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Aryan Age
It is only from the Rigvedic age that some coherent historical account is found. Initially, the centre of Aryan colonization in India was Sapta Sindhu or the region irrigated by seven rivers (undivided Punjab). The seven rivers were Sindhu (Indus), Vitasta (Jhelum), Askini (Chenab),Purushni(Ravi), Vipasa (Beas) Shatudri (Sutlej) and Saraswati (now lost in the Rajasthan desert). More important of the Aryan clans were Puru, Turvasu, Yadu, Anu, and Druh. These five clans were known as Panchjan. Besides, there was one more prominent clan known as Bharat. Gradually, the Aryans extended their territory towards the east. The Shatpath Brahman gives an interesting account of the victory of Kosal (Awadh) and Videh (north Bihar) by the Brahmans and the Kshatriyas. Expansion of territory saw the creation of new States (Janpadas) and emergence of new people and new centres. The Sapta Sindhu gradually lost importance and the centre of culture shifted to the plains between Saraswati and Ganga ruled by the kingdoms of Kuru, Fanchal, Kashi and Kosal.
The entire region extending up to Prayag in the east bore the name of Madhya Desh. Modern Uttar Pradesh corresponds to this region. It was considered sacred in Hindu mythology as Gods and heroes, whose deeds are recorded in the Ramayana and Mahabharata, lived here. Its inhabitants were considered to be the most cultured Aryans as their speech formed the norm and their conduct was prescribed as the model. They were fully conversant with rituals and could worship and sacrifice without any flaw or fault. The rulers of these States, especially King Pravahna Jaivali of Panchal, became immortal due to their noble deeds. Subsequent history got mingled for a long time with the Puranas and Hindu scriptures, snapping the link with historical records. When this dark period of history comes to an end and outlines of a proper history take shape again in sixth century B.C., we find the 16 Mahajanpadas engaged in a state of serious competition for supremacy. These States (Janapadas) and their capitals were:
1.Kuru (Meerut, Delhi and Thaneshwar)
Capital-Indraprasth(Indropal near Delhi)
2.Panchal (Bareilly, Budaun and Farrukhabad)
Capitals Ahichhatra (Ramnagar near Bareilly) and Kampilya (Farrukhabad)
3.Vats (Area around Mathura)
Capital-Mathura
4.Vats (Allahabad and nearby area)
Capital-Kaushambi (Kosam near Allahabad)
5.Kosal (Awadh)
Capital Saket (Ayodhya) and Shravasti (Sahet-Mahet in Gonda District)
6.Malla (District Deoria)
Capitals-Kushinagar (Kasia) and Pawa (Padrauna)
7. Kashi (Varanasi)
Capital-Varanasi
8. Ang (Bhagalpur)
Capital-Champa
9.Magadh (South Bihar)
Capital-Girivraj (Rajgraha-Rajgiri near Bihar-sharif)
10.Vajji (District Darbhanga and Muzaffarpur)
Capitals Mithila, Janakpur, (on Nepal border) and Vaishali
11. Chedi (Bundelkhand)
Capital-Shuktimati (Probably near Banda)
12. Matsya (Jaipur)
Capital-Virat (near Jaipur)
13.Ashmak (Godawari valley)
Capital-Pandanya (place not known)
14.Avanti (Malva)
Capital Ujjaini (Ujjain)
15.Gandhar (north-west region, now in Pakistan)
Capital- Taxshila (near Rawalpindi)
16. Kamboj Capital-Rajapur (place not known)
Out of the above 16 States, eight (at serial number 1-7 and 11) were in present Uttar Pradesh. More known among them were Kashi, Kosal and Vatsa. Besides these, certain republic states were also within the boundries of present Uttar Pradesh e.g. Shakya state of Kapilvastu, Bhagga state of Samsumergiri and Malla state of Pawapuri and Kushingar.
Vedic Period
There is hardly any mention of the area comprising present Uttar Pradesh in Vedic hymns. Even the sacred rivers, the Ganga and Yamuna, appear only on the distant horizon of the land of the Aryans. In the later Vedic age, the importance of Sapta Sindhu recedes and Brahmarshi Desh or Madhya Desh assumes significance. The region comprising Uttar Pradesh at that time became a holy place of India and foremost centre of Vedic culture and knowledge.
The new States of Kuru-Panchal, Kashi and Kosal find mention in Vedic texts as prominent centres of Vedic culture. The people of Kuru-Fanchcii were regarded as the best representatives of Vedic culture. They enjoyed great respect as outstanding orators of Sanskrit. The conduct of schools and institutions by them was laudable. The life of their kings was a model for other kings and their Brahmins were held in high esteem for their piety and scholarship. The Upanishads prominently mention the Panchal Parishad. The scholars from Kuru-Panchal were specially visited by the Videh king on the occasion of Ashwamedh Yajna. The Panchal king Pravahan Jaivali himself was a great thinker, who was praised even by Brahmin scholars like Shilik, Dalabhya, Shvetketu and his father Uddalak Aruni. Ajatshatru of Kashi was another great philosopher king whose superiority was acknowledged by Brahmin scholars like Dripti, Valhaki, Gargya etc.
Literature in various disciplines was authored on an extensive scale during this age culminating in the Upanishads. They signify the highest reach of human imagination. The Upanishad literature was the product of meditation in the Ashrams of the sages, several of which were in Uttar Pradesh.Eminent sages like Bharadwaj, Yajnavalkya1 Vashishta, Vishwamitra, Valmiki and Atri had either their Ashrams here or were otherwise connected with this State. Some Aranyaks and Upanishads were written in the Ashrams located in this State.
Post Vedic Period
The Cultural heritage of Uttar Pradesh was maintained in the period of the Ramayana and Mahabharata i.e. the epic period. The story of Ramayan revolves round the ‘Ikshwaku’ dyanasty of Kosal. The Mahabharata portrays the ‘Kuru’ dynasty of Hastinapur. Local people firmly believe that the Ashram of Valmiki, the author of Ramayana, was in Brahmavart (Bithoor in Kanpur District). It was in the surroundings of Naimisharany (Nimsar-Misrikh in Sitapur district) where Suta narrated the story of Mahabharata, which he had heard from Ved Vyas himself. Some of the Smritis and Puranas were also written in this State.
Gautam Buddha, Mahavir, Makkhaliputta Goshal and great thinkers brought about a revolution in Uttar Pradesh in 6th century B.C. Out of these, Makkhaliputta Goshal, who was born at Shravan near Shravasti, was the founder of Ajivika sect.
Mahavir, the 24th Trithankar of Jains was born in Bihar but had a large number of followers in Uttar Pradesh. He is said to have lived twice during rainy season in this State – once in Shravasti and the second time in Padrauna near Deoria. Pawa proved to be his last resting place. In fact, Jainism had entrenched itself in this State even before the arrival of Mahavir. Several Tirthankars such as Parshwanath, Sambharnath and Chandraprabha were born in different cities in this State and attained ‘Kaivalya’ here. Jainism must have retained its popularity in this State in subsequent centuries also. This fact is borne by the ruins of several ancient temples, buildings, etc. The remains of a magnificient Jain Stupa have been dug out near Kankali Tila in Mathura, while Jain shrines built in early Middle Age are still preserved in Deogarh, Chanderi and other places.
Pre-Christ Era
All the States were perpetually at war with each other. Kosal annexed Kashi and Avanti grabbed Vatsa. Kosal and Avanti, in turn, were subjugated one by one by Magadha, which became powerful in the entire region. Magadh was ruled in SUCCESSION by Haryank, Shishunag and Nand dynasties. The Nands ruled from 343 B.C. to 321 B.C. The Nand empire extended almost to the whole of India except Punjab and probably Bengal. It was during their reign that Alexander invaded India in 326 B.C. Several historians are of the view that the apprehension, that they will not be able to face the forces of the powerful Magadh state, was at the root of Alexander’s forces not advancing beyond Beas river, which compelled him to go back.
With Alexander’s retreat, India witnessed a great revolution. As a result the Nand rulers had to give reins of power to Chandragupta, a scion of the Kshatriya clan "Moriya" of Pippalivana. The whole of Uttar Pradesh enjoyed peace and prospeity during the reigns of Chandragupta, his son Bindusara and grandson Ashok. The Government of India as the State Emblem has adopted the Lion Capital, inscribed in the Ashokan Pillar at Sarnath. The Ashokan Pillars have been found at Sarnath, Allahabad, Meerut, Kaushambi, Sankisa, Kalsi, Siddharthnagar and Mirzapur, all of which are in Uttar Pradesh. The Chinese Travellers Fa-Hien and Yuan-Chawang* have seen several rock edicts as well. Ashok also built the Dharmrajika Stupa at Sarnath.
The downfall of the Magadhan empire began with the death of Ashok in 232 b.C. His grandsons, Dashrath and Samprathi divided the whole empire among themselves. The entire area south of Narmada became independent and in 210 B.C. Punjab passed into other hands. the last ruler of this dynasty was Brihdrath, who was assassinated by his commander-in-chief Pushyamitra Shung in 185 B.C. Pushyamitra kept Magadhan empire intact. Patanjali’s commertary refers to the seize of Saket (Ayodhya) by the Greeks. Menander and his brother mounted a heavy attack in about 182 B.C. The invading armies accupied Kathiawad in far off south-west, Sagal (Sialkot in Punjab) and Mathura. Later on the invaders laid a seize on Saket (Ayodhya) and advanced far in the Ganga valley. Ultimately, Pushyamitra and his grandson Vasumitra challenged the invaders on the banks of the Sindhu and defeated the Greeks. The invaders retreated and made Sagal (Sialkot) their capital. For long, Mathura remained a prominent city of Menander’s empire. Menander or Milind ruled up to about 145 B.c. Later on, small Indo-Greek and Greek states flourished in Punjab up to the first century of Chistain era. During this period the Shung dynasty was replaced by the danasty in Magadh. It is said that the last king of Shung dynasty was of bad character and he was killed by his minister Vasudev.Vasudev established Kanva dnasty in 75B.C. This dynasty continued to rule for 45 years and its was brought to an end in 28 B.C. by Simuk, the founder of the Satavahana or the Andhra Dynasty.
It was at this time that the attention of Central Asian rules was drawn towards India for the first time. By 60 B.C. they had set up their Kashatraps in Mathura. The first Saka king was Maues who died around 38 B.C. Mter the Sakas, the Parthians attecked north India and by the beginning of first century A.D. they started defeating The Sakas. The Kushanas also mounted an attack around 40 A.D. The Kushanas too were one of the five Yueh-Chih castes of Central Asia. Soon The Kushana rulers established their empire right fom Central Asia up to the Indus iver. Gradually, they occupied the whole of north India.
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Uttar Pradesh is a state in northern India. It is the most populous state in India, with over 200 million people. The state is home to a diverse range of cultures and religions.
The Ancient History of Uttar Pradesh is long and complex. The first major civilization to develop in the region was the Indus Valley Civilization. The Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that flourished from 2600 to 1900 BCE. The civilization was centered in the Indus River valley, which is now located in Pakistan and northwestern India. The Indus Valley Civilization was a major urban civilization, with cities such as Harappa and Mohenjo-daro. The civilization was also known for its advanced technology, including its system of writing, its sewage system, and its public baths.
After the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization, the region was ruled by a number of different dynasties. One of the most important dynasties was The Gupta Empire. The Gupta Empire was a Hindu empire that ruled northern India from 320 to 550 CE. The Gupta Empire was a golden age for India, and it is known for its achievements in art, literature, and science.
The Gupta Empire was followed by the Harsha Empire. The Harsha Empire was a Buddhist empire that ruled northern India from 606 to 647 CE. The Harsha Empire was a major power in India, and it is known for its military conquests and its patronage of the arts.
In the 12th century, the region was invaded by the Muslim Turks. The Turks ruled the region for several centuries, and they introduced Islam to the region. The most important Muslim dynasty in Uttar Pradesh was the Mughal Empire. The Mughal Empire was a Muslim empire that ruled northern India from 1526 to 1857. The Mughal Empire was a major power in India, and it is known for its architecture, its art, and its literature.
In the 18th century, the Mughal Empire began to decline. The decline of the Mughal Empire led to the rise of a number of regional powers, including the MARATHA EMPIRE. The Maratha Empire was a Hindu empire that ruled central and western India from the 17th to the 19th centuries. The Maratha Empire was a major power in India, and it is known for its military prowess.
In the 19th century, the British East India Company began to take control of India. The British East India Company was a British trading company that had been granted a monopoly on trade with India. The British East India Company gradually took control of more and more of India, and in 1857, the British government took direct control of India.
India gained independence from Britain in 1947. After independence, Uttar Pradesh became one of the states of the Republic of India. Uttar Pradesh has been a major player in Indian politics, and it has produced a number of Indian prime ministers.
Uttar Pradesh is a diverse state with a rich history. The state is home to a number of different cultures and religions, and it has been ruled by a number of different dynasties. Uttar Pradesh is a major power in India, and it is expected to play an important role in the future of India.
Here are some additional facts about Uttar Pradesh:
- The capital of Uttar Pradesh is Lucknow.
- The Official Language of Uttar Pradesh is Hindi.
- The currency of Uttar Pradesh is the Indian rupee.
- The Population-of-uttar-pradesh/”>Population of Uttar Pradesh is over 200 million people.
- The religion of the majority of people in Uttar Pradesh is Hinduism-2/”>Hinduism.
- The main crops grown in Uttar Pradesh are wheat, rice, and sugarcane.
- The main industries in Uttar Pradesh are textiles, sugar, and engineering.
- The main tourist attractions in Uttar Pradesh are the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and Fatehpur Sikri.
Here are some frequently asked questions and short answers about ancient history:
What is ancient history?
Ancient history is the study of the past from the beginning of recorded human history to the end of the ancient world. This period is typically dated from the 3rd millennium BC to the 5th century AD.What are some important events in ancient history?
Some important events in ancient history include the invention of writing, the rise of the first civilizations, the development of agriculture, and the spread of empires.Who are some important figures in ancient history?
Some important figures in ancient history include Hammurabi, Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, and Alexander the Great.What are some important sources of information about ancient history?
Some important sources of information about ancient history include archaeological evidence, written records, and oral traditions.What are some important concepts in ancient history?
Some important concepts in ancient history include the rise and fall of civilizations, the spread of empires, the development of agriculture, and the invention of writing.
Here are some frequently asked questions and short answers about the history of Uttar Pradesh:
What is the history of Uttar Pradesh?
The history of Uttar Pradesh is long and complex. The region has been inhabited for thousands of years, and it has been ruled by a variety of different empires and dynasties.What are some important events in the history of Uttar Pradesh?
Some important events in the history of Uttar Pradesh include the Mauryan Empire, the Gupta Empire, the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughal Empire, and the British Raj.Who are some important figures in the history of Uttar Pradesh?
Some important figures in the history of Uttar Pradesh include Ashoka the Great, Chandragupta Maurya, Akbar the Great, and Mahatma Gandhi.What are some important places in the history of Uttar Pradesh?
Some important places in the history of Uttar Pradesh include Agra, Ayodhya, Lucknow, and Varanasi.What are some important concepts in the history of Uttar Pradesh?
Some important concepts in the history of Uttar Pradesh include the rise and fall of empires, the spread of Islam, the development of Hinduism, and the struggle for independence.
Sure, here are some MCQs without mentioning the topic Ancient History or History of Uttar Pradesh:
Which of the following is not a period of Indian history?
(A) The Indus Valley Civilization
(B) The Vedic Period
(C) The Mughal Empire
(D) The British RajWhich of the following is not a major Religion in India?
(A) Hinduism
(B) Buddhism-2/”>Buddhism
(C) Islam
(D) ChristianityWhich of the following is not a major language spoken in India?
(A) Hindi
(B) Bengali
(C) Tamil
(D) EnglishWhich of the following is not a major river in India?
(A) The Ganges
(B) The Indus
(C) The Brahmaputra
(D) The NileWhich of the following is not a major mountain range in India?
(A) The Himalayas
(B) The Alps
(C) The Andes
(D) The RockiesWhich of the following is not a major city in India?
(A) New Delhi
(B) Mumbai
(C) Kolkata
(D) BeijingWhich of the following is not a major food in India?
(A) Rice
(B) Curry
(C) Pizza
(D) ChapatiWhich of the following is not a major dance in India?
(A) Bharatanatyam
(B) Kathak
(C) Salsa
(D) BhangraWhich of the following is not a major sport in India?
(A) Cricket
(B) Hockey
(C) Football
(D) BaseballWhich of the following is not a major festival in India?
(A) Diwali
(B) Holi
(C) Christmas
(D) Thanksgiving
I hope these MCQs were helpful!