Quick Revision Notes & Formula Sheet

Class: 6th
Subject: Social Science (History - Our Pasts - I)
Chapter: What Books and Burials Tell Us

The Vedas: The oldest books in the world, composed in ancient Sanskrit. There are four Vedas:
1. Rigveda: The oldest Veda, composed about 3,500 years ago.
2. Samaveda
3. Yajurveda
4. Atharvaveda
Sukta: Meaning "well-said," these are hymns composed in praise of various gods and goddesses (like Agni, Indra, and Soma).
Language Family: Languages are grouped into families based on shared characteristics.
- Example: Sanskrit and English belong to the Indo-European family. Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam belong to the Dravidian family.

Manuscripts: Written mostly on palm leaves or the bark of the birch tree (found in the Himalayas). Many were destroyed over time, but survivors are preserved in libraries and temples.
Dialogues: The Rigveda contains dialogues, such as the famous poetic conversation between the sage Vishwamitra and two rivers (Beas and Sutlej), who were worshipped as goddesses.
Cattle, Horses, and Chariots:
- Prayers in the Rigveda were offered for cattle, children (especially sons), and horses.
- Horses were yoked to chariots used in battles, which were fought for land, water, and people (cattle/captives).

People in Rigvedic society were described based on their work, language, community, or place of birth:

Aryas: Those who composed the hymns (often self-termed).
Dasa / Dasi: People who did not perform sacrifices and spoke different languages. Later, the term came to mean "slave" (male or female).
Megaliths: Literally means "big stones" (Greek: megos = big, lithos = stone).

Time Period: Megaliths began to be built about 3,000 years ago.
Key Regions: Deccan, south India, north-east India, and Kashmir.
Common Burial Features (Megalithic Practice):
- Dead were buried with distinctive pots called Black and Red Ware.
- Tools and weapons of iron and skeletons of horses, horse equipment, and ornaments of stone and gold have been found.
Social Differences: Objects found in graves indicate the status of the dead person. A rich person's grave might contain more gold, beads, and bronze items compared to a poor person's grave.
Family Burials: Sometimes, multiple members of the same family were buried in the same place (indicated by port-holes used as entrances). Stone circles or boulders placed on the surface served as signposts to find the burial site.

Site Location: A site on the river Ghod (a tributary of the Bhima) in Maharashtra.
Time Period: Occupied between 3,600 and 2,700 years ago.
Burial Rituals at Inamgaon:
- Adults were buried in the ground, laid out straight, pointing towards the north.
- Sometimes, burials were done within the houses.
- Vessels containing food and water were placed with the dead.
A Unique Discovery: One man was found buried in a cross-legged position in a large, four-legged clay jar in the courtyard of a five-room house (one of the largest houses at the site), which also had a granary. This shows he may have been a chief or a wealthy person.

Archaeologists found seeds of wheat, barley, rice, pulses, millets, peas, and sesame.

Animal Bones Found: Cattle, buffalo, goat, sheep, dog, horse, ass, pig, sambhar, spotted deer, blackbuck, hare, mongoose, birds, crocodile, turtle, crab, and fish.
Fruits Found: Ber, amla, jamun, dates, and various berries. (This indicates a mixed economy of farming, animal rearing, and gathering.)

Veda: Sacred religious knowledge/books.
Sukta: Hymn of praise.
Rani / Raja: Leaders in ancient times (did not have capital cities, palaces, or armies; collected no regular taxes).
Yajna: Sacrifice rituals performed by priests.
Megalith: Big stone monument marking a burial site.
Black and Red Ware: Specialized pottery type found in burials.

What Books and Burials Tell Us