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Something like what happened in
Northern Rajasthan also took
place in South – eastern
Rajasthan, in the Banas Valley.
It was colonization by a people
from outside: from where
exactly, we do not know. For the
moment we are unable (or rather
we have not enough, evidence) to
discern its development from
earlier beginnings in the Banas
Valley itself. Very probably a
people using microliths, and
possibly some pottery, but for
all practical purposes, nomadic
hunters, having temporary camps
on the flanks of the Aravallis,
did live in this region.
Then at Ahar, Gilund and some 50
other sites, a distinctive
pottery, and remains of houses
with stone plinths and mud or
mud-brick walls with huge boat –
shaped stones, known as saddle
querns (pata or silbatta), came
to light. The pottery had black
top and a reddish bottom, with
paintings in white on the black
surface. Because of this
distinctive feature, Ahar, where
it was first noticed by Shri.
R.C. Agrawal was called the
Black and Red Ware culture. This
is in a way true, because this
was primarily the pottery which
the inhabitants of Ahar used for
eating and drinking. It was a
fine, deluxe table-ware, like
the china-ware or stainless
steel ware we use today.
However, a subsequent more
extensive excavation showed that
the Ahar people produced other
fine and distinctive kinds of
pottery as well. Above all, we
got some insight into the
economy of this people.
Why should a totally new culture
or civilization take its birth
in this secluded, hill-girt ? No
doubt, the region is beautiful,
and the man-made lakes and place
within it have made the Udaipur
region still more beautiful.
This problem has to be studied
from various points of view –
historical, archaeological,
geographical, environment and
economic. Of these, the
geographical is quite important.
Udaipur and its environs are
surrounded on there sides by
hills; only the north-east side
is comparatively open, which
through Chittor leads one on to
the Chambal and Yamuna valleys.
Otherwise, the only other routes
for coming in and going out are
the various ghats of which
Haldighat is justly famous. It
is through these ghats and the
open area in the north-east that
various ruling dynasties entered
this region, generally as
refugees or conquerors. The
earliest known historically are
the Guhilas who came here in the
8th century A.D-, probably from
Valabhi in Saurashtra. After
nearly 700 years the Sisodiyas
took advantage of this naturally
fortified region when pressed by
Akbar.
This is known history. But
excavations at Ahar and Gilund,
and the discovery of 50 other
sites in the Banas Valley tell
us that man was here from at
least 2000 B.C. and the question
is why ? The region is fairly
fertile, though the soil cover
is not much, because unlike
Western and Northern Rajasthan,
it receives regular rains. The
forests provide game, some
fruits and vegetables –
particularly mahua flowers – and
good wood for building houses.
But more than that, the ancient
hills around Udaipur contain
copper and, other minerals. How
man discovered this fact, we do
not know, but we can tell you
the time when he probably did
so. And once he had discovered
copper he continued to live here
for centuries until his
successors made another
important discovery, like of
iron. Thus, according to
interpretation of the evidence
from the Ahar excavations, it
was copper which served as a
magnet to attract man to this
beautiful hill-girt valley of
the Banas.
This early man settled down on
the banks of Ahar, not on the
rock. But on the fine silt which
the river had laid down, when it
flowed in the distant past some
20 ft. above its present bed.
And hed made full use of
environment, his surroundings.
Instead of making simple
mud-walled houses, he made a
plinth of schist stones which
were at his doorstep, just under
his feet. This plinth was nearly
3 ft. high, quite smooth and
regular from outside. On these
stone plinths were built the
walls of houses. These houses
again were fairly large, with a
leas one or more rooms by
partition walls. The one
peculiarity about these
pre-historic houses that we have
noticed is that the longer axis
of these houses was from north
to south and the shorter from
east to west. (Suryavedha of
historical times).
Though the plans of houses
changed, the inhabitants
continued to live on at the same
place for nearly 1500 years,
from 2,000 B.C. to 500 B.C. on
the ruins of the earlier houses.
Thus a mound was being formed,
for the level of the habitation,
which was formerly about 15 ft.
above the river, gradually rose
to 50 ft.
These pre-historic houses at
Ahar were furnished with the
most essential things that any
house of this period, Indian or
otherwise, would be. Thus, there
was a large two-mouthed chula, a
huge broad – shaped stone slab
called saddle quern (silbatta)
for grinding grain (and not
Masala), and a large variety of
pots and pans. Possibly there
was some wooden furniture, which
has now perished. |
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