Proto-historic Age (Bronze Age): Ancient History of Uttar Pradesh. In ancient times, Uttar Pradesh was known as Madhyadesh and it had very fertile land between Delhi and Patna. Discovery of arms and implements of ancient and Neo-Palaeolithic age was found in Mirzapur, Bundelkhand, Sonbhadra and Pratapgarh.
The ancient history of Uttar Pradesh has been divided into Pre-historic Age (Stone Age), Proto-historic Age (Bronze Age) and Historic Age (Iron Age).
Proto-historic Age (Bronze Age):
- Indus Valley Civilisation
- Post Indus Valley Civilisation
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Proto-historic (Bronze Age) in Uttar Pradesh
Proto-historic age is also known as Chalcolithic age. During this period, people started using tools made up of copper for the first time. Copper tools of this age were found in Meerut and Saharanpur. In the regions of Upper Ganga valley, Ganga-Yamuna Doab and some other places, grey painted pottery and other copper made artefacts were found. Indus Valley Civilisation also belongs to this age.
Indus Valley Civilisation
This civilisation has been traced from Uttar Pradesh from the period of 2500 BC. In India, the evidence of urban settlement has been discovered from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan.
In Uttar Pradesh, the areas around which urban settlement were found are Alamgirpur (Meerut), Badagaon (Baghpat) and Hulas (Saharanpur). Alamgirpur was discovered by Bharat Sevak Samaj on the bank of river Hindon.
- The Excavation was done in 1958 under the directions of Yag Dutt Sharma.
- The people of Alamgirpur were involved in cultivation of cotton and live in villages.
- Later, the remains of the Indus Valley Civilisation have been found from Manpur (Bulandshahar), Mandi village and Kairana (Muzaffarnagar).
Post Indus Valley Civilisation
The period after Indus Valley Civilisation and before Vedic period, is known as Post Indus Valley Civilisation. The ruins of ancient site found in Uttar Pradesh are related to the Indus Valley Civilisation and Vedic period.
- The copper utensils which were excavated from Alamgirpur, Hulas, Kanpur, Unnao, Mirzapur and Mathura are related to the Post Indus Valley Civilisation.
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