History of Uttarakhand- Part 1

SBK

                                        Uttarakhand of Prehistoric Age      

History of Uttarakhand- Part 1

                                                   Bhishma Kukreti

[Notes on Prehistoric Age; Uttarakhand in Prehistoric Age; Garhwal in Prehistoric Age; Kumaun in Prehistoric Age; Pauri Garhwal in Prehistoric Age; Tihri Garhwal in Prehistoric Age; Uttarkashi in Prehistoric Age; Rudra Prayag in Prehistoric Age;  Chamoli inPrehistoric Age; Dehradun in Prehistoric Age; Haridwar in Prehistoric Age; Pithauragarh inPrehistoric Age; Bageshwar in Prehistoric Age; Champavat in Prehistoric Age; Almora inPrehistoric Age; Nainital in Prehistoric Age; Bhabhar in Prehistoric Age;  Udham Singh Nagar in Prehistoric Age]

                                                                                                                                                   

    The Stone Age (second stage of ice age) started from Egypt before six lakhs years back.  There are evidences of human society in Himalaya including Uttarakhand in Stone Age (Dabral).

  Stone Age is divided into three ages

1-Palaeolithic Age

2-Mesolithic Age

3- Neolithic Age  

                                           Paleolithic Age                          

                     There are evidences that there were human beings settlements from Kashmir to other parts of Himalayas including Uttarakhand (Rasoul Sorkhabi, 2003). The Paleolithic Age man used to kill animals for its food and the evidences are found in Bahadarabad , Haridwar( Dabral). The same evidences are found in Pindighep (Punjab), Singroli, Son river basin, Shivalik shrines.  Dr Dabral informed a couple of evidences of Stone Age humans in Uttarakhand found in Tal north to Rishikesh.

  It is believed that Human societies of Stone Age came to Uttarakhand via Kashmir and Punjab from west and those were named as son Human (Son river inhabitants).

                                            Tools of Paleolithic Age humans in Uttarakhand

  The Son Humans used to carve the river bank big round stones/pebble cores. The human being invented stone choppers in this age. Later on human beings carved big round stone into scrappers. The scraps found near Hardwar (Gangadwar) are having similarities with the scrappers found in Son valleys.

 The human beings inhabitants of Gangadwar (Hardwar) invented Gandas type of stone tool to cut meat, roots and plants. The front of stone Gandas is very sharp as saw /awl and the back or head is solid round as the head of hammer. It may be possible that with the help of stone tool the Stone Age human used to make wood tools from wood and bones.

                               The life of Paleolithic Age humans in Uttarakhand

  The   Paleolithic Age human beings used to hunt animals and fish and used to use plants, roots, legumes, leaves, buds, fruits as their food. The human beings were roamer and used to live near water sources in colonies. They also used to use caves for living. It is also guess that humans used to sleep on tress for protection from wild animals.

 The humans of Paleolithic Age did not know to keep fire or uses of fire.

 The society used to leave the dead bodies as it is as there were no ritual systems for dead bodies or if rituals were there the rituals or beliefs were different than our imagination.

                                 

References

Auden J.B., 1937, The Structure of the Himalayas in Garhwal, GSI journal

Valdiya K.S, 9198, Dynamic Himalaya, University Press

Dabral, Shivprasad, 1968, Veer Gatha Press, Dogadda, India

Rasoul Sorkhabi, 2003, The making of Himalayas and Humans, The Himalayan Journals

Notes on Prehistoric Age; Uttarakhand in Prehistoric Age; Garhwal in Prehistoric Age; Kumaun in Prehistoric Age; Pauri Garhwal in Prehistoric Age; Tihri Garhwal in Prehistoric Age; Uttarkashi in Prehistoric Age; Rudra Prayag in Prehistoric Age;  Chamoli inPrehistoric Age; Dehradun in Prehistoric Age; Haridwar in Prehistoric Age; Pithauragarh inPrehistoric Age; Bageshwar in Prehistoric Age; Champavat in Prehistoric Age; Almora inPrehistoric Age; Nainital in Prehistoric Age; Bhabhar in Prehistoric Age;  Udham Singh Nagar in Prehistoric Age to be continued…