kA blh rjg mlus ifg, dk vkfo"dkj Hkh fd;kA bu [kkstksa vkSj vkfo"dkjksa dsdkj.k gh ckn esa fLFkj thou dh 'kq:vkr gks ldhA dSls\ ;gh vki bl ikB esa i<+saxhA

1111111111

,d lewg esa vkfn ekuo]ysdj cSBs Fks dqN iRFkjµdqN piVs dqN Fks uqdhys]dqN tSls gksa eksVh dhysaA

dqN dqnky dqN Hkkys tSls]dqN esa Fkh pkdw lh /kj]iRFkj ls iRFkj dks ekj]cuk jgs Fks oks gfFk;kjA

Vdjk;k iRFkj ls iRFkj]Rkc mlls fudyh fpaxkjh]Ikkl gh Fkk iÙkksa dk <sj]vkx lqyxrs yxh u nsjA

lh[k fy;k tc vkx tykuk]lnhZ dk ekSle cuk lqgkukAmudh xqI+kQk gks xbZ jks'ku][kkus yxs idk dj [kkukA

vkx

/hjs&/hjs euq"; vkx dk fofHkUu izdkj ls mi;ksxdjus yxsA os tkuojksa dk ekal Hkwu dj rFkk danewyidk dj [kkus yxsA os taxyh&tkuojksa ls lqj{kk dsfy, xqiQk ds ckgj vkx tykrs Fks rFkk jks'kuh dsfy, Hkh os vkx dk mi;ksx djus yxsA

Early Discoveries and Inventions


The ability to make fire was very important.

Fire could have been used for many purposes

such as a source of light, to cook food and to

scare away animals. Humans had already

discovered that most animals were afraid of

fire, so a roaring camp fire gave them protection

from wild animals. Knowledge of producing fire

allowed them to move into colder regions as

fire would provide them with warmth.

Source: Themes in World History, Class XI, NCERT, p14

Places marked with red dots indicatesome sites where early humans livedand made use of fire.

TRACES OF FIRE – SOME IMPORTANT SITES

Refer to the map in Chapter-1 and locate Kurnool caves. Traces

of ash have been found here. This suggests that people were

familiar with the use of fire. At Swartkrans Cave in South Africa

also, burnt bones were found dating to 1.4 million years ago

suggesting usage of fire.

ACTIVITIES

1. List food items that are eatencooked and those that areeaten uncooked.

2. Why do we not usually cookfruits?

3. What would happen if youtry to consume uncookedpulses, cereals, meat etc?

1313131313EARLY DISCOVERIES AND INVENTIONS

THE INVENTION OF THE WHEEL

The earliest example of the wheel has been obtained from

Mesopotamia, the region around modern Iraq. The idea of

creating the wheel may have been inspired by a simple

observation of a rolling tree trunk. Over a period of time

people started to place a number of tree trunks on the ground

close together and thus moved heavy items from one place

to another. The next development was to use slices of these

trunks bound together through an axle.

MESOPOTAMIA

EGYPTINDIA

CHINA

Tropic of Cancer

Equator

Mesopotamia isan ancient regionof Southwest Asia.


With the development of agriculture

and beginning of settled life, use of the

wheel assumed importance in the daily

lives of people. Animals like the ox and

bull began to be yoked to a cart which

was attached to wooden wheels with

spokes. The use of the wheel improved

the lives of humans. They could move

as well as transport goods from one

place to another. At a later period the

horse began to be yoked to a chariot

which moved faster. The chariot was

used for transportation as well as in the

battle field.

Wheel excavated from Mesopotamia

ifg;k

cPpksa] bl fp=k dks è;ku ls ns[kksA bl fp=k esavkfn ekuo Hkkjh ydfM+;ksa dks Åij ls /dsy jgkgSA mlus ik;k fd csyukdkj oLrq,¡ de cyyxkus ls gh xfre; gks tkrh gSA bl rjg euq"; dsfnekx esa ifg, dk fopkj iuik vkSj mlus ifg,dh [kkst dhA cPpksa vkius ,slh fdruh oLrq,¡ns[kh gaS ftuesa ifg, dk bLrseky gksrk gS \

,d fnu ekuo us <yku ij

ns[kk ,d yq<+drk yV~Bk

xksy&xksy yq<+dk <yku ij

ig¡qpk uhps iSQys eSnku ij

ns[k mls dqN mlus lkspk

flj [kqtyk;k fd;k fopkj

eaS rks bldks <ks&<ks Fkdrk

ij ;g rks [kqn Hkh py ldrk

ck¡/ bUgsa xj eSa Ykq<+dkÅ¡

j[k bu ij Hkkjh lkeku

iy esa dke esjk gks tk,

esgur Hkh esjh cp tk,

fiQj mlus oqQN vkSj Hkh vk¡dk

yV~Bs dks VqdM+ksa esa dkVk]

,d /qjh ls nks dks ck¡/k

/hjs&/hjs fd;k lq/kj

;¡WWw gks x;k ifg;k rS;kjµbUnww oqQekj


2. The spindle whorl

3. The spinning wheel

HOW THE WHEEL CHANGED

THE HUMAN LIFE

With the passage of time and

development of technology the use of the

wheel was further developed. If you

observe around youself, you can see that

various modes of transport such as

cycles, scooters, cars, buses and trains

run on different kinds of wheels.

Apart from being a transportation

device, the invention of wheel also led to

the development of technology in general.

Some important applications included

the following:

1. The water wheel

cPpksa] bl fp=k dks è;ku ls ns[kksA bl fp=k esavkèkqfud ;krk;kr ds lk/uksa esa ifg, dk iz;ksxfn[kk;k x;k gSA blds vykok vU; ;krk;kr dslk/uksa ds ckjs esa crkvks ftlesa ifg, dk iz;ksxgksrk gSA

D;k vkius dHkh typDdh dks ns[kk gS\ vktHkh gekjs xk¡oksa esa bldk iz;ksx fd;k tkrk gSrFkk fctyh cukus esa Hkh typDdh dk iz;ksxfd;k tkrk gSA

cPpksa] bl fp=k dks Hkh è;ku ls ns[kksA ;g fdlph”k dk fp=k gS\ bls pj[kk dgrs gSaA blls Hkhlwr dkrus dk dke fd;k tkrk gSA D;k vkidksbls ns[kdj fdlh tkus&ekus O;fDr dh ;knvkrh gS\ crkb, og egku O;fDr dkSu Fks\

D;k vki tkurs gaS ;s fdl ph”k dk fp=k gSa\bls rdyh* dgrs gSaA blls lwr dkrus dk dkefd;k tkrk gSA D;k vkius viuh nknh ;k ukuhds ikl bls ns•k gS ;k blds fo"k; esa lquk gS\rks ns[kk cPpksa dSls NksVh&NksVh ph”kksa esa ifg,dk iz;ksx gksrk gS\

Spindle whorl:small sleek top liketool used to spinthread, which isstill used in somerural areas.


BEGINNING OF AGRICULTURE

As already mentioned in Chapter-1, people hunted wild

animals, caught fish and birds, gathered fruits, roots, nuts,

seeds, leaves, stalks and eggs.

Around 10,000 years ago, there were major changes in the

climate of the world. In many areas, this led to the development

of grasslands. During this time several grain bearing grasses,

including wheat, barley and rice grew naturally in different

regions. People probably collected these grains as foods, and

learnt where they grew and when they ripened.

This may have led them to think about growing plants on

their own. They probably observed several things like:

1. The seeds broke off the stalks and fell on the ground.

vUu bdV~Bk djds bd fnu]jgh Fkha oks lc mldks chuAdqN nkus jg x;s ”kehu ij]ckfj'k us vk mudks lhapkA

igys vUu ls vadqj iQwVs]fiQj cu x, oks ikS/s]cPpksa us rc mudks ns[kk]vkSj fiQj ek¡ dks Hkh fn[kyk;kA

ek¡ dh dqN&dqN le> esa vk;k]fxygjh vkSj fpfM+;ksa ls mlus]igjk nsdj mUgas cpk;kA

,d fnu lc jg x, pfdr]Tkc ns[kh ygjkrh [ksrh]vUu fxjk Fkk tks ”kehu ij]Hkjh ckfy;k¡ Fkh mlls ghA

ns[k iQly rc mUgkasus lkspk]vc thou dqN vPNk gksxk]ugha ?kweuk iM+sxk gedks]vc Hkkstu dh [kkst esa nj&njA

,d txg gh jg dj vc ge[ksrh dj ldrs ”kehu ij A

µ bUnw oqQekj

[ksrh

bl fp=k dks ns[ksaA blesa dqN efgyk,¡ ,d lkFk vuktbdV~Bk dj jgh gSaA ”kjk è;ku ls ns[kas os lHkh ,d xqi+ Qk dsikl cSBh gSaA vkfn ekuo xqi+ Qkvksa esa fuokl djrs FksA lHkhdke fey ck¡V dj djrs FksA cPpksa gesa Hkh lcds ekuoh;Je dk lEeku djuk pkfg,A


2. New plants sprouted from them.

Perhaps, they began looking after plants – protecting them

from birds and animals so that they could grow and the seeds

could ripen.

fn, x, fp=k dks è;ku ls ns[ksaAmlesa ,d efgyk xqi+ Qk ds ikl ,dcPps ds lkFk [kM+h gS vkSj nwljkcPpk cht esa ls mxs gq, ikS/s dksns[k jgk gSA

bl rjg tc euq";ksa us cht dkss ikS/ksa vkSj ikS/kas dksi+ Qly esa cnyrs ns[kk rks os vk'p;Zpfdr jg x,AmUgksaus tkuk fd dSls chtkas ls [ksrh dh tk ldrhgSA cPpksa D;k vkius dHkh dksbZ ikS/k mxk;k gS\mldh ns[kHkky dh gS\ mls c<+rs gq, ns[kk gS\tc gekjk yxk;k gqvk ikSèkk cM+k gksrk gS rksfdruh [kq'kh gksrh gS! fn, x, fp=k esa Hkh euq";i+ Qly dks c<+rs gq, ns• dj •q'k gks jgs gSaA

bl fp=k esa ogh cPpk mxs gq,ikS/s dks ns[k dj viuh ek¡ dkscqykrk gSA blh izdkj oQf"k dkvkfo"dkj gqvkA lkspks vxj oQf"kdk vkfo"dkj ugha gqvk gksrk rksgesa Hkkstu dgk¡ ls feyrk\


This was probably how agriculture was discovered

and people began to grow crops.

EVIDENCES OF AGRICULTURAL SITES

See the map given in Chapter-1. You will notice a number of

blue squares. Each of these squares, points to a site from where

archaeologists have found evidence of early farmers and

herders. Some of the most important ones are in the north-

west, in the present day Kashmir, and in east and south India.

To find out whether these sites were settlements of farmers

and herders, scientists study evidences of plants and animal

bones. One of the findings includes remains of burnt grain.

Scientists can identify these grains, and so we know that there

were settlements of farmers and a number of crops were grown

in different parts of the subcontinent.

AGRICULTURE AND THE BEGINNING OF A SETTLED LIFE

cPpksa] Åij fp=k esa efgyk,¡ o iq#"k ,d lkFk [ksrksa ls ckfy;k¡ pqu jgs gSaAD;k vkius vius xk¡o esa ;k vkl&ikl efgykvksa o iq#"kksa dks lkFk&lkFk •srhdjrs gq, ns[kk gS\ D;k vki crk ldrs gaS fd fdl ph”k dh [ksrh dh tkjgh gS\ xksy ?ksjs esa fdl vukt dk fp=k gS\

1818181818

fn, x, fp=k dks è;ku ls ns[kksA blesa gesaoQf"k dk fodflr :i fn[kkbZ nsrk gSA/hjs&/hjs ekuo lH;rk dk fodkl gqvkAeuq"; xqi+ Qkvksa dh txg ?kjksa es jgus yxsAf'kdkj ds LFkku ij i'kq ikyu djus yxsAefgykvksa vkSj iq:"kksa ds vkilh lg;ksxls vukt dk mRiknu Hkh 'kq: gks x;kA


When people began growing plants, it meant that they had

to stay in the same place for a long time looking after the

plants, watering, weeding and driving away animals and birds

till the grain ripened. These activities led humans to lead a more

settled life.

LET’S RECALL

1. Where do we find the earliest evidence of the wheel?

2. List out the ways in which fire was used. What are the

other uses of fire?

3. During which time did several grain bearing grasses,

including wheat, barley and rice grow naturally?

4. How did the discovery of agriculture lead to a more

settled life?

LET’S DISCUSS

5. What are the stages involved in wheat and rice production?

Who is involved in sowing, weeding, harvesting, stocking

and selling?

6. Observation of a rolling tree trunk may have led to the

invention of the wheel. Discuss other observations which

may have led to the invention of some other devices. Give a

few interesting observations which you have made.

LET’S DO

7. Make two columns in your notebook, list the uses of fire

that hunters and gatherers made in the first column and

the uses of fire in the present day in the second column.

Note similarities and differences.

8. Draw different modes of transport that we use today. Mark

the common ones which early humans also used.

9. Collect information about how different grains are stored

in rural and urban areas.

ns[kk cPpksa] ekuo lH;rk dk fodkl oSQls gksrk gS\ dSlseuq"; xqi+ Qkvksa ds LFkku ij Lo;a fufeZr edkuksa es jgus yxs\cPpksa] vkius vius vkl&ikl fdrus rjg ds edku ns[ks gSa\

HOW THESE CITIES WERE DISCOVERED

The earliest cities of the Indian subcontinent are the cities of

the Harappan civilisation. These cities developed about 4700

years ago. Nearly a hundred and fifty years ago, when railway

lines were being laid down for the first time in the Punjab by

the British, engineers stumbled upon the site of Harappa, in

present-day Pakistan. To them, it seemed like a mound that

was a rich source of readymade, high quality bricks. So they

carried-off thousands of bricks from the walls of the old

buildings of the city to build railway lines.

As a result, many structures were

completely destroyed.

Then, about eighty years ago,

archaeologists carried out excavations at the

site, and discovered that this was one of the

oldest cities in the subcontinent. As

Harappa was the first city to be discovered,

and all other sites from where similar

structures (and other material remains) were

found were described as Harappan.


Hkkjr esa 'kgjh thou dh 'kq:vkr gM+Iik lH;rk ls gqbZAiqjkrRo oSKkfudksa us bl izkphu lH;rk dks fla/q ?kkVhdh lH;rk dk uke fn;k D;ksafd bl lH;rk ls tqM+hgqbZ vU; ph”ksa fla/q ?kkVh eas ikbZ xbZaA gM+Iik 'kgjvkt ikfdLrku esa fLFkr gSA Hkkjr esa gM+Iik dhlH;rk ds vo'ks"k dqN 'kgjksa] tSls] paMhx<+ ds ikljksiM+ esa] vgenkckn ds ikl yksFky esa] jktLFkku dsdkyhcaxk esa vkSj fla/ izkar ds dksV&nhth esa feys gaSA

WHAT WAS SPECIAL ABOUT THESE CITES

Many of these cities were divided into two or more parts.

Usually, the part to the west was smaller but higher.

Archaeologists describe this as the citadel.

Very often walls of baked bricks were

built around each part. In some cities,

special buildings were constructed on the

citadel. For example, in Mohenjo-daro a

big tank which is known as the Great Bath

was built.

Perhaps people took a dip in this tank

on special occasions. Other cities, such as

Kalibangan and Lothal had fire altars. And

some cities like Mohenjo-daro, Harappa,

and Lothal had elaborate store houses.

Brickarrangement tobuild walls inHarappan cities.

gM+Iik ds uxj nks Hkkxksa es c¡Vs gq, FksA Å¡pspcwrjs ij cls gq, Åijh Hkkx lEHkor% x<+h;k uxj nqxZ FksA bl Hkkx esa lkoZtfud Hkou]/kU;kxkj] dk;Z'kkyk,¡ vkSj /kfeZd bekjrsa FkhaAuxj nqxZ esa lcls izHkko'kkyh bekjrsa /kU;kxkjksadh FkhaA os cM+h lko/kuh ls vk;rkdkj :i esacukbZ xbZ FkhaA uxj dk nwljk Hkkx] tks dki+ QhcM+k Fkk] fupys fgLls esa FkkA ;gk¡ yksx jgrsFks vkSj viuk&viuk dke&/a/k djrs FksA ;fnuxj ij geyk gksrk ;k ck<+ dk [krjk c<+tkrk rks yksx x<+h esa tkdj 'kj.k ysrs FksA

fla/q unh dh ?kkVh eas rc]igys&igys 'kgj cls Fks]LkH;rk og Fkh cgqr izkphu]Ikj rduhd yxrh uohuA

bZaVksa ds iDosQ edku Fks]ikuh ds fo'kky geke Fks]<¡dh ukfy;k¡ Fkha fudkl dks]vkSj lM+dsa pkSM+h iDdh FkhA

ogk¡ x<+h ,d Å¡ph Fkh]vUu j[kus dks /kU;kxkj Fkk][ksrh rc gksrh Fkh gy ls]?kjksa esa tkuoj Hkh Fks iyrsA

µbUnww oqQekj

lcls iqjkus 'kgj

Source: Our Pasts–I, NCERT, p.34

Great Bath at Mohenjo-daro

Citadel: a fortress in acommanding position inor near a city.

2121212121THE EARLIEST CITIES—HARAPPAN CIVILISATION


HOUSES, DRAINS AND STREETS

Generally, houses were either one or two

storeys high, with rooms built around a

courtyard. Most houses had a separate bathing

area, and some had wells to supply water.

Many of these cities had covered drains.

Each drain had a gentle slope so that water

Source:Our Pasts–1, NCERT, p.35

bl eqgj ds Åij dsfpÉ [kkl fyfi esa FksA;g bl miegk}hi esaik, x, ys[ku dk ,dizkphure mnkgj.k gSA

gM+Iik dh ,d eqgj

A street

edku bZaVksa ds cus gksrs Fks vkSj mudh nhokjsa eksVhvkSj e”kcwr gksrh FkhaA nhokjksa ij iyLrj vkSj jaxfd;k tkrk FkkA Nrsa likV gksrh FkhaA f[kM+fd;k¡ de]njokts vf/d gksrs FksA njokts 'kk;n ydM+h ds cusgksrs FksA jlksbZ esa ,d pwYgk gksrk Fkk vkSj ogha ij/kU; rFkk rsy j[kus ds fy, feV~Vh ds cM+s&cM+s ?kM+sjgrs FksA jlksbZ ds ikl gh ukyh ;k eksjh gksrh FkhALukukxkj edku ds ,d vyx fgLls esa cuk, tkrsFks vkSj mudh ukfy;k¡ lM+d dh ukyh ls feyh gksrhFkhaA lM+d dh ukyh lM+d ds fdukjs&fdukjs pyrhFkh] rkfd mls lki+ Q j[kk tk ldsA ukfy;k¡ iRFkj dhflyksa ls <dh jgrh FkhaA

could flow through it. Very often, drains in houses were

connected to those on the streets and the smaller drains

led into bigger ones. All three – houses, drains and streets

were probably planned and built at the same time.

THE CITY LIFE

Buildings in the city were probably

planned by the ruling class. It is

likely that the ruling class sent

people to distant lands to get

metal, precious stones and other

things. People travelling to distant

lands returned with material and

stories.

There were scribes, people who knew how to write,

who helped prepare the seals, and perhaps wrote on other

materials that have not survived.

A well



gM+Iik lH;rk ds yksxksa dsHkkstu esa fofo/rk FkhA ospfDd;ksa esa tkS vkSj xsgw¡ dksihl dj jksVh idkrs Fks vkSjpkoy Hkh [kkrs FksA nkyksa dhtkudkjh mUgsa FkhA os iQy Hkhilan djrs FksA eakl vkSj eNyhHkh muds Hkkstu dk ,dfgLlk FkkA

feV~Vh ds f[kykSusSource: Our Pasts–1, NCERT, p.35, 38

Besides scribes, there were men and

women, craft persons, who made a variety

of objects—either in their own homes, or

in special workshops. Many terracotta toys

have been found with which children must

have played.

FOOD FOR PEOPLE IN THE CITIES

While many people lived in the cities, others

living in the countryside grew crops and

reared animals. These farmers and herders

supplied food to crafts persons, scribes and

rulers in the cities. We know from remains of plants

that the Harappans grew wheat, barley, pulses, peas,

rice, sesame, linseed and mustard.

A new tool, the plough, was used to dig the earth for

turning soil and planting seeds. While real ploughs,

which were probably made of wood, have not survived,

toy models of ploughs have been found. As this region

does not receive heavy rainfall, some form of irrigation

may have been used. This means that water was stored

and supplied to the fields while the plants were growing.

The Harappans reared cattle, sheep, goat and

buffalo. Water and pastures were available around

settlements. However, in the dry summer months, large herds

of animals were probably taken to great distances in search of

grass and water. They also collected fruits like ber, caught fish

and hunted wild animals like the antelope.

cPpksa ds fy, dbZ izdkj ds f[kykSus miyC/FksA 'kk;n vktdy ds bDdksa ls feyrh&tqyrhfeV~Vh dh NksVh xkfM+;k¡ tks 'kk;n cM+hcSyxkfM+;ksa dh udy FkhaA Ik'kqvksa dh 'kDyds f[kykSus Hkh Fks] ftudks dBiqrfy;ksa dhrjg Mksj ls [khapk tk ldrk FkkA

gM+Iik laLdfr ds yksxksa ds euksjatuds lk/u D;k Fks \


HOW DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE HARAPPAN CIVILISATION?

Let us look at some of the objects that were found in

Harappan cities. Most of the things that have been

found by archaeologists are made of stone, shell and

metals including copper, bronze, gold and silver.

Copper and bronze were used to make tools, weapons,

ornaments and vessels. Gold and silver were used to

make ornaments and vessels. Perhaps the most

striking finds are those of beads, weights and blades.

The Harappans made seals out of available stones.

These are generally rectangular. The Harappans also

made pots with beautiful black designs. Cotton was

probably grown at Mehrgarh since 7000 years ago.

Actual pieces of cloth were found attached to the lid

of a silver vase and some copper objects at Mohenjo-

daro. Archaeologists have also found spindle whorls,

made of terracota and faience.

HARAPPAN CITIES IN GUJARAT

The city of Dholavira was located on Khadir Beyt in the

Rann of Kutch, where there was fresh water and fertile

soil. Unlike some of the other Harappan cities, which

were divided into two parts, Dholavira was divided into

three parts, each part surrounded by massive stone

walls, with entrances through gateways. There was also

a large open area in the settlement, where public

ceremonies could be held. Other finds include large

letters of the Harappan script that were carved out of

white stone and perhaps inlaid in wood. This is a unique

find as generally Harappan writing has been found on

small objects such as seals. The city of Lothal stood

beside a tributary of the Sabarmati, in Gujarat, close to

the Gulf of Khambat. It was situated near areas where

raw materials such as semi-precious stones were easily

available. This was an important centre for making

objects out of stone, shell and metal. There was also a

storehouse in the city. Many seals and sealings (the

impression of seals on clay) were found in this

storehouse. A dockyard was also found. These finds

suggest that overseas trade was practised from Lothal.

Faience is a material thatis artificially produced. Agum was used to shape sandor powdered quartz into anobject which was thenglazed, resulting in ashining surface. Faiencewas used to make beads,bangles and earrings.

gM+Iik lH;rk ls izkIr vkHkw"k.kSource: Our Pasts–I, NCERT, p.36


A building that was found here was probably a workshop

for making beads. Pieces of stone, half made beads, tools for

bead making and finished beads have all been found here.

DECLINE OF THE HARAPPAN CITIES

Studying the decline of the Harappan cities, some scholars

suggest that the rivers dried up. Others suggest that there was

deforestation (cutting/destroying forests). This could have

happened because fuel was required for baking bricks, and for

smelting copper ores. Besides, grazing by large herds of cattle,

sheep and goat may have destroyed the green cover. In some

areas there were floods. But none of these reasons can explain

the end of all the cities. Flooding, or a river drying up would

have had an effect in only some areas. It is also possible that

the ruling class may have lost their authority. In any case, the

effects of the change are quite clear. Sites in Sind and west

Punjab (present-day Pakistan) were abandoned, while many

people moved into newer, smaller settlements to the east and

the south. New cities emerged about 1400 years later. You will

read about them in later chapters.

LET’S RECALL

1. When did the Harappan cities flourish?

2. What was the significance of Harappan cities?

3. How do archaeologists know that cloth was used in the

Harappan civilisation?

LET’S DISCUSS

4. How did the life of a farmer who supplied food to the

Harappan cities was different from the life of early humans

who began to practise agriculture.

5. Very often, old buildings are pulled down to make way for

new construction. Do you think it is important to preserve

old buildings? Discuss.

6. What are the similarities and differences between a city and

a village? On what grounds can Harappan cities be

categorised as cities?

LET’S DO

7. There may be old buildings in your locality. Find out how

old they are and who looks after them.

India’s past is an interesting account of people

who came in from time to time. They gradually

settled down and made India their home. The

Greeks, Scythians, Hunas, Arabs, Turks and

Persians were some of the groups of people who

contributed towards the growth of the culture

which includes art and architecture, literature,

dress, food, music, dance, painting etc. In course

PEOPLE WHO CAME AND

MADE IMPACT

5

PEOPLE WHO CAME AND

MADE AN IMPACT

Source: Our Pasts–I, NCERT, p.2

The Sulaiman mountain ranges,which are the southwardcontinuation of the Himalayas,could be crossed through theKhyber and Gomal passes. TheSulaiman ranges are joinedsouthward in Baluchistan by theKirthar ranges which could becrossed through the Bolan pass. of time they influenced the existing culture,

and in turn got influenced by it. This led to

the development of a mixed culture.

There were many reasons that attracted

people to the subcontinent. It is a known fact

that even in the past people travelled from one

part of the subcontinent to another. Hills and

mountains including the Himalayas, rivers,

deserts and seas made travelling different and

dangerous at times, but never impossible. So,

people moved for many reasons. Men, women

and children moved in search of livelihood, or

fled from natural disasters like flood or

drought. Sometimes armies marched for

territorial conquest. Trade was another factor

that made people travel. Very often merchants

bl ikB esa ge Hkkjrh; lH;rk o laLdfr dh fofHkUurkvksa ds fo"k; esa tkuus dkiz;kl djsaxsA Hkkjr fofHkUu lH;rkvksa o laLoQfr;ksa dk ns'k gSA le;≤ ij Hkkjresa ckgj ls yksx vkrs jgs gaS ftuesa ls dqN Hkkjr esa gh lnk ds fy, cl x,A bufofHkUu ckgjh yksxksa us Hkkjrh; lH;rk o laLoQfr ij izHkko Mkyk ftldks ge ;gk¡[kku&iku] jgu&lgu] os'kHkw"kk] jhfr&fjokt+ks vkfn esa ns[k ldrs gaSA bl ikB esa geHkkjrh; laLdfr ij dqN izHkkoksa dks ns[kus dk iz;kl djsaxsaa] fo'ks"k :i ls rqdkZsa oeqxyksa osQ lanHkZ esaA ;g ikB Hkkjr dh ,drk o vusdrk dks n'kkZrk gSA

travelled with caravans or ships, carrying valuable goods

from place to place. Some people travelled, perhaps driven

by the spirit of adventure. Spiritual and educational needs

also encouraged people to come to the subcontinent.

HOW DID PEOPLE COME TO INDIA?

People came to our country through land and sea routes.

People came from Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia

through the mountain passes, as invaders, traders,

travellers and immigrants. Mountain passes facilitated

movement of people and later promoted trade and cultural

contacts between India, Central Asia and West Asia. The

Arabs and later the Portuguese, French, Dutch and the

British came to the subcontinent through sea routes.

KNOWING ABOUT INDIA’S PAST FROM THE ACCOUNTS

OF TRAVELLERS

People who came to India wrote about India, its people,

society, culture and traditions. Some important historical

events are mentioned in their accounts, eg. it is on the

basis of Greek sources that we know about Alexander, the

Greek ruler, his invasions and his conquests. The book

Source: Our Pasts–III, Part 1, NCERT, p.10

2727272727People Who Came and Made an Impact


Indika by Megasthenes, a Greek ambassador during the rule

of Chandragupta is preserved in fragments and is quoted by

many writers. The book gives a detailed account of the Mauryan

administration, social classes and economic activities

undertaken by the people. Megasthenes’ account along with

other literary sources such as Kautilya’s Arthashastra, Visakha

Dutta’s Mudra Rakshas and Jain and Buddhist texts also give

a vivid picture of the Mauryan rulers and the ruling classes.

Some of the Greek and Roman accounts also mention the

existence of Indian ports and items of trade between India and

the Roman Empire (First and Second Century C.E.). Accounts

of travellers who came from China also give an interesting

account of our society, polity and economy. Two well known

Chinese travellers who came to India were Fa Xian and Xuan

Zang. They were both Buddhists. They came to India to visit

the Buddhist shrines and to study Buddhism. Fa Xian came

to the subcontinent about 1600 years ago and Xuan Zang

came around 1400 years ago. Fa Xian describes the social,

religious and economic condition of India during the Gupta

period, while Xuan Zang gives us a vivid description of life and

condition of the people during the rule of King Harsha.

During the Mughal period many European traders and

travellers came to India. Some of them mentioned the living

conditions of common people including the peasantry. Ralph

Fitch, who came to India towards the end of the 16th century,

mentioned that people in Banaras (Uttar Pradesh) wear few

clothes. Traveller De Laet mentioned that people did not have

enough clothes to wear. Both of them mention that the living

condition of the common people was simple, yet difficult. Food

items consumed by common people consisted of rice, millets

and pulses. This was substituted with fish in Bengal and in

coastal areas, and meat in the southern parts of India. In the

northern part of the country wheat, pulses and vegetables were

commonly eaten by the people.

Art and architecture of people who came at various points

of time also made an impact on our diverse culture.

In the Mughal period, the culture that developed was a mix of

Turko-Iranian and Indian. Mughals built forts, palaces, gates,

public buildings, mosques and baolis (water bodies and wells).

Beautiful gardens, some of which continue to exist to this

day, are the Nishat Bagh in Kashmir, the Shalimar Bagh at

2929292929PEOPLE WHO CAME AND MADE AN IMPACT

The arch and the dome wereknown earlier, but they werenot used on a large scale.Moreover, the correct scientificmethod of constructing thearch was rarely employed.

Lahore and the Pinjore garden in the Punjab. These

gardens are still very popular among tourists. A

garden was a pleasure retreat for people belonging

to all communities.

In the field of architecture, the Turks and Afghans

brought with them Persian and Central Asian styles.

With the passage of time these architectural styles

merged with Indian styles. Buildings belonging to

the Sultanate and the Mughal periods used domes

and arches.

Both these forms were based on the accurate

knowledge of mathematical and engineering skills.

These forms were used in mosques, palaces, towns

and in the construction of private houses. The other

structure that was frequently used was the tall, slender

tower or minaret. Decorations used in the building

were largely Indian. The Indian features of architecture

during the Sultanate and the Mughal period were also

because most of the craftsmen who were involved in

the construction of various building were mainly of

Indian origin. The skill of the Indian stone-cutters

was fully used for the purpose. In the decoration of

different buildings the Turks used geometrical and

floral designs. They also included panels of

inscriptions containing verses from the Quran. The

Arabic script itself became a work of art. The Indian

features mainly consisted of the bell motif and lotus.

Nishat Bagh is an Urdu word which means gardenof joy. It is located on the banks of the Dal lake. It isthe second largest Mughal garden in the Kashmir.

Pinjore Garden is in the village of Pinjore, 22 kmfrom Chandigarh on the Kalka-Shimla road. The

garden was designed by Nawab Fidal Khan, fosterbrother to Aurangzeb.

Dome and ArchSource: Our Pasts–II, NCERT, p.67


Music also came to be

enriched. The Hindustani

style of music was

influenced by forms from

Persia and the Arab world. Certain instruments that became

popular among the people were the sitar, sarangi and tabla.

Language and literature were other domains that were

influenced by people who came at different points of time. In

the Sultanate and the Mughal periods, the court language in

most parts of the country was Persian. Many of the regional

languages were influenced by Persian. Persian words were

commonly used in the vocabularies of many regional languages.

Out of the mixture of Persian and Hindi grew a new language –

Urdu. The grammar of Urdu was the same as that of Hindi, but

the words were taken from Persian, Turkish and Hindi

languages. Urdu spoken in the

Deccan was influenced by

Telugu and Marathi. In the

west coast of India, Arabic was

used by the traders from west

Asia and it influenced the local

language as well. Some well

known Sanskrit works such as

Puranas, the Ramayana,

Mahabharat were available

in regional languages and

they gradually got translated

in Persian and Arabic as

well. Some poems and plays

were composed in regional

languages and in Persian and

Arabic. Few that became

popular were Srinadha’s

Haravilasa and Malik

Muhammad Jaisi's Padmavat.

Amir Khusrau composed his

poems in Persian, whichSource: Themes in Indian History–Part-II, NCERT, p. 158.

About Amir Khusrau (1253–1325)

Amir Khusrau took pride in being an Indian. He says:

“I have praised India for two reasons. First, because

India is the land of my birth and our country. Love of

the country is an important obligation… Hindustan is

like heaven. Its climate is better than that of

Khurasan… it is green and full of flowers all the year

round…

Khusrau’s love for India shows that the Turkish ruling

class was no longer prepared to behave as a foreign

ruling class and that the ground had been prepared

for an interaction between cultures of Indian origin and

those from outside India. Khusrau has praised the

Indian languages, including Hindi (which he calls

Hindavi). Some of his scattered Hindi verses are found,

though the Hindi work, Khaliq Bari, often attributed

to Khusrau, was in all probability the work of a later

poet of the same name. He was also an accomplished

musician and took part in religious musical gatherings.


portrayed his love for India and his pride of being an Indian.

Thus language and literature were influenced by people who

came and made the subcontinent their home.

As regards Indian food, the medieval period was particularly

significant. The coming of Arabs, Central Asians, Persians and

Turks had tremendous influence on Indian cuisine. The

muslims from western Asia brought mughlai cuisine to India

in the 12th century when mughal rulers conquered a large

part of India. Elaborate dishes were prepared for the mughal

emperors with dry fruits and nuts. The rich, aromatic food of

the mughals in which a variety of exotic spices, dry fruits and

nuts, fragrances, milk and cream were used continues to be

an important part of the Indian cuisine. Spices such as black

pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger were used in

Mughlai cuisine. The Biryani, Korma, Palau, grilled meats

including kababs are popular even today. When Babur invaded

India he brought his food habits such as grilled meat along

with different varieties of fruits and nuts from Central Asia.

Humayun introduced a new tradition of rice based pilafs and

meat stews. The ‘dum’ style of cooking in a sealed pot is largely

associated with Mughlai, style of cooking.

In the field of sports some games that became popular and

continue to be played to this day are – Chess, Chaupar, Nard

(Persian backgammon) and cards. Amir Khusrau and Malik

Muhammad Jaisi make numerous references to the game of

Palau is also knownas palav in Teluguand pulav in Marathiand pulau in Tamil. InIndia pulao which isessentially a ricepreparation may alsocontain variety ofvegetables and meatdepending on thelocal preparation.

About Sufis

The Sufis had become very prominent in Islam at a very early stage.

Most of them were people of deep devotion and focused on a simple

life. Some of the early Sufis, such as the woman mystic Rabia and

Mansur bin Hallaj, laid great emphasis on love as the bond between

God and the individual soul. The link between the teacher or pir

and his disciples or murids was a vital part of the Sufi system. Every

pir nominated a successor or wali to carry on his work. The Sufi

saints were popular among the common people as they adopted

musical recitation called Sama which emphasised on love and

nearness to God. Many times they chose Hindi verses for these

purposes. Also Nizamuddin Auliya adopted yogic breathing

exercises, so much so that common people called him a sidh or

perfect. The monastic organisation of the Sufis and some of their

practices such as penance, fasting and holding the breath are

sometimes traced to the Buddhist and Hindu yogic influence.

Hospice: lodginghouse for travellers,especially one keptby a religious orderor group.


chess, a game that was popular among people. Another variety

of chess referred to as Shatranj-i-Kamil or ‘quadruple chess’

was also played during this period.

People belonging to the ruling class were fond of polo while

horse–racing was also a popular outdoor game. This game had

its origin in Persia. It is mentioned in historical records that

Qutb-ud-din Aibak died of an accident while playing polo

at Lahore. Turks were very fond of the game. Rajput rulers

of the Sultanate and Mughal periods were skilled in

playing polo.

Another important development that influenced

the lives and conditions of all sections of society was the

spread of Sufism from the Eleventh Century onwards.

During this century a large number of Sufis came from

Central Asia and settled in Hindustan. This process was

strengthened with the establishment of Delhi Sultanate.

The Chishti silsilah was among the most influential

orders. It had a long line of teachers like Khwaja

Muinuddin Chishti of Ajmer, Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki

of Delhi, Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi and

Bandanawaz Gisudaraz of Gulbarga.

The Sufis were muslim mystics. They emphasised on

love and devotion to God and compassion towards their

fellow beings. Like the Bhakti Saints the Sufis rejected

elaborate rituals and emphasised on love as the medium

of union with God. The Sufis held their assemblies in

Khanqahs (hospice). Devotees of all descriptions including

members of the royalty, nobility and ordinary people

X;kjgoha 'krkCnh esa lwi+ Qh erus Hkkjrh; lekt dks izHkkforfd;kA lwi+ Qh yksx /eZ dsckgjh vkMacjksa dks vLohdkjdjrs gq, bZ'oj ds izfr izsevkSj HkfDr rFkk lHkh euq";ksads izfr n;k Hkko j[kus ijcy nsrs FksA

L=ksr&

gekjs vrhr&2] ,ulhbZvkjVh] i`- 10

tkus fdrus gh ns'kksa ls]Hkkjr vk, yksx vusd]jax] :i] os'k] Hkk"kk]Uk Fkh ftudh ,dA

dqN ysus /u vk, Fks rks]dqN djus O;kikj]fofo/rk Hkjh lH;rk dk]fiQj ;gh cus vk/kjA

dkSu gS geesa ijns'kh]vkSj dkSu gS Hkkjroklh]ugha tku ldrk ;g dksbZ]geesa clh ,drk ,slhA

Khanqahs: a spaciousbuilding which providedaccomodation for visitorsand travellers.

Amir Khusrau took part in musical gatherings. “Sama” was

organised by the famous Sufi saint, Nizamuddin Auliya. He

gave a unique form to the Chishti sama by introducing the

qaul (Arabic word meaninig “saying”), a hymn sung at the

opening or closing of qawwali. This was followed by sufi

poetry in Persian, Hindavi or Urdu, languages. This was sung

by Qawwals (those who sing these songs). Today qawwali is

performed in shrines all over the subcontinent.

Source: Themes in Indian History–Part-II, NCERT, p. 158.


visited Khanqahs. Even today people visit dargahs to seek

blessings and also to participate in the qawwali sessions.

People attributed sufi saints with miraculous powers that

could relieve them of their illnesses, pain and troubles. The

tomb or dargah of sufi saints became places of pilgrimage to

which flocked thousands of people belonging to different

communities. Even today a large number of people from

different faiths and communities visit sufi shrines such as that

of Muinuddin Chisti in Ajmer and the dargah of Nizamuddin

Auliya in Delhi.

LET’S RECALL

1. Mention the names of foreign travellers who came to India

at different points of time.

2. Why did they come?

3. What did they write about the life and conditions of India’s

past?

LET’S DISCUSS

4. You are doing many activities in KGBV like Karate, music,

dance, etc. How far, do you think, are these influenced by

cultures of different States of India or foreign countries?

5. Are there any khanqahs or dargahs in your town or village?

Find out when these were built and what are the activities

associated with them.

LET’S DO

6. Collect pictures of paintings and crafts of your village and

make a scrap book.

7. Make picture albums of monuments and write short

descriptions.

Dargahs: a tomb ora shrine of a saintwhere devotees cometo pay homage.

This chapter is based on the accounts of some men

and women of India who were known for their

contributions in different fields. They belonged to

different sections of society and took a lead in

promoting education among women and among

sections of society which were considered unequal

or were from the lower social strata. Even though

they were few, their lives were a mix of trials, struggle

and achievement.

Some eminent men and women of India worked

tirelessly for the upliftment of the people from all

sections of society. Their contributions were very visible

in the field of education, and in over coming barriers

related to caste, gender and religion. The chapter also

includes personalities who fought against British

imperialism.

After going through this theme you can try and

identify in your villages, district and state, men,

women and organisations that are working for the

promotion of education, social reform and other

activities for the overall development of the society.

PEOPLE WHO CAME AND

MADE IMPACT

6

CONTRIBUTIONS OF SOME EMINENT

MEN AND WOMEN OF INDIA

bl ikB esa ge dqN lekt lq/kj ,oa Lora=krk laxzke ls tqM+sefgykvksa rFkk iq#"kksa ds ckjs esa tkudkjh nsus dk iz;kl djasxsAbudk thou ge lHkh ds fy, izsj.kk lzks=k jgk gSA bu yksxksa uslekt dh dqizFkkvksa dks cnyus rFkk L=kh f'k{kk dks c<+kok nsus dsHkjld iz;kl fd,A buesa dqN us vk”kknh dh yM+kbZ esa viukthou lefiZr fd;kA cPpksa D;k vkiosQ vkl&ikl ;k xk¡o esa ,slsyksx vkt Hkh ekStwn gSa ftUgksaus Lora=krk laxzke esa Hkkx fy;k ;ktks vkt Hkh dqizFkkvksa ls yM+ jgs gaS vkSj L=kh f'k{kk dks c<+kus dkiz;kl dj jgs gSa\ muds thou osQ ckjs esa vki Hkh ys[k ;k dforkvkfn fy[k ldrs gSaA

vaxzst ;gk¡ ij vk, rks Fksdjus dks O;kikj]'kklu detksj ns[k mUgksausmBk fy, gfFk;kj]dPpk eky ;gk¡ dk ywVkfufeZr eky ;gha fiQj cspkm|ksx u"V ;gk¡ dk dj dsiSQyk;k viuk O;kikjA

Ikj ;g lc dc rd pyrk]Hkkjr ns'k dHkh rks txrk]Hkkjr ns'k txkus dksvkSj vR;kpkj feVkus dks]/ks[ksckt O;kikjh dks;gk¡ ls Ekkj Hkxkus dks]Lkksrs Hkkjr ds ekul dksvc >d>ksj txkus dks]vusd uj ukfj;ksa usfd;k Fkk ;s vkg~oku------------^^cnysxk oDrUk gks mnklfeV tk,xhrsjh Hkw[k] xjhch] vf'k{kk:dsxk mudk neuNw ikvksxs rqe HkhliQyrkvksa osQ Å¡ps vkdk'ktkxks mBks vkSjdjks iz;klA**

µbUnw oqQekj

yk, tks cnyko

3535353535

MADAM BHIKAIJI CAMA (1861-1936)

Madam Cama was born on 24 September 1861 in a rich

Parsi family. Her father Sorabji Framji Patel was a famous

merchant and her mother Jijibai was from an affluent

family. Bhikhaiji received her education from Alexandria

Girls school in an anglicised environment (An

environment influenced by British manners and ways of

living). From the very beginning she was a rebel, and a

nationalist. She had a flair to learn languages and became

proficient in arguing her country’s cause in different

circles and among different people.

Her nationalist ideas, activities and rebellious behaviour

was a cause of worry and anxiety to her parents. To divert her

attention and to keep her away from political activism, her

parents got her married to Rustam K.R. Cama, a rich and

affluent Parsi in 1885. Ideologically Madam Cama and her

husband were poles apart. Mr. Cama had deep appreciation

for the British, loved their culture and believed that they had

done a lot of good to India. Madame Cama, now a full fledged

nationalist, always believed that the British had exploited India.

Due to such ideological differences their marriage was not

successful. Madam Cama kept herself involved in social and

political activities. In October 1896, the Bombay Presidency

was first hit by famine, and shortly thereafter by plague. Madam

Cama was in the forefront of a voluntary team which tried to

save plague victims. As a result, she herself caught the deadly

disease. She was saved miraculously but the disease left a

lasting adverse impact on her health. In 1902, she was sent to

London for rest and recuperation. Madam Cama spent most of

the rest of her life abroad, as the British Government banned

her entry in India. It also seized her properties in India.

But nothing could stop Madam Cama. She started her

political work in England under the guidance of the Grand

You can also try and examine their activities. Perhaps some of

the methods adopted by them can be practised by you for

eradicating social evils, and promoting education among the

girls belonging to weaker selections in your community/society.

You can also take steps for undoing unfair social and cultural

practices that prevent education from reaching girls, women

and weaker sections of society.

Contributions of Some Eminent Men and Women of India


Old Man, Dadabhai Naoroji. She was named ‘Mother of the

Revolution’. She declared-”March forward! We are for India.

India is for Indians!” She continued financing revolutionaries

in and out of India. The British were not happy with her

activities and there was a plot to kill her. To save herself from

British conspiracy, she sailed for France. She made Paris her

home which later became a shelter for world revolutionaries. It

is said that even Lenin, the father of the Russian revolution

visited her house and exchanged his views.

Madam Cama also fought for the cause of women.

Speaking at the National Conference at Cairo, Egypt

in 1910, she asked, “Where is the other half of Egypt?

I see only men who represent half the country!” She

stressed the role of women in building a nation.

Madam Cama continued championing the cause of

India’s freedom. In August 1907, the 2nd International

Socialist Conference was held in Stuttgart (Germany).

It was attended by over a thousand delegates from

different countries. On the last day of the convention,

Madam Cama stood on the dais and asked all the

international delegates directly whether they would lend their

support to the cause of Indian Independence. This was the

first time ever that the demand for India’s independence was

raised on an international platform. While concluding her talk

she unrolled a cloth and in a moment it turned into a flag

which she raised high with both her hands and said- “This

flag is of Indian Independence! Behold, it is born! It has been

made sacred by the blood of young Indians who sacrificed their

lives. I call upon you, gentlemen to rise and salute this flag

of Indian Independence. In the name of this flag, I appeal

to lovers of freedom all over the world to support this flag.”

This was the first time that an Indian Flag was displayed in

foreign land among international delegates. In 1931 when

she was 70 years old and suffering from severe health

problems, Madam Cama was allowed to return to India.

She passed away in Bombay on 13 August 1936.

U KIANG NANGBAH

This is the story of a tribal freedom fighter from Meghalaya,

a small state that lies in the North-Eastern part of India.

Meghalaya means the ‘Abode of Clouds’. In the eastern

3737373737CONTRIBUTIONS OF SOME EMINENT MEN AND WOMEN OF INDIA

part of Meghalaya are Jaintia hills. The inhabitants of these

hills are known as Jaintias. Among these hills was the kingdom

of Jaintiapur. Raja Rajendra Singh was the king of Jaintiapur.

But he was deceived and deprived of his kingdom by the British.

His territory in the plains was taken away by the British. He

was left with the option to rule over the hills. The hilly area

offered little scope for collecting revenue for administration, hence

Raja Rajendra Singh declined kingship. The rulership was then

offered to the village headmen. The village headmen were called

‘Dolois’ or ‘Sirdars’. This system worked well from 1835 to 1853,

though the people secretly bore a grudge against the British.

Then the British imposed a house tax in 1860 in the hilly villages.

This was resented by the people of the hills and within a few

months, they rose in rebellion. But their rebellion did not succeed

because the rebels were not organised.

The British also levied income tax towards the end of 1860.

There was fear that tax would also be levied on betel and betel

nuts. Imposition of these taxes created a turmoil among the

Jaintias. The Jaintia people rose in a fierce rebellion in 1862.

The leader and guiding spirit in this rebellion was a young man,

U Kiang Nangbah. In the first rebellion he kept his identity a

secret and thus avoided arrest. The magnitude of the upsurge

in the second rebellion was so much that as many as seven

regiments and detachments of troops were put into action by

the British to suppress it. ‘Jowai’ which was besieged by the

rebels for about three weeks was thus reoccupied amidst heavy

casualties. U Kiang Nangbah was extremely intelligent and a

great organiser. To make the rebellion a great success he

contacted all the ‘Dolois’ and ‘Sirdars’ without causing any

suspicion. He managed to hoodwink the British intelligence

service. They had no idea about his movements and activities.

Yet, ultimately, he was not successful because of the superior

might of the British. In this fight, hundreds of Jaintias were

killed and U Kiang Nangbah was captured and hanged publicly

on 30 December 1862. When he was put to the gallows, he said

in a loud and clear voice, “If my face turns eastward when I die

on the rope, we shall be free again within a hundred years. If it

turns westwards, we shall be enslaved forever.” How prophetic

his words and strong his will, for his face turned eastwards and

India became free within a hundred years.


SAVITRIBAI PHULE (1831-1897)This is an account of an eminent social reformer of

Maharashtra who worked for the upliftment of women

from the most deprived sections of the society. She

was born on 3 January 1831 in a village called

Naigon, in district Satara. As was the

common customary practice, her father got her

married at the age of nine to Jyotirao Phule. Both

Savitribai and Jyotirao later became prominent social

reformers of Maharashtra. The husband and wife team

dedicated their entire lives in promoting the education of girls and

undoing some of the unfair customary practices affecting the entire

lifecycle of girls from infancy to adulthood.

She was educated by her husband and later joined the

formal Normal School in 1841. She passed third and fourth

year examination from Normal School in 1846-47 with good

results. After completing her formal education she, along with

her husband, started a school for girls in 1848 at Pune and

she became the head mistress. It is heartening to know that in

an age when girls’ education was not considered important by

parents and society, Savitribai Phule and her husband

encouraged parents to send their daughters to the school

started by them. In the beginning nine girls enrolled themselves

in the school. They were from different social backgrounds.

Her remarkable educational work for the unprivileged girls

was not socially acceptable. Very often people would make fun

of her, pass remarks, throw eggs, cow dung, tomatoes and

stones at her. This did not affect her confidence and her

determination. She continued with her mission. In the same

year i.e., 1848 she along with her husband went on to open

five more schools for girls.

Her work was noticed by the British government and she

along with her husband were felicitated and appreciated.

Besides education, the other significant activity undertaken

by her and her husband was trying to undo some of the practices

associated with widows. One of the practices was related to regular

shaving of the head of widows. Savitribai and Jyotiba organised

a strike of barbers and persuaded them not to shave the head of

widows. This was the first strike of its kind. They also opened a

‘Delivery Home’ for women called ‘Balhatya Pratibandhak Griha’.


The Phoenix Settlement in SouthAfrica was established byGandhiji. It is in this PhoenixSettlement that he practised thetechnique of resisting all forms ofviolence and oppression.

The Phoenix Settlement

Savitribai and her husband were against idol worship and

all kinds of rituals. They founded the Satya Shodhak Samaj

which was meant to work for the overall development of the

weaker sections of the society. After the death of her husband

she took over the responsibility of running the samaj.

Another social work undertaken by her was allowing the

untouchables to take water from her well. She also organised

camps for poor children who were affected by plague. It is said

that she used to feed two thousand children during the

epidemic. While serving the cause of the children she was

affected by plague and died on 10 May 1897.

She was also a good writer. Two of her poems that are

published are Kavya Phule in 1934 and Bavan Kashi Subodh

Ratnakar in 1982.

Her efforts in uplifting the weaker sections of the society

has been recognised by the Government of Maharashtra. The

state government has started an award in her name for women

who work for social causes. On 10 March 1998 a stamp was

released by Indian Post to honour Savitribai’s contributions.

Some scholarships instituted by the government for promoting

girls’ education are also named after her.

KASTURBA GANDHI (1869-1944)

Kasturba Gandhi, affectionately known as Ba, was

born to a prosperous businessman Gokuladas

Makharji of Porbander on 11 April 1869. She was

married to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi at the

young age of thirteen. She was not educated by

her parents. After marriage her husband Mohandas

taught her to read and write. Kasturba Gandhi

supported her husband in his fight against

injustice and all forms of social injustices like

untouchability etc.

When Gandhiji was in South Africa from 1893

to 1914, she took an active part in helping her

husband in strengthening the Phoenix Settlement

near Durban. She was arrested and sentenced to

three months imprisonment for supporting the

cause of improving the working condition of

Indians in South Africa.


When Gandhiji returned to India in 1915, she joined her

husband in taking up the cause of the indigo workers in

Champaran, Bihar. While Gandhiji was busy in taking up the

cause of indigo planters, Kasturba Gandhi taught hygiene,

discipline, reading and writing to women and children. She

also actively participated in the ‘no-tax’ campaign in Kaira,

Gujarat, in 1918. In this campaign she delivered an important

speech to the women of Kaira. She asked them to support

their husbands and encourage them in not paying unjust

revenue dues. Her participation was very visible in the first

non-cooperation movement launched by her husband.

Along with Gandhiji she travelled from village to village

and made a special appeal to women to spin, wear

Khadi, boycott government schools and colleges and

remove untouchability. She was arrested in 1931 and

again in 1932, for picketing shops selling foreign cloth and

liquor. In 1935 she was once again arrested for her participation

in the freedom struggle. She was again arrested in August

1942, when she proceeded to address a meeting protesting the

arrest of her husband. She had to face several hardships while

participating in the freedom struggle.

Kasturba Gandhi dedicated her entire life working for the

welfare of the most deprived sections of the society. She suffered

from chronic bronchitis. Stress from the Quit India Movement

and arrests took a toll on her health. She died from a severe

heart attack on 22 February 1944.

PANDITA RAMABAI SARASWATI (1858-1922)

Pandita Ramabai Saraswati was born on 23 April

1858 in Gangamul, Mangalore district, in Western

Ghats. Her father, Ananta Shastri, was a learned

Brahmin and a great social reformer. He was a great

supporter of women’s education. As was a customary

practice in the 19th century, he married a girl child

of nine years of age and decided to educate her. He

taught his wife Sanskrit and Dharma Shastra. She

later educated her children, particularly Ramabai.

At a very young age she attained proficiency in Sanskrit. At

the age of twelve she had committed to memory 18,000 verses

from the Puranas. She was thoroughly conversant with the

Shastras and Bhagvats. Her indepth knowledge of scriptures

Picketing of shops: peopleprotesting outside a buildingor shop to prevent othersfrom entering.


made the pundits of Calcutta awarded her the highest title, i.e.

Saraswati (Goddess of Learning).

Pandita Ramabai did not believe in any caste distinctions

and married a Bengali lawyer, Bipin Bihari Medhavi. He was

also a member of Brahmo Samaj, an organisation dedicated to

undertaking social reform in the society.

Moved by the plight of child widows both Pandita Ramabai

and her husband decided to start a school for them. She lost

her husband at a very young age. He died of cholera after two

years, and left behind a daughter named Manorama. Pandita

Ramabai did not lose heart. She was determined to take up

the cause of child widows, especially among the Chitpavan

Brahmin community. In order to start the school she required

funds for which she travelled widely in the country and even

outside India. She went to U.S.A and spoke of her plans to a

group of people from different social and religious backgrounds.

They were all rich businessmen. It was here that a small group

was formed, known as the Ramabai Association on 28 May

1887. The association pledged to give her financial support

for 10 years.

The availability of funds made her start a home-cum-school

in Bombay, which she named the Sharda Sadan. This was the

first home for widows in Maharashtra – the only other home

was in Bengal, started by Shri Sen.

The main objective of the Sadan was to make young widows

financially self–reliant. Most of the inmates were trained as

teachers, housekeepers, nurses and midwives so that they could

earn their living. The curriculum in the Sadan laid emphasis

on the kindergarden educational system. Sanskrit, English,

Gujarati and Marathi were taught. Subjects like Geography,

History, Mathematics, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology Astronomy

and Physiology were also taught. Particular attention was given

to moral education, good manners, hygiene and home

management.

Further, the Sadan trained its pupils in sewing, embroidery,

knitting, sketching, decorating chinaware, clay modelling,

photography, wood carving, making items from bamboo etc

Anandibai Karve happened to be the first student of the Sadan.

Anandibai Karve wrote a biography Maze Puran, that gives a

poignant account of the life of a child widow. She stated that

given freedom and a healthy environment, girls could develop


their personality to the fullest and could become financially

self reliant. The activities of the Sadan was supported by the

community. Gradually unmarried girls were also enrolled. The

Sadan started with 18 inmates in 1890 and the number

increased to 64.

Another organisation begun by Pandita Ramabai was Mukti

Sadan. This sadan provided refuge to people who were affected

by famine in 1900. Pandita Ramabai Saraswati along with at

her inmates rescued several hundred women who were affected

by famine. She also started a school where 400 children were

accommodated. A training school for teachers was also opened

and industrial school with gardens, oil-press, dairy, laundry

and oven was started. It also imparted training in sewing,

weaving and embroidery.

The third organisation that was begun by her was the Arya

Mahila Samaj in 1882 in Bombay. The aim of the Samaj was to

work for the upliftment of women by encouraging social contact

and cooperation among women. Weekly

lectures and informal get-togethers were

arranged. Scholarship was also given to the

deserving members. A hostel for women

students was maintained. A Badminton Court

was provided for inmates. Membership was

open to all, irrespective of caste and religion.

For promoting the cause of women’s

education, Pandita Ramabai appeared before

the 1882 Commission which was appointed by

the Government of India, to look into education.

Some of her suggestions were regarding

training of teachers and appointment of women

inspectors of schools. She also suggested that

Indian women should be given the opportunity

for admission in medical colleges. Ramabai’s

evidence attracted much public attention. Her

views on participation of women in medical

profession reached Queen Victoria. As a follow up of her

suggestion the Women ’s Medical Movement was begun by Lady

Dufferin. Some of her important publications are Stree Dharma

Neeti and the High Caste Hindu Women. She also translated

‘The New Testament’ into simple Marathi.

laLdr dh egku fo}ku vkSj lektlsfodk iafMrk jekckbZ us iwuk esa ,dfo/okxg dh LFkkiuk dhA ogka efgykvksadks ,slh ph”ksa fl[kkbZ tkrh Fkha] ftudslgkjs os viuh jksth jksVh pyk ldsaAblds vykok mUgksusa nks vU; laLFkk,aeqfDr lnu vkSj vk;Z efgyk lekt dhHkh LFkkiuk dhA eqfDr lnu esa vdkyihfM+r yksxkas] fo'ks"k:i ls efgykvksavkSj cPpksa dks jkgr iznku dh tkrh FkhvkSj vk;Z efgyk lekt us efgykvksadh f'k{kk vkSj lok±xh.k fodkl ijfo'ks"k :i ls è;ku fn;kA


SULTAN JAHAN BEGUM (1858-1930)

There was a small princely state in central India

during Nineteenth and Twenteith Centuries, known

as Bhopal. It is now the capital of Madhya Pradesh.

It was a prosperous and beautiful state. The special

feature about Bhopal state was that it was ruled by

four lady rulers successively for almost one hundred

years during 1817 to 1926. The last among them

was Sultan Jahan Begum.

Sultan Jahan Begum was born in 1858. She

ascended the throne of Bhopal in 1901 and ruled

till 1926. It was the period when the British were

ruling India. In the princely states, the British

supported the local rulers and interfered in their

administration. Bhopal was no exception in this

regard. The presence of British was felt through the reign of

the Begums of Bhopal. Sultan Jahan Begum also witnessed

close linkages with the British.

In such circumstances Sultan Jahan Begum, the woman

ruler of Bhopal, ran the administration effectively. She carried

out social reforms with great zeal in a conservative society during

the early Twenteith Century. She encouraged the ladies of

respectable families of her state to come forward and play a role

in the progress of the state. She was opposed in her efforts by

many big zamindars and nobles of her court. But she was a

strong lady and stood firm in her ideas and efforts.

Sultan Jahan Begum was herself a highly educated and

progressive lady. She understood the importance of

education for emancipation of girls. In the early years of

her reign, she took several important decisions for

administrative and social reforms. Reforms in the

education sector were among her important tasks. During her

reign she opened many schools in Bhopal state. She devoted

her sincere efforts for the education of girls of rural areas and

opened several schools both for boys and girls of rural areas.

Poor girls were given concession in school fee and were also

given scholarships.

The students of these schools were taught subjects like

literature, theology and arithmetic. They were also given training

in some vocational subjects. Sultan Jahan Begum paid personal

attention for improving the condition of widows and poor women

Emancipation: to liberateor set free from some formof restraint.

Source: The Begums of Bhopal, ADynasty of Women Rulers in Raj India,

Shaharyar M. Khan, Portrait photo-graph of Sultan Jahan, London 1926,

Viva Books Private Limited, 2004


of her state. She opened adult education centers for them where

these women were taught embroidery, needle work, etc.

These schools were open to all sections of the society. Girls

of all religions and castes were given admission without any

discrimination. She also started admitting girls in boys’ school,

thus starting co-education in a conservative society.

Sultan Jahan Begum was a very generous lady and took

personal care in getting the girls of poor families married. The

newly married couple was paid some money from the state

treasury for starting a new life.

The women of various sections of the society used to meet

regularly in her palace and they worked for the upliftment of

women. Thus, a women’s movement had started in Bhopal

under her leadership.

In 1926, she gave up the throne in favour of her son Nawab

Hamidullah Khan and devoted her life and services for the

humanity, particularly the women. She died in 1930.

PERIYAR RAMASWAMY (1879-1973)E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker, popularly known as

Periyar, was born on 17 September 1879 at Erode

in Tamilnadu in a middle class merchant family.

He joined his father’s business at a very young

age. In his early life Ramaswamy was a theist. A

theist is a person who believes in God. He had

studied many Sanskrit religious books. But his

visit to Kasi brought about a change in his beliefs.

He became an atheist (a person who does not believe

in God).

He went to Kasi on a pilgrimage to worship in

the famous Shiva temple. He pictured Kasi as a

place where all Hindus would be treated equally.

But, he was prevented from eating in places of free-

lunch because he was not a Brahmin. Later on he

came to know that the free-lunch place was built

with the donation of a Dravidian merchant.

This discrimination against non-brahmins made him think

rationally and the humiliation that he faced was the turning

point in his life. He became a very strong opponent of the caste

system. He founded the Self Respect Movement. He launched

a movement at Vaikom in Kerala against the practice of barring

Source: Our Pasts–III, Part-2,NCERT, p.119


entry of people of lower castes into the streets where people of

upper castes lived. This movement was a great success and he

earned the title ‘Vaikkom Hero’ mostly given by his Tamil

followers who participated in the Satyagraha.

Periyar joined the Indian National Congress in 1919. He

became a part of the constructive programmes of Congress.

The programme emphasised on spreading the use of Khadi,

picketing toddy shops, boycotting shops selling foreign goods

and eradication of untouchability etc.

Later, he left the Congress in disgust when he noticed

discrimination on the basis of caste. He observed that in a

feast organised by the nationalists, seating arrangements

followed caste distinction. The lower castes were made to sit at

a distance from the upper castes.

He believed that untouchables were the true upholders of

the original Tamil culture and had to fight for their dignity.

For the cause of the untouchables he founded the Self-Respect

Movement. He felt that all religious authorities saw social

divisions and inequalities as God-given. Untouchables,

therefore should free themselves from all religions in order to

achieve social justice and equality. He became an outspoken

critique of Hindu religious works, especially the Codes of Manu,

the ancient lawgiver. He said that such texts had been used to

establish the authority of upper castes over lower castes and

the domination of men over women. Periyar preached inter-

caste marriages and re-marriage of widows. It was his firm

conviction that orthodoxy, superstition, social discrimination

and many other evils which existed in the society should be

done away with. He waged a relentless battle against these, till

the very end of his life.

LET’S RECALL

1. When was German Socialist Conference held?

2. Under whose guidance did Madam Cama start her political

work in England?

3. In the first rebellion how did U Kiang Nangbah escape arrest?

4. What difficulties did Savitribai Phule face in working for

girls, education?

5. Schools that were begun by Sultan Jahan Begum in Bhopal

continue to exist till date. For whom were the schools

opened? What was new about these schools?

Conviction: a firmbelief.

Toddy: an alcoholicdrink made fromsap obtained fromthe Palm tree.


LET’S DISCUSS

6. Madam Cama stressed the role of women in building a

nation. What role according to you did women play and

can play in building a Nation?

7. What do you like best about U Kiang Nangbah?

8. Savitribai Phule faced a lot of difficulties when she worked

for the education of underprivileged girls. What difficulties

do you face in pursuing your education? What should be

done to overcome these difficulties?

9. Has your residential school appropriately been named after

Kasturba Gandhi? Can you name anyone who has carried

out her work?

10. What are the prevalent customs in your village affecting

women? Have you ever resisted or acted against it?

LET’S DO

11. Collect some more stories of Freedom Fighters of North

Eastern India and other parts of India.

12. Form groups, explore and prepare one project each on the

seven personalities mentioned in the chapter.

13. Identify women role models in your villages and interview them.

14. In your village if you know of anyone who has contributed

towards helping widows, poor women and women who are

subjected to violence at the hands of their family and the

community, interview them and prepare a report.

15. Identify muslim women who are working for education of

girls in their state or in your neighbourhood and region.

16. Read biographies of some more persons who fought against

discrimination and make a presentation in the class.


D;k lc oqQN tkrk chr\

dgrs chrk ;qx cus vrhrij D;k lc oqQN tkrk chr\

oqQN chrk /wfey gks tkrk]ysfdu oqQN fiQj Hkh jg tkrk]le; dk cjru dHkh uk jhrk]chrk ;qx Hkh lax&lax thrkA

chrk ;qx oqQN cny&cny dj]lax gekjs tks uk thrk]rks ifg;k Hkh vkt uk gksrk]vkSj u gksrs [ksr] edkuuk gh gksrs [ksr] edkuuk gh gksrh vkx tks ekuo us[kksth Fkh ml vrhr esaA

Kku tks [kkstk ;k ekuoksa us]vkSj èkjksgj vo'ks"kksa esa]jg tkrh gS lkFk gekjs]djuk lh[ksa blls izhrAdgrs chrk ;qx cus vrhr]ij D;k lc oqQN tkrk chr\

µbUnww oqQekj


NOTES

fVIi.kh

Bahuroope GandhiAnu Bandyopadhyaya

The book vividly narrates how Gandhiji functioned in a variety of ways quite apart from politics and the public scene. The book describes how multifaceted personality he was as a barrister, author, kisan, weaver, nurse, journalist, mason, shoemaker, carpenter, blacksmith and barber. For this amazing devotion to, and capacity for different ways of work he won the title Karamvir from his South African colleagues. This book is a must for every book lover and one who wishes to know about Gandhi.

Rs. 12.00/Paperback/174 pp

?kfM+;ksa dh gM+rky

#- 40-00@isij cSd@i`"B 62

vf/d tkudkjh osQ fy, Ñi;k www.ncert.nic.in nsf[k, vFkok dkWihjkbV i`"B ij fn, x, irksa ij O;kikj çca/d ls laioZQ djsaA

jes'k Fkkuoh

HISTORY

Kasturba Gandhi Balika VidyalayaBridge Course


ISBN- 978-81-5007-131-1

23070


National Council of Educational Research and TrainingSri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi - 110016

Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya - NCERT

Documents

Transcript of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya - NCERT