NOTE ON PLACES AND AREAS IN
ANCIENT INDIA
1. AIHOLE near Badami with rock cut and structural temples of
Western Chalukya period, is favous for the temples of Vishnu, Ladkhan
and Durga. It furnish examples of a well developed Deccan style of
architecture. The other three styles of ancient India being Nagar
Dravidian and Vesara. It is also famous for its inscription or Prasasti
composed by Ravikirti, the court poet of Pulkesin II. This prasasti
mentions the defeat of Harsha by the Chalukya king, Pulkesin II, a r
rare event of a Northern emperor or ruler being defeated by a ruler
south of Narmada.
2. ACHICHHATRA identified with modern Ramnagar in Bareily district
of U.P. was the capital of North Panchala in the first half of first
millennium B.C. Exacavation grove that it had moats and ramparts
around it, it has revealed terracottas of the Kushan period, and also
remarkable siries of coins of second century A.D. Its importance lies in
the fact that it was on the important ancient Indian northern trade
route linking Taxila and Inidraprastha with Kanyakubaj and Sravasti,
Rajgriha and Pataliputra indicating that trae could be one of the
reasons for its prominence.
3. AJANTA near Aurangabad (Maharashtra), is famous for wonderful
Buddist caves, and also paintings probably executed only b the
Buddhist monks. Paintings of exceptional skill belong to the period
between 2nd century B.C. and 7th Century A.D. One of the cave well
depicts the reception of a Persian mission in the Chalukya court of
Pulkasin II indicating cultural and commercial contacts with the Persian
empire.
4. ANUPA in Narmada valley mentioned in the Nasik inscription (dated
115 A.D.) of Gautami Balasri, mother of the Satvahana ruler Sri
Satakarni (Circa 72-95 A.D.) was conqured bythe latter from the
sakas, and was a bone of contention for long between the Sakas and
the Satvahanas. The sakas were responsible for driving the
Satavahanas. Into the south -eastern and western direction. In other
words, Anupa signifies the earlier homeland of the Satvahanas.
5. APARNTAKA (Aparanta), identified withk Konkan, i.e. North
western region of the Deccan, was a bone of contention between the
sakas and the Satavahanas and is mentioned in Nasik Inscription
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(dated circle 155 A.D.) of Gautami Balasri. Gautamiputa stakarni
conquered it from theSakas. According to the Mahavamsa, the third
Buddhist council deputed Great elder Dharamarakshita to do
missionary work in Aparantaka region. Literacy evience locates the
Abhiras in this region, who probably were responsible for identifying
Lord Krishna as the diety of cowherd and milk-maids.
In matters relating to trade and commerce it was famous for the
production of cotton textiles in ancient times and ated, as the
hinterland for the ancient ports of Bharukachechha and Sopara.
6. ARIKAMEDU near Pondicherry, known to the periplus as podoka,
wa port of call in Sangam Times (200 B.C.) on the route of Malaya and
china. Recent excavation during which a veryrich treasure of Roman
beads, glass and coins, and of Roman and south Indian Pottery were
found have proved that it was once a prosperous settlement of
Western trading people, including the Romans.
The favourable balance of Payments position ejoyed by India in its
trade with Rome is amply revealed by the rich haul of Roman gold
coins.
7. AYODHYA also known as A-yu-te or Abhur of Saketa on the river
Sarya (Modern Ghaghra) in Faizabad district of U.P. was the earliest
capital of the Kosala Janapade and was the seat of the epic hero,
Rama. It is also known for its short Sanskrit inscription of king
Dhandeva of Kosal (belonging probably to the first century B.C.) which
refers to the conducting of two Asvamedha sacrifices by king
Pushyamitra. From the economic view-point it was located on the
important trade of Tamralipti-Rajagriha-Sravasti which passed via
Ayodhya.
8. AMRAVATI near modern Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh), is famous
for its stupa and as an art center flourishing under the Satavahanas
and the pallavas. Second century works of art khow mastery of stone
sculpture. Amravati bas-reliefs have the representation of ancient
Indian vehicles - the boat or the ship or the cart, and of a foreign
mission (like the Ajanta cave paintings) of marchants being received
by a king. In ancient times is was an important center of trade, and
ships from here sailed to Burma and Indonesia.
It is maintained by some scholars that a human figure, for the first
time, that a marble stone relief was executed.
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9. ASIKA (Probably on the left bankof the river Krishna), is mentioned
in the Nasik inscription (dated circe 115 A.D.) of Gautami Balasri, it
was conquered by the Satavahana rular Gautamiputra Satakarini
(………) The latter fact reveals that Gautamiputra Satakarni gained a
stronger hold of southern India which proved beneficial because of the
continuing Saka pressure even after his victory against the Sakas.
King Kharavela of Kalinga also made a claim of its conquest.
10. AVANTI (western Malva) one of the 16 Janapadas of 6th century
B.C. with its capital at Ujjain; struggle dhard against Magadhan
imperialism but in vain. According to Buddhist traditions, Asoka, the
Mauryan ruler, served as the Viceroy of Avanti, while he was a prince.
Since Malwa region is important politically, and economically it became
a bone of contention between the Sakas. And the Satavahanas,
Rashtrakutas and Pratiharas in ancient India. It is through this region
that the importanttrade routes from eastern and western Indian
passed Via Ujjain to the important Western ports Bharukachchha
(Broach) and Soparaka (Sopara).
11. ANGA one of the 16th Janapadas of 16th century B.C. Lay to the
east of Magadha with Champa, near Bhagalpur, as its capital. Some of
the Anga monarchas, like Brahmadatta, appear to have defeated their
Magadha contemporaries. Subsequently, however, Magadha emerged
supreme leading to the establishment of the first empire of ancient
India. In other words, the conquest of Anga by Magadha was one of
the stepping stones for the Magadhan Empire.
12. BARHUT in central Indian is famous for Buddhist Stupa and stone
railings which replaced the wooden ones in the Sunga period. Barhut
sculptures depict the visit of king Ajatasatru to the Buddha. Barhut
along with Sanchi and Bodh-Gaya represent the first organized art
activity of the Indian people as a whole. Furthermore, all these clearly
indicate the transition of sculpture from wood to stone.
13. BARYGAZA OR BHARUKACHCHA (Broach) was the oldest and
largest northern most entrepot on the mouth of the Narmada river in
modern Maharashtra. It handled the bulk of the trade with western
Asia (Jataka stories and the Periplus mention it). It was also one of the
district head quarters of the Saka rulers. According to Jain traditions, it
was the capital of the Saka empire. It was international trade that
mode Barygaza important in ancient India.
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14. BARBARICUM was an important port in the Indus delta, receiving
Chinese furs and silks through Bacteria for export to the West. It
added to the growing prosperity of India in the first century A.D.
15. BADAMI (MODERN NAME FOR VATAPI) in Bijapur district was
founded by pulkesin I as an early capital of the Western Chalukyas. It
as a hill-fort and an exquisite cave temple of lord Vishnu excavated
during the rule of Manglesh, the Chalukya ruler. Huen-tsang visited it.
16. BODH-GAYA situated six miles south of Gaya in Bihar on the
western bank of the Nilajan river, was the place where the Buddha
attained enlightenement. It was part of the Magadha janapada.
17. BANAVASI (north kanara in Karnataka) also known as Vaijayanti,
was the capital of the Kadambas who were defeated by the Chalukya
king Kirtivarman during the last quarter of the 6th century A.D.
According to the Ceylonese chronicles Ashoka sent a mission to Deccan
with the Monk Rkshita who went as far as Banavasi.
18. BRAHMAGIRI in Chitaldurg district of Karnataka, is remarkable
for its continuity of cultural heritage extending from Neolithic (stoneage
culture) to megalithic (early historic culture-3rd century B.C. to Ist
century B.C. with possible links with Mediter anean and Caucasian
Megaliths) revealing ancestory worship and animism pointing to the
practice of cist and pit burials. It is the site of one of the two minor
rock edicts of Askoka. These edicts suggest the provability of Ashoka
entering the Sangha as a full monk after two and a half years of his
conversion to Buddhism.
19. BURZAHOM in Kashmir Valley near Srinagar, is associated with
megalithic settlements (dating 2400 B.C.) where the people lived on a
plateau in pits using tools and weapons of stone (axe) and bones. (The
only other site which has yielded considerable bone implements is
Chirand, 40 km. West of Patna on the northern bank of the Ganges
and using coarse grey pottery. The information that we gather from
the two places, recently discovered, throws light on the proto-histroy
of India).
20. BAMIYAN an important Buddhist and Gandhara Art center in
Afghanistan in the early Christian centuries, has tall rock-cut Buddha
statues. The ancient trade route linking north western India with China
passed through it. It was the capital of the Hunas in the 5th and the
6th centuries A.D.
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21. BELUR with a group of Hoysala monuments including the famous
Chennakesava temple (built around 1117 A.D.) represents an art
which applies to stone the technique of the ivory worker or the
goldsmith.
22. CHIDAMBARAM a town in south Arcot district in Tamilnadu is
famous for its great Hindu Siva Temple dedicated to Nataraja, i.e. Siva
in his aspects of cosmic dance. The Nataraja sculptures are esteemed
as tehgreatest specimens of sculpture in the world. Also,
Chidambaram bears evidence to the birth as well as the development
of Shaivism to begin with insouthern Indian and its consequential
spread to the whole of India.
23. CHEDI OR CHETI one of the 16 Janapadas of 6th century B.C.
roughly corresponds to modern Bundelkhand and adjacent tracts. It
lay near the Kanuna, its metropolis was suktimati to Sottihivatinagar.
24. CAAMPA the capital city of the Anga Janapada on the border of
Bengal was of great commercial importance in ancient times; for it was
a river port from which ships would sail down the Ganges and the
coast the south India, returning with jewels and spices which were
much in demand in the North. By Mauryan times, with the eastward
expansion of Aryan culture, Tamralipti replaced in in importance. An
interesting feature of this is the fact that a Hindu Kingdom with the
same name came into existence in the mainland of South east Asia.
Indeed it is difficult to say how exactly this name came to be
transplanted in South-east Asia.
25. DASAPURA modern Mandasor in western Malwa, was disputed
between the Sakas and the Satavahanas. Its famous Siva temple of
the guild of Silk weavers, was built during the reign of kumar Gupta I
(414 A.D.-455 A.D.) the institution that is responsible for building the
Siva temple indicates the climax of Indian trading and commercial
activities in ancient Indian. It also reveals that manufacture of silk was
no longer the secret monopoly of China and it had taken roots in India
by the 5th century A.D.
26. DEVAKA modern Dokak in Nowgong district in Assam, a frontier
country which paid tribute to Samudragupta claiming the payment of
tribute by Kamarupa goes along with Devaka. However, it is to be
borne in mind that Harisena's Prasasti is of doubtful historical validity.
The one significant thing that is known is the fact that no ruler of the
northern India could ever conquer the Assam region but instead
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Burma conquered it and it was wrenched from Burma by the British in
1829 by the Treaty of Yandavoo.
27. DEOGARH in Jhansi district of U.P. is famous for its Dasvatara
Vishnu temple belonging to the Gupta period. The temple may be
considered as most respresentative and well known example of the
early sikhara style of temple architecture in example of the early
sikhara style of temple architecture on the panels of its walls. Deogarh
is one the temples with which began the temple architecture of India.
In particular, the Shikhara is the unique feature of the
northerntemples compared to those of southern Indian.
28. DWARAKA Legends associate this place toYadavas after the
battle of Kurukshetra. According to mythology Dwaraka was destroyed
by the huge tidal wave as per the forewarning of Lord Krishna. In very
recent times Dr. S.R.Rao with the cooperation of the Department of
Ocenography, did carry out under-sea explorations. Some artifacts
including stone anchors have been found dating back to the Harappan
period. The exploration is still continuing.
29. ELLORA With three distinct groups of rock-cut architecture
associated with Buddhism, Jainism and Brahmanical Hinduism, is
famous for its temple of Kailash (Siva) "an entire temple complex
completely hewn-out of the live rock in imitation of a distinctive
structural form". The temple ws built by the Rashtrakuta king Krishna I
(758-773 A.D.) and is one of the most magnificent examples of
Dravida architecture with its four principal characteristic components,
viz. Vimana, Mandapa, nandi mandapa and gopuram. The Ellora
sculptures are famous for their liveliness.
30. ERAN Besnagar district (Madhya Pradesh) is famous on account of
Eran Inscriptions dated 510 A.D. This inscription mentions the practice
of Sati, first of its kind. It is also famous for its colossal board, the
zoomorphic incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
31. ELEPHANTA beautiful little island off Bombay, with latest
cavetemples in Ellora style was famous for their sculpture, especially
the great Trimutti figure of Siva, emblem of the Maharashtar Govt.
representing the highest plastic expression of the Hindu concept of
divinity.
32. GANDHARA with Taxila and peshwar as two capitals, in earlier
and later ancient periods was one of the 16 Janapadas (6th century
B.C.) onthenorth-western frontier of India. Under the Kushans it
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become a popular center of Mahayana Buddhism and Gandhara art-
Indian images both secular and religious (the Buddha and Lord
Krishna) but in long floating garments, as is the tradition of early
Greek sculpture. It was a meeting ground for several civilizations and
mercantile communities belonging to different countries.
33. GORATHAGIRA A hill fortress on the modern Barabar hills in the
Gaya district of Bihar, was attacked by King Kharavela of Kalinga in
the 8th year of his reign. This fact is known from the Hathigumpha
Inscription of king Kharavela.
34. GANGAIKOND-CHOLA-PURAM was capital city of the greatest
Chola ruler Rajendra Chola I (1012-1044 A.D.) who built it after the
successful Chola military camaign upto the bank of the river Ganges in
1021-22. Currently the city lies inruins and its enormous tankshas
dried up.
35. GIRNAR hill near Janagarh in Gujarat, where a Mauryan governor
is said to have built an artificial lake, known as Sudarsana lake which
Rudradaman, the Saka ruler renovated. Rudradaman's Sanskrit
Inscription was located here and it is the first Sanskrit inscription It
had been a sacred place to the Jainas since remote times because Jain
shrines are also located here.
36. HASTINAPURA aim district Meerut in U.P. (known as Asandivant)
was the capital of the ancient tribe of the Kurus. Later the floods
destroyed it. Recent excavations prove that the people of this region
used iron by about 700 B.C. that is the Aryans had learnt the art of
making iron which revolutionized the whole socio-economic pattern of
Aryan communities. It was this fact that lay at the base of the
Economic Revolution that India passed through between 1000 B.C. to
600 A.D. with far too many consequences like the emergence of an
empire, various kinds of guilds, brisk trade both with in and with out
the country and links with buth South-east Asia and the Roman
empire.
37. HATHIGUPHA on Udaigir hill, three miles from Bhuvaneshwar in
the puri district of Orissa, is famous for an inscription in post-ashokan
character, engraved inside the elephant cave. It depicts the meteoric
and dazzling carer of Jaina king Kharavela, the 3rd ruler of the Cate
dynasty. It also refers to the building of an equeduct in Kalinga by one
of the Nanda rulers of Pataliputra. The importance of this inscription
lies in the fact that it is the first important sign-post in fixing the
chronology of ancient India.
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38. HAILBID is famous for Hoysalesvara temple (Hoysala period)
designed and built by Kedoroja, the master-building of Narasimha I.
The infinite wealth of sculpture over the exterior of this temple makes
it one of the most remarkable monuments of the world. Known as
Dwaramudra it was the capital of the Hoysalas.
39. INDRAPRASTHA identified by Jain scholars with the site around
the enclosure of the Purana Oila (Delhi) one of the sites of painted
Grey Ware (10th century B.C.) finda, was the legendry capital of the
Pandava brothers of the epic Mahabharata, which they lost to the
Kauravas having been defeated in the gambling match. After the
second battle of Tarain (1192) Moh. Gauri appointed Outbuddin Aibak
as his deputy at Indraprastha which became a base for Aibak's
successful operations against north Indian states.
40. KURA one of the 16 Janapadas of 6th century B.C., was in the
neighbourhood of Delhi. Among its towns may be mentioned
Indraprastha and Hastinapur. This place clearly brings home the truth
to us that Mahabharata was not purely fictional story but some amount
of historical evidence is embedded in the story. As a matter of fact,
Vasudeve Krishna is now known as a historical personality as borne
out by the writings of patanjali and other sources of evidence.
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