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Literary Syllabus
Archaeological records are the two main categories that give
evidences of Ancient Indian History.
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The literary source includes literature of Vedic, Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, and other
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literature along with other foreign accounts.
The archaeological source includes epigraphic, numismatic, and other
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architectural remains.
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landscapes of new information.
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Indian Literary Sources
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The ancientTechnologies
Microsoft Indian literature is mostly religious in nature.
The Puranic and Epic literature are considered as history by Indians, but it
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contains no definite dates for events and kingdoms.
The effort
Mobile of history writing was shown by a large number of inscriptions, coins,
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and local chronicles. The principles of history are preserved in the Puranas and
 Epics.
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The Puranas and epics narrate the genealogies of kings and their achievements.
But they Technologies
Python are not arranged in a chronological order.
The Vedic literature contains mainly the four Vedas i.e. Rigveda, Yajurveda,
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Samaveda, and Atharvanaveda.

The Vedic literature

Programming is in a different language called as the Vedic language. Its
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vocabulary contains a wide range of meaning and is different in grammatical
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usages. It Reading
has a definite mode of pronunciation in which emphasis changes the
meaning entirely.
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The Vedas give reliable information about the culture and civilization of the
Vedic period, but do not reveal the political history.
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Six Vedangas are the important limbs of Vedas. They were evolved for the
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proper understanding of the Vedas. The Vedangas are −
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Siksha (Phonetics)
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Kalpa (Rituals)
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Vyakarna (Grammar)

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Jyotisha (Astronomy).
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Vedanga has been written in the precepts (sutra) form. This is a very precise
and exact form of expression in prose, which was developed by the scholars of
ancient India.
Ashtadhyayi (eight chapters), written by Panini, is a book on grammar that gives
excellent information on the art of writing in sutra (precepts).

The later Vedic literature includes the Brahmanas, the Aranyakas, and the
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Upanishads.

Brahmanas gives a description of Vedic rituals.

Aranyakas and Upanishads give speeches on different spiritual and
philosophical problems.

Puranas, which are 18 in numbers give mainly historical accounts.

Articles The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are epics of great historical importance.
The Jain and the Buddhist literature had been written in Prakrit and Pali
languages.

Early Jain literature is mostly written in Prakrit language.

 Prakrit language was a form of Sanskrit language.

Pali language was a form of Prakrit language which was used in Magadha.
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Most of the early Buddhist literature is written in Pali language.

Pali language reached to Sri Lanka through some of the Buddhist monks where
it is a living language.
Ashokan edicts had been written in Pali language.

Mahavira and Buddha are considered as the historical personalities (equivalent

Login to the God). They have created Jain and Buddhist religious ideology respectively.

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Ancient Books

The Buddhist books are called as Jataka stories. They have been given some
historical importance because they are related with the previous births of the
Buddha. There are more than 550 such stories.

The historic information mentioned in Jaina literature also help us in

reconstructing the history of different regions of India.
The Dharmasutras and the Smritis were the rules and regulations for the general
public and the rulers. It can be equated with the constitution and the law books
of the modern concept of polity and society. For example, Manusmriti.
Dharmashastras were compiled between 600 and 200 B.C.

Arthashastra is a book on statecraft written by Kautilya during the Maurya

period. The book is divided into 15 parts dealing with different subject matters
related to polity, economy, and society.

The final version of Arthashastra was written in the 4th century B.C.
Kautilya acknowledges his debt to his predecessors in his book, which shows
that there was a tradition of writing on and teaching of statecrafts.
Mudrarakshasha is a play written by Visakha datta. It describes the society and
culture of that period.
Malavikagnimitram written by Kalidasa gives information of the reign of
Pusyamitra Sunga dynasty.

Bhasa and Sudraka are other poets who have written plays based on historical
events.
Harshacharita, written by Banabhatta, throws light on many historical facts
about which we could not have known otherwise.
Vakpati wrote Gaudavaho, based on the exploits of Yasovarman of Kanauj.

Vikramankadevacharita, written by Bilhana, describes the victories of the later

Chalukya king Vikramaditya.

Some of the prominent biographical works, which are based on the lives of the
kings are −

Kumarapalacharita of Jayasimha,
Kumarapalacharita or Dvayashraya Mahakavya of Hemachandra,
Hammirakavya of Nayachandra

Navasahasankacharita of Padmagupta
Bhojaprabandha of Billal
Priihvirajacharit of Chandbardai

Rajatarangini, written by Kalhana, is the best form of history writing valued by

modern historians. His critical method of historical research and impartial
treatment of the historical facts have earned him a great respect among the
modern historians.
The Sangam literature is in the form of short and long poems consisting 30,000
lines of poetry, which arranged in two main groups i.e. Patinenkilkanakku and
the Pattupattu. It describes many kings and dynasties of South India.

The Sangam was the poetic compilation by a group of poets of different times
mainly supported by chiefs and kings.
The Sangam literature was composed by a large number of poets in praise of
their kings. Some kings and events mentioned are also supported by the
inscriptions.

The Sangam literature generally describes events up to the 4th century A.D.
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Foreign Accounts

Herodotus was dependent upon the Persian sources for his information about
India.
Herodotus in his book Histories (written in many volumes) describes about the
Indo-Persian relations.
A detailed account of the invasion of India by Alexander was written by Arrian.
The Greek kings send their ambassadors to Pataliputra. Megasthenes,
Deimachus, and Dionysius were some of them.
Megasthenes came in the court of Chandragupta Maurya. He had written about
the Indian society and culture in his book called as ‘Indica’. Though the original
 work has been lost, but it had been frequently quoted in the works of later
writers.
A book ‘Periplus of the Erythrean Sea’ written by an anonymous Greek author
who settled in Egypt on the basis of his personal voyage of Indian coast in about
A. D. 80 gives valuable information about the Indian coasts.
In the second century A. D., Ptolemy had written a geographical treatise on
India.

The Greek writing about India, however, is based on secondary sources. They
were ignorant of the language and the customs of the country and hence their
information is full of errors and contradictions.
Many Chinese travelers visited India as Buddhist pilgrims from time to time;
three important pilgrims were −

Fa-Hien (Faxian) − visited India in 5th century A.D.

Hiuen-Tsang (Xuanzang) − visited India in 7th century and

I-Tsing (Yijing) − visited India in 7th century.

Hiuen-Tsang had given valuable account about Harshavardhana and some other
contemporary kings of Northern India.

Fa-Hien and Hiuen-Tsang traveled many parts of the country and they have
given an exaggerated account of Buddhism during the period of their visit.
Hiuen-Tsang mentioned Harsha as a follower of Buddhism while in his
epigraphic records, Harsha mentions himself as a devotee of Siva. Such
contradictions may be considered due to the fact of multi-religious nature of
Indian rulers, which might confuse a foreigner.
AI-Biruni gave important information about India. He was Arab scholar and
contemporary of Mahmud of Ghazni.
AI-Biruni studied Sanskrit and acquired knowledge of Indian society and culture
through literature. Therefore, his observations are based on his knowledge
about Indian society and culture, but he did not give any political information of
his times.

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