Prehistory and protohistory of Himachal Pradesh

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The state of Himachal Pradesh in India has been considered to be inhabited by humans since the origin of civilization. It has a rich and varied history which can be divided into several distinct eras.

Prehistory and protohistory

Many evidences have been came under consideration that nearly 2 million years ago man lived on the foothills of Himachal Pradesh. [1] Some of these places are-

The foothills of the state are thought to be inhabited by the people from Indus valley civilization which flourished between the timeperiod of 2250 B.C. to 1750 B.C. People of Indus valley civilization pushed the original inhabitants of Ganga plains also known as Kolorian people towards the north. They moved towards the hills of Himachal Pradesh where they could led a comfortable life and preserve their way of living.

In the Vedas these have been referred as the Dasas , Dasyus and Nishadas while later they have been known as the Kinnars , Nagas and Yakshas . The Kols or Mundas are considered to be the original migrants to the hills of present Himachal. [1]

The second stage of migrants came in the form of Mongoloid people known as Bhotas and Kiratas . At last the third and most significant wave of migrants in the form of the Aryans came into being, who left their Central Asian home. These laid down the base for the history and culture of Himachal Pradesh.

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According to the Mahabharta, the present day Himachal Pradesh consisted of a number of small republics also known as the Janpadas..

  1. Audumbras – They were one of the most ancient tribes of Himachal who resided in the lower hills of Pathankot and Jwalamukhi. They formed a separate province in 2 B.C.
  2. Trigarta – The state was laid in the foothills drained by 3 rivers, namely- Ravi, Beas and Satluj. It is believed that the state was an independent republic.
  3. Kuluta – The kingdom of Kuluta was located in the upper Beas valley which is also known as the Kullu valley. The state capital was Naggar.
  4. Kulindas – The kingdom covered the area between the Beas, Satluj and Yamuna rivers. The administration resembled a republic with the members of central assembly sharing the powers of the head.
  5. Guptas – Chandragupta captured the republics of the Himachal by the use of his force though he usually did not rule them directly. Ashoka, his grandson extended his boundaries to the Himalayan region. He introduced Buddhism to the state. He built various stupas here.
  6. Harsha – After the collapse of Guptas and before the rise of Harsha, the area was again ruled by chiefs also known as Thakurs and Ranas. With the rise of Harsha in the 7th century, most of these small provinces acknowledged its allround supremacy though many local powers remained with the chiefs.
  7. Rajput Period – After Harsha's death Rajput states ascended in Rajasthan and Indus plains. They moved to the hills with their followers, where they established small provinces or principalities. Some of these were Kangra, Nurpur, Suket, Mandi, Kutlehar, Baghal, Bilaspur, Nalagarh, Keonthal, Dhami, Kunihar, Bushahar, Sirmour.
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References

  1. 1 2 "History of Himachal". Cultural Dep. of Himachal. Archived from the original on 21 November 2006. Retrieved 26 October 2006.