History of Ancient India: Complete Study Material

Ancient History comes under History Sections of General Studies. So, it is worth having a grip on the subject and to make preparation easy we have compiled this study material into 9 Sections in which you will learn about the Pre-Historic Period, Historic Period, Civilisations, Scripts, Cultures, Pre- Mauryan and Mauryan Age their religious developments, art & architecture, trade. At last, Gupta and Post Gupta Age its literary sources, administration, inscriptions, rulers etc.

This comprehensive general knowledge Study Material on “History of Ancient India” is designed with the reference of NCERT books and some more books like R.S Sharma’s (India’s Ancient Past), A.L Basham’s (The wonder that was India), John Keay’s (India: The History), etc.

“History of Ancient India”: A Complete Study Material

1. Stone Age

       1.1 The Palaeolithic Age     
       1.2 The Mesolithic Age
       1.3 The Neolithic Age 
       1.4 The Chalcolithic Culture

2. Vedic and Later Vedic Age

       2.1 Advent of Aryans 
       2.2 Advent of Aryans in India
       2.3 Economic and Social life of Aryans
       2.4 Economic and Social Life in “Later Vedic Period”
       2.5 Material and Social Life of Aryans in India
       2.6 Later Vedic Age (1000-600 B.C.)
       2.7 List of Archaeological Sites of Indus Valley Civilisation
       2.8 List of Vedic Literature | Sacred Hindu Scriptures
       2.9 List of Rig Vedic Gods & Goddesses
       2.10 List of Archaeological Finding & Evidences Prehistoric & Indus Valley Civilisation
       2.11 Summary of Indus Valley Civilization (Harappa Civilization)
       2.12 Vedic Age: Polity | Society |Position of Women

3. Pre Mauryans Age

       3.1 Sources of Mauryan History
       3.2 The Mahajanapadas
       3.3 The Age of Satavahanas
       3.4 Foreign Invasions during Pre Mauryan Age
       3.5 Magadhan Empire
       3.6 Janapadas and Mahajanapadas

4. Age of Mauryas

       4.1 Ashoka the Great
       4.2 Mauryan Dynasty
       4.3 Economy, Social Life, Art and Architecture in Mauryan Age
       4.4 The Mauryan Empire: Administration
       4.5 Mauryan Empire: Its Decline and Significance

5. Contemporary and Post-Mauryan Rulers

       5.1 Kanishka: The Kushan Dynasty
       5.2 Palas, Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas
       5.3 Sunga, Kanva and Chedi Dynasty
       5.4 Impact of Central Asian Contacts (During Shaka-Kushan age)

6. Gupta Empire

       6.1 Gupta Dynasty: Important Rulers
       6.2 List of the Titles adopted by Gupta Kings
       6.3 List of Taxes levied during the Gupta Period
       6.4 The Gupta Empire: A Detailed Summary

7. Post Gupta’s Era

       7.1 Chola Kingdom: Administration, Art and Architecture
       7.2 Chola, Chera and Pandya Dynasties
       7.3 Delhi Sultanate: Balban (Slave Dynasty)
       7.4 Delhi Sultanate: Slave Dynasty
       7.5 Chola Empire (9th-century AD-12th century AD): Medieval Cholas
       7.6 Gupta Empire: Trade, Art & Architecture and Literature
       7.7 Gupta Empire: Administration
       7.8 Economy, Social life and Temple Architecture in Post Gupta Era
       7.9 Chola Empire (f9th century AD-12th century AD): Later Cholas
       7.10 Tripartite Struggle for Kannauj
       7.11 Post Gupta Dynasties in Indian Peninsula
       7.12 List of the Ancient Indian Scholars and their Patrons
       7.13 List of Ancient Historical monuments in India and their builders
       7.14 List of the Poets in the Courts of the Kings in Ancient India
       7.15 Important Facts of Ancient India: Science & Technology
       7.16 Summary on the Dynasties of Sangam Age
       7.17 Summary of Ancient Indian Dynasties and their contributions

8. The Harshavardhana Era

       8.1 Ancient Philosophies of India
       8.2 The Harshavardhana Era

9. Religions of Ancient India

       9.1 The Buddha
       9.2 Buddhist Literature
       9.3 Buddhist Councils
       9.4 Buddhist Scholars
       9.5 Hinayana and Mahayana
       9.6 Bodhisattvas
       9.7 List of Jain Tirthankaras
       9.8 The origin of Buddhism and Jainism
       9.9 Summary on Jainism: Teaching of Mahavira| Spread of Jainism
       9.10 Summary on Buddhism: Teaching of Buddha |Buddhist Council | Causes of Decline

Apart from this, you can refer to the following study material about Indian History: