Author: Irfan Habib
Publisher: Tulika
Year: 2002
Language: English
Pages: 111
ISBN/UPC (if available): 818522966X
Description
The Indus Civilization is the second monograph in the People’s History of India series. It continues the story from the point reached in the earlier monograph, Prehistory. The dominant theme here is provided by the Indus civilization.
In addition, other contemporary and later cultures down to about 1500 BC, and the formation of the major language families of India, are discussed.
The Indus Civilization seeks to maintain uniformity with Prehistory in style and framework, except for slight relaxation of the commitment of conciseness. It contains more detailed exposition of certain topics, and the explanatory notes on technical and controversial subjects at the end of each chapter are somewhat longer. Illustrations, maps and tables are included to serve as aids to understand the subject better.
The time with which this monograph deals is often called Protohistory, since it is close to the period when history can, at least partly, be reconstructed from literary texts. Since modern territorial boundaries make little sense when we deal with the past, India here means pre-partition India, and the area covered includes Afghanistan south of the Hindukush mountains. A subchapter is accordingly devoted to the Helmand civilization, whose study is indispensable for putting the Indus civilization in a proper perspective.
Contents
Preface
1. EARLY BRONZE AGE CULTURES OF THE INDUS CIVILIZATION AND THE BORDERLANDS
1.1 Towards Urban Revolution
1.2 The Helmand Civilization
1.3 Early Indus Cultures
1.4 Onset of the Indus Civilization
Note 1.1: The Methods of Archaeology
Note 1.2: Bibliographical Note
2. THE INDUS CIVILIZATION
2.1 Extent and Population
2.2 Agriculture and Subsistence
2.3 Craft Production
2.4 The Cities and Towns
2.5 Trade
2.6 Culture: Writing, Art, Religion
2.7 People, Society, State
2.8 The End of the Indus Civilization
Note 2.1: The Indus Script
Note 2.2: The Indus Civilization and the Rigveda
Note 2.3: Bibliographical Note
3. NON-URBAN CHALCOLITHIC CULTURES, TILL 1500 BC; LANGUAGE CHANGE
3.1 After the Cities
3.2 Chalcolithic Cultures of the Borderlands and the Indus Basin
3.3 Other Chalcolithic Cultures, to c. 1500 BC
3.4 Language Change Before 1500 BC
Note 3.1: Reconstructing Language History
Note 3.2: Bibliographical Note
Index