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Ancient Era
The Indus Valley Civilization existed in between 3000-1500 BC while the
earlier Kot Diji cultures, of the pre-Indus period, existed in the period of
approximately 3300-2800 BC. Harappa and the city of Mohenjo-Daro were the
greatest achievements of the Indus valley civilization. These cities are well
known for their impressive, organized and regular layout.
Then came Aryans who composed these evocative hymns to nature and celebrated
life exuberantly referred to themselves as Aryas usually anglicised as Aryan
meaning 'noble'. The 6th Century B.C. was the period of Magadh Kingdom.
Chandragupta Maurya ousted the oppressive ruler of Magadh to find his own
dynasty that existed from 322 - 298 B.C.
The most famous Maurya King Ashoka the Great ruled from 273 - 232 B.C over a
large kingdom stretching from Kashmir and Peshawar in the North and Northwest to
Mysore in the South and Orissa in the East. He after witnessing the carnage at
the battle field of Kalinga (269 B.C.) in Orissa, dedicated himself to Dharmma (
righteousness ).
In the subsequent centuries, after the Ashoka empire disintegrated, India
suffered a series of invasions, and often fell under the spell of foreign rulers
- Indo Bactrians, the Sakas and others. After the next 400 years of instability
the Guptas established their kingdom.
Kalidas, the famous Sanskrit poet and dramatist, author of Abhijnana
Shankuntalam, Kumarsambhavam and Meghadutam is believed to have adorned the
Gupta court. Also the great mathematicians like Aryabhatta and astronomers like
Varahmihir lived during this period. The dazzling wall paintings of the Ajanta
caves too are traced back to this era.
Cholas, Pandayas and Pallavas ruled over the southern part of India during the
later ancient period and pre-medieval period of India's history. Cholas ruled the territory of Deccan (today the districts of Thanjavur and Tiruchirapally) while the Pandyas reined around present day Tirunelvelli and Madurai.
Pallavas of Kanchi rose to prominence in the 4th Century A.D. and ruled
unchallenged for about four hundred years. The Nayanar and Alvar saint poets
belong to this period. The gemlike shore temples at Mahabalipuram date to this
period. The Cholas overthrew the Pallavas were in the 9th Century and regained
political primacy in south India. The 15th Century saw the decline of the
Pandyas.