History of Science & Technology in Indian Subcontinent

Although early river valley civilizations developed in four separate places, they seem to have more similarities than differences. This essay will compare and contrast the ancient Egyptian, Harappan, Chinese, and Sumerian civilizations.

In the early post-classical period, the Mediterranean Sea trade route and the Indian Ocean trade route flourished. Although both the Mediterranean Sea trade route and the Indian Ocean Maritime trade route persisted to deliver goods to diverse ports by way of sea, such as India’s transmission of manufactured goods, such as pottery produced by Burma, to several distinct ports, the volume and whereabouts of each particular trade route and the development of people’s characteristics due to trade varied drastically. Both the post-classical Mediterranean Sea trade route and the Indian Ocean Maritime System route transported goods to various ports by way of water. In the Indian Ocean Maritime System, trade took place in three distinct

The paleolithic civilizations the early period of human history from 2,500,00 through 10,000 B.C. Neolithic civilizations begun to

Civilizations of the Stone Age were known for their use of stone implements, while the Bronze Age is signified by the use of bronze tools and technology. The Bronze Age is part of the three-tiered classification system of ancient civilizations described by Christian Jürgensen Thomsen: the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age. The Bronze Age occurred at overlapping and slightly different times in various parts of the world. This is due in part to the limited availability of copper-tin ores. Certain places, like western Asia, did not see Bronze until trade brought this metal to the region. Notable civilizations during the Bronze Age were the Minoans, Mycenaeans, Hittites, and Egyptians. The Bronze Age dates from 3200-600 BC in Europe and 3300-1200 BC in the Middle East. The Bronze Age collapse occurred around 1200 B.C.E. What followed was a dark age of decreased literacy and technology and a significant reduction in population.

Between 500 and 1000 BCE hunter-gatherer tribes fixed settlements and that’s how pottery appeared. In the first millennium the BCE groups (Amerindians) were skilled at farming, mining, and metalcraft.

The copper age or the chalcolithic period started at the end of the fifth millennium, after the Neolithic age and ended as the bronze age started (3500 BC- 2300 BC). The main change was the climate, it turned to cool and dry weather which was no long favourable to the vegetables. These changes affected the thinking of the Neolithic man and many elements of religion were updated or replaced, new cults and objects were produced and a constant search for new materials resulted in even more changes.

The Indus Valley Civilization and the coming of the Aryans is the start of ancient India. The Indus Valley Civilization had flourished from around 2500 B.C. to about 1500 B.C. The Indus Valley has a larger geographical reach than Egypt and Mesopotamia. The Indus civilization’s economy was based on a very well organized agriculture. At first, farming settlements began around 4000 BCE, and around 3000 BCE there appeared the first signs of urbanization. By around 2600 BCE, many of the towns and cities had been established. Between around 2500-2000 BCE the civilization had reached its peak.

The Neolithic period took place between 7000 BCE and 3000 BCE. 7000 BCE is when archaeologists found evidence of a food processing economy, simple hut construction,

Hindus and Muslims went to different school systems. Madrasa was the traditional school that all Muslim Indian’s went to. Pastshala is the traditional school that the Hindus attended. In Madrasa, the Muslim students would learn though the Quran education mainly but other courses were taught too. The native education, in India, gave more emphasis on languages rather than science and technology. After 1814, the British colonizers introduced western system of education to the Indians. At the beginning of the British rule in India, the British tried to stay neutral on the matters of religion and culture of the Indian people (British

The Indus Valley civilization began the long, well-documented history of India. The era lasted from 2600 – 1700 BCE. It was then followed by the Vedic Age, which ended in 600 BCE. By this time, India had formed multiple

The Neolithic Period, tracing back as early as 10,000 BC, where “evidence of pottery making appears” (Heritage East Group, 2012) as agriculture emerges. As villages and people become more settled, “discrete ceramic traditions evolve that show a distinctive Chinese approach to form, decoration, and technique, leading to the identification of more than thirty Late Neolithic cultures throughout China”(Heritage East Group, 2012).

The Harappan Civilization is arguably one of the most successful and cultivated human development known to this date. Known as the Chalcolithic period because of copper and stone use, this civilization started in around 2600 B.C - 1900 B.C and is the oldest civilization in the world. Although many refer to it as the “Indus Valley” Civilization, it is not technically accurate because this culture was spanning way further than the Indus, so it is more reasonable to call it Harappan. The development of this society contains many different aspects, such as geography and buildings, crafts and trade, religion and ritual impurity, etc. From what we know so far, the works of this civilization is truly remarkable.

After the downfall of the Muslim rule, Britishers came to India and established the East India Company and ruled over more than 150 years. During this period education was to create man power to support British administration. During freedom struggle Indian

Harappan stone bead making and pottery are important aspects in identifying different archaeological time periods. Craft specialization is an indicator of societies becoming more complex. Stone bead-making and pottery are both different types of craft specialization which indicate that the early of cities and villages of the Harappan period have become more aware of society and economy. In Kenoyer, Vidale, and Bhan’s “Contemporary stone bead-making in Khambat, India,” the stone beadmaking industry is studied and described as “important for supporting the state,” (Kenoyer, Vidale, Bhan 1991). This occupational specialization let to the development of an organized social structure that was closely monitored. Although there are many references to multiple craft specializations at different sites, this article focuses on craft specialization that appears to be identified with highly ranked societies. The fact that some scholars associate craft specialization with these highly ranked societies is incorrect because in all societies technology was important and required individuals to be able to produce items efficiently. “The ability to create specific and efficient technology requires specialization which is a sign of economic and social adaptions,” (Rice 1984). Craft specialization was an adaptive process because the ability to gather raw materials and produce special objects required a high level of competence and ability to work together. These individuals had to learn how to

The mature phase of the Harappan civilization lasted from c. 2600 to 1900 BCE. With the inclusion of the predecessor and successor cultures—Early Harappan and Late Harappan, respectively—the entire Indus Valley Civilization may be taken to have lasted from the 33rd to the 14th centuries BCE. Two terms are employed for the periodization of the IVC: Phases and Eras.[15][16] The Early Harappan, Mature Harappan,