History

• Ashoka appointed special officials, who were known as the Dhamma Mahamatta
• Where were some of the largest collections of iron tools found?

  ❖ The largest collections of iron tools were found in the megalithic burials.
• Where was Barygaza located?

  ❖ Barygaza was located on the gulf of Khambhat on the western coast of India.
• What do you know about Jatakas?

  ❖ Jatakas were the stories composed by the ordinary people and preserved by the Buddhist monks.
• What was the old name of Pondicherry?

  ❖ Arikamedu
• What were the steps taken by the rulers to increase agricultural production?

  ❖ Iron tools such as axes and iron ploughshare began to be used.

  ❖ Axes were used for clearing forests and the ploughshare was useful for increasing agricultural production.

  ❖ Apart from these new tools, irrigation was also used for this purpose.

  ❖ Irrigation works that were built during this time included canals, wells, tanks, and artificial lakes
• What do you know about the Sangam literature?

  ❖ Some of the earliest works in Tamil came to be known as Sangam literature.

  ❖ These earliest works were composed around 2300 years ago.

  ❖ These texts were called Sangam because they were supposed to have been composed and compiled in assemblies of poets.

  ❖ These assemblies were known as Sangams and were held in the city of Madurai.
• Write a short note on ‘Arikamedu’.

  ❖ Arikamedu, located in Pondicherry, was a coastal settlement between 2200 and 1900 years ago.

  ❖ It was a place where ships unloaded goods from distant lands.

  ❖ A massive brick structure which is supposed to be a warehouse was found at the site.

  ❖ Other discoveries include pottery from the Mediterranean region.
• Mathura has been an important city for more than 2500 years
• It was located at the crossroads of two major routes of travel and trade – from the northwest to the east and from north to south
• There were fortifications around the city and several shrines
• Farmers and herders from adjoining areas provided food for the city people
• Mathura was a center where some extremely fine sculpture was produced
• Around 2000 years ago, Mathura became the second capital of the Kushanas
• Mathura was a religious center with Buddhist monasteries and Jaina shrines
• Who is ‘Shernis’?

  The Crafts persons and the Merchants Associations were known as Shernis.
• Which are the important centres for cloth?

  Varanasi in North and Madurai in South are centres of clothes.
• What was the functions of Shrenis?

  Shrenis served as banks, where rich men and women deposited their money.
• Mathura is an important center for the worship of Lord Krishna
• The use of iron in the Indian Subcontinent began about 3000 years ago
• Stamped red-glazed pottery known as Arretine ware was named after a city in Italy
• The post of grambhojaka was hereditary
• Roman lamps, glassware, and gems have been found in Arikamedu
• The Jatakas were stories preserved by the Buddhist Monks
• Large landowners match with Vellalar, Village headman matches with Gram Bhojaka, Landless labourers match with Kadaisiyar and Adimai
• The largest collections of iron tools were found in the megalithic burials
• Barygaza was located on the gulf of Khambhat on the western coast of India
• Jatakas were the stories composed by the ordinary people and preserved by the Buddhist monks
• Arikamedu was the old name of Pondicherry
• Steps taken by the rulers to increase agricultural production:

  • Iron tools such as axes and iron ploughshare began to be used
  • Axes were used for clearing forests and the ploughshare was useful for increasing agricultural production
  • Apart from these new tools, irrigation was also used for this purpose
  • Irrigation works that were built during this time included canals, wells, tanks, and artificial lakes
• Sangam literature:

  • Some of the earliest works in Tamil came to be known as Sangam literature
  • These earliest works were composed around 2300 years ago
  • These texts were called Sangam because they were supposed to have been composed and compiled in assemblies of poets
  • These assemblies were known as Sangams and were held in the city of Madurai
• Arikamedu:

  • Arikamedu, located in Pondicherry, was a coastal settlement between 2200 and 1900 years ago
  • It was a place where ships unloaded goods from distant lands
  • A massive brick structure which is supposed to be a warehouse was found at the site
  • Other discoveries include pottery from the Mediterranean region
• Mathura was a city with many junctions:

  • Mathura has been an important city for more than 2500 years
  • It was located at the crossroads of two major routes of travel and trade
  • There were fortifications around the city and several shrines
  • Mathura was also a center where some extremely fine sculpture was produced
  • Around 2000 years ago, Mathura became the second capital of the Kushanas
  • Mathura was a religious center also as there were Buddhist monasteries and Jaina shrines
• Shrenis:

  • The Crafts persons and the Merchants Associations were known as Shrenis
• Important centers for cloth:

  • Varanasi in North and Madurai in South are centers of clothes
• Functions of Shrenis:

  • Shrenis served as banks, where rich men and women deposited their money
• Punch Marked Coin
• Punch Marked Coins are made up of metals
• The shape of the coins is rectangle, square, round, or flattened metal