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Prehistoric Background of Rajasthani Culture
V. N. Misra
University of Poona.
Every Indian knows something of the heroism, chivalry and sacrifice of the Rajputs during the Medieval period of Indian history, and feels rightly proud of them. Educated and historically or artistically conscious people also know something of Rajasthan's rich and varied heritage of architecture, sculpture and painting. Historians, among whom the name of Shri Agar Chandji Nahata deserves special mention, have utilized the evidence from inscriptions, coins, manuscripts and other historical documents to illumine the rich historical past of Rajasthan. All these evidences, rich as they no doubt are, do not take our knowledge of Rajasthan's past beyond two or three centuries before Christ. Few people so far know that the history of Rajasthan (using the word history in its comprehensive sense as the story of man's past, both written and unwritten) goes back to a very remote past, at least a thousand years from now and probably more.
The great variety and complexity characterizing the Indian ethnic and cultural landscape is an oft-repeated statement, and it holds true for Rajasthan as much as for other parts of our country, Less adequately recognized and understood are the diversities in economic, technological and material culture patterns. Any one who is seriously interested in understanding the factors and processes which have created this diversity must look beyond the confines of the brief historical period. Archaeological discoveries show that many elements of our material culture are centuries or even millennia older than the recorded historical period. Basic items of our technology, economic patterns, many of the vessels used in our homes, our food habits and even our counting and measuring systems (before the change over to metric system) can be traced to prehistoric times. Thus a knowledge of prehistory (i. e. history before written documents of any kind came into existence) is essential for understanding not only our remote past but even our living present.
Stray discoveries of prehistoric objects and sites had been made in Rajasthan in the second half of the last century and the first half of the present century, But it is the systematic exploration and excavation in the last two decades that alone have substantially contributed to our knowledge of Rajasthan's prehistoric past. The institutions which have been responsible for this research are the Arch
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