Class 6 Social Studies Notes Chapter 5 (What Books and Burials tell us) – History - Our Past Book

Right then, let's get straight into Chapter 5: 'What Books and Burials Tell Us'. This chapter is crucial as it introduces us to two major sources for understanding ancient Indian history: early literature, specifically the Vedas, and archaeological evidence from burial sites, particularly megaliths. Pay close attention, as these topics frequently appear in government exams.

Detailed Notes: Chapter 5 - What Books and Burials Tell Us

1. Introduction: Sources of History

• This chapter explores how we learn about the period roughly between 3500 and 2700 years ago (c. 1500 BCE to 700 BCE).
• Two primary types of sources are discussed:
  • Literary Sources: Primarily the Vedas (especially the Rigveda).
  • Archaeological Sources: Megalithic burials and settlement sites like Inamgaon.

2. The Vedas: Our Oldest Literature

• Meaning: 'Veda' means knowledge.
• Number: There are four Vedas:
  1. Rigveda: The oldest.
  2. Samaveda: Melodies/chants, largely derived from Rigveda.
  3. Yajurveda: Ritual formulas.
  4. Atharvaveda: Spells, charms, everyday life concerns.
• Tradition: Initially transmitted orally ('Shruti' - that which is heard) for centuries before being written down. Composed by sages (rishis).

3. The Rigveda: A Closer Look

• Age: Composed about 3500 years ago (around 1500 BCE). This is the earliest known composition in any Indo-European language.
• Language: Vedic Sanskrit (different from the classical Sanskrit you might know).
• Content: Contains over a thousand hymns called 'Sukta' (meaning 'well-said'). These are prayers and praises addressed to various gods and goddesses.
• Important Deities:
  • Agni: God of fire.
  • Indra: Warrior god.
  • Soma: A plant from which a special drink was prepared (also the name of the drink and the deity associated with it).
• Purpose of Hymns: Prayers for cattle, horses, children (especially sons), health, long life, victory in battles, etc.
• Composition & Transmission: Composed by sages. Priests taught students to recite and memorise each syllable, word, and sentence meticulously. Written down much later (first printed less than 200 years ago).
• Geography: Hymns mention rivers, especially the Indus and its tributaries, and the Sarasvati (often considered the most sacred). The Ganga and Yamuna are mentioned only once. This indicates the geographical focus was the north-west of the Indian subcontinent.

4. Studying the Rigveda: Insights into Society

• Historical Source: Historians study the hymns to reconstruct the life of the people.
• Dialogue Hymns: Some hymns are in the form of dialogues, like the one between sage Vishvamitra and the rivers Beas and Sutlej, providing geographical and cultural clues (e.g., importance of rivers, use of chariots and horses).
• Social Structure (Early Vedic Period):
  • Groups based on Work:
    • Brahmins (Priests): Performed rituals and sacrifices (yajnas).
    • Rajas: Leaders, but not like later kings. They did not have capital cities, palaces, large armies, nor did they collect regular taxes. Their position was often based on bravery and leadership in war, not necessarily hereditary. Assemblies like Sabha and Samiti likely played a role in governance.
    • Jana / Vish: The community or the people as a whole. Terms like 'Purujana' or 'Bharatjana', 'Yaduvish' are mentioned.
  • Groups based on Language/Beliefs:
    • Aryas: People who composed the hymns and performed sacrifices. They considered themselves distinct.
    • Dasas / Dasyus: Referred to as opponents or different people. They spoke different languages and did not perform sacrifices. Possibly the indigenous people. Later, the term 'dasa' (feminine 'dasi') came to mean slave. Slaves were often captives of war, treated as property.
• Economy & Lifestyle:
  • Importance of Animals: Great emphasis on cattle and horses. Horses were yoked to chariots used in battles. Cattle were a measure of wealth.
  • Warfare: Battles were fought for land (pasture), water, cattle, and sometimes people (captives/slaves).
  • Wealth Distribution: Spoils of war were distributed. Leaders kept a share, priests received gifts, and the rest was shared among the people. Some wealth was used for yajnas (sacrifices) where offerings like ghee, grain, and sometimes animals were made into the fire.
  • Agriculture: Barley was known. Agriculture was secondary to pastoralism in the early Rigvedic period.
• Social Divisions: While distinct groups existed based on work and lineage, the rigid, hereditary caste system (varna system) described in later texts had not fully developed during the period the Rigveda was composed.

5. Megaliths: Marking the Dead

• Meaning: 'Mega' (big) + 'Lithos' (stone) = Large stone boulders.
• Purpose: These were used to mark burial sites.
• Time Period: Practice became prevalent about 3000 years ago (around 1000 BCE) and continued for several centuries. This period overlaps with and follows the later part of the Vedic period.
• Geographical Spread: Found throughout the Deccan, South India, the North-East, and Kashmir.
• Types of Megalithic Burials:
  • Cist: Box-like structure made of stone slabs, often buried underground, sometimes with a port-hole (an opening, perhaps to allow later burials).
  • Dolmen: Table-like structure of stones on the surface.
  • Boulder Circles / Stone Circles: Large boulders arranged in a circle on the surface.
  • Cairn Circles: Piles of stones/rubble often surrounded by a stone circle.
  • Menhirs: Single standing stones.
  • Some burials were simple pit burials.

6. What Burials Reveal:

• Common Features: The dead were often buried with distinctive pots, known as Black and Red Ware.
• Grave Goods: Objects found with the skeletons include:
  • Iron Tools and Weapons: Axes, daggers, swords (indicating knowledge and use of iron, which was largely unknown during the early Rigvedic period).
  • Skeletons of Horses & Horse Equipment: Reinforcing the importance of horses.
  • Ornaments: Beads of stone and gold, conch shells.
• Social Differences: The quantity and quality of grave goods varied significantly:
  • Some graves had numerous objects, including valuable items like gold beads, multiple pots, etc. (e.g., Brahmagiri site).
  • Other graves contained only a few pots.
  • This difference suggests variations in social status and wealth.
• Family Burials: Some megaliths contain more than one skeleton. This likely indicates that the burial site was used for members of the same family over generations, possibly entering through port-holes in cists.

7. A Special Burial at Inamgaon

• Location: An important Chalcolithic (Copper-Stone Age) and early Iron Age settlement site on the river Ghod (a tributary of the Bhima), in present-day Maharashtra.
• Time Period: Occupied between 3600 and 2700 years ago (c. 1600 BCE to 700 BCE).
• Burial Practices:
  • Adults generally buried in the ground, laid out straight, with the head towards the north.
  • Sometimes burials were found inside houses.
  • Vessels containing food and water were often placed with the dead.
• Significant Find: One adult was found buried in a large, four-legged clay jar in the courtyard of a five-roomed house (one of the largest at the site). The house also had a granary. The body was placed in a cross-legged position (different from the usual straight layout). This special burial suggests the person held a position of importance, possibly a chief.

8. Skeletal Studies:

• Information Gained: Studying skeletons helps determine:
  • Sex: Differences in bone structure, especially the hip or pelvic area (wider in females for childbearing).
  • Age: Based on teeth development, bone fusion, and wear and tear.
  • Health/Diet: Sometimes possible to infer diseases or nutritional deficiencies (though challenging).
• Charaka Samhita: Mentioned in the textbook - an ancient Indian text on medicine attributed to Charaka (around 2000 years ago). He estimated 360 bones in the human body (counting teeth, cartilage etc.), much higher than the modern count of 206.

9. Occupations at Inamgaon (Based on Archaeological Evidence):

• Agriculture: Seeds of wheat, barley, rice, pulses, millets, peas, and sesame found.
• Animal Rearing/Hunting: Bones of cattle, buffalo, goat, sheep, dog, horse, ass, pig, various deer species (sambar, blackbuck, chital), mongoose, hare, birds, crocodile, turtle, crab, and fish found. Many bones had cut marks, indicating they were used as food.
• Gathering: Evidence of fruits like ber, amla, jamun, and dates.
• Conclusion: People practiced a mix of farming, hunting, fishing, and gathering.

10. Elsewhere: Early Writing in China

• Around 3500 years ago (contemporary with the Rigveda), evidence of writing is found in China on oracle bones.
• These were animal bones or turtle shells used by kings for divination (predicting the future).
• Questions were inscribed, the bone heated, and the resulting cracks were interpreted by fortune-tellers.
• These kings lived in palaces and amassed wealth but, unlike the people associated with Indian megaliths, they did not know the use of iron.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

1. The Rigveda, the oldest Veda, was composed approximately how many years ago?
   a) 1500 years ago
   b) 2500 years ago
   c) 3500 years ago
   d) 4500 years ago

2. Which of the following gods is NOT frequently mentioned in the hymns of the Rigveda?
   a) Agni
   b) Indra
   c) Soma
   d) Shiva

3. The hymns in the Rigveda are called:
   a) Mandalas
   b) Suktas
   c) Upanishads
   d) Brahmanas

4. In the Rigvedic period, 'Rajas' were primarily:
   a) Hereditary kings with large palaces and armies.
   b) Priests who performed major sacrifices.
   c) Leaders chosen for bravery, without regular taxes or large armies.
   d) Merchants controlling trade routes.

5. The term 'Dasa' or 'Dasyu' in the Rigveda referred to:
   a) Priests belonging to a rival group.
   b) People considered opponents, who spoke different languages and didn't perform sacrifices.
   c) Skilled artisans and craftsmen.
   d) Foreign traders from Mesopotamia.

6. Megaliths, large stone structures prevalent from about 3000 years ago, were primarily used for:
   a) Astronomical observation.
   b) Marking village boundaries.
   c) Marking burial sites.
   d) Royal assemblies.

7. A common type of pottery found in Megalithic burials is:
   a) Painted Grey Ware
   b) Northern Black Polished Ware
   c) Black and Red Ware
   d) Ochre Coloured Pottery

8. The presence of iron tools, weapons, and horse skeletons in Megalithic burials suggests:
   a) Trade connections with the Roman Empire.
   b) Knowledge of iron technology and the importance of horses.
   c) A purely agricultural society.
   d) Influence from Harappan civilization.

9. At the site of Inamgaon, a special burial in a large clay jar within a five-roomed house likely indicates:
   a) A foreign dignitary's burial.
   b) The burial of a person with high social status, possibly a chief.
   c) A ritual sacrifice.
   d) The common burial practice for all adults.

10. What important technological knowledge was known to the people associated with Megaliths in India but NOT known to the Shang Dynasty kings in China around 3500 years ago, who used oracle bones?
    a) Writing
    b) Use of bronze
    c) Use of iron
    d) Chariot making

Answer Key for MCQs:

1. c) 3500 years ago
2. d) Shiva
3. b) Suktas
4. c) Leaders chosen for bravery, without regular taxes or large armies.
5. b) People considered opponents, who spoke different languages and didn't perform sacrifices.
6. c) Marking burial sites.
7. c) Black and Red Ware
8. b) Knowledge of iron technology and the importance of horses.
9. b) The burial of a person with high social status, possibly a chief.
10. c) Use of iron

Make sure you revise these notes thoroughly. Understanding the distinctions between the Rigvedic society and the later period represented by Megaliths and sites like Inamgaon is key. Good luck with your preparation!