Indian History and World History

Since the civilization existed during the Bronze Age, it had made many metallurgical advances in copper and bronze but not in Iron.

• Mesopotamia (Modern-day Iraq):

  Developed around 3500 BCE and flourished for several centuries, including the Sumerian and Babylonian periods. 
• Ancient Egypt:

  Emerging around 3100 BCE, its civilization extended for millennia, spanning periods like the Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, and New Kingdom. 
• Indus Valley Civilization (Modern-day Pakistan and India):

  Thrived from approximately 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE. 
• China:

  The Shang Dynasty (around 1600 BCE to 1046 BCE) is considered an early period, followed by the Zhou Dynasty (around 1046 BCE to 771 BCE). 
• Greek Civilization:

  Started around 2700 BCE and saw significant developments through its Classical and Hellenistic periods, culminating in the Roman conquest in 146 BCE. 

Later the Turks referred to the people east of the Indus as "Hindu", their land as "Hindustan", and their language as "Hindavi".

The cities of Indus Valley Civilization were found in the

• Punjab and Sind in Pakistan,
• Gujarat,
• Rajasthan,
• Haryana and
• the Punjab in India.

It was founded during British Raj in 1861 by Sir Alexander Cunningham, who also became its first Director-General.

The Jorwe culture was a Chalcolithic archaeological culture that existed in large areas of what is now Maharashtra in Western India and also extended to north into the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh.

The Stone Age is the earliest period of human history, marked by the use of stone tools. It is divided into three main phases:

1. Paleolithic Age (c. 2.5 million – 10,000 BCE)

   • Also known as the Old Stone Age

   • Humans were hunter-gatherers

   • Lived in caves and used crude stone tools

   • Discovery of fire

2. Mesolithic Age (c. 10,000 – 8,000 BCE)

   • Also called the Middle Stone Age

   • Transition period between hunting and farming

   • Use of microliths (small stone tools)

   • Beginnings of domestication

3. Neolithic Age (c. 8,000 – 3,000 BCE)

   • Known as the New Stone Age

   • Development of agriculture and permanent settlements

   • Use of polished stone tools and pottery

   • Domestication of animals

It is roughly taken to have existed 2.5 million years ago from 10,000 BC. Remains of Palaeolithic culture such as specialized tools like hand-axe, cleaver and scraper etc., have been found at Sohan river valley and Narmada river valley.

1. Early Palaeolithic - Code tools (Handkuthar, Khandak, Vidarni),

2. Middle Palaeolithic - Plaque tools and

3. Upper Palaeolithic - Takshini and scraper tools.

Therefore, it is clear that the question has been asked in relation to stone tools which first appeared in the Palaeolithic period. Staff Selection Commission, in its previous answer-sheet, had considered the answer to this question as the Neolithic period. However, in the revised answer-sheet, the answer to this question is considered to be the Palaeolithic period, which is true.