The Indian civilisation is one of the oldest in the world and ranks with other ancient civilisations like those of Egypt, Sumer, Babylon and China. But, as in other parts of the world, here too, primitive man passed through several stages of development before being labelled as civilised.
Pre-Historic Age
Palaeolithic or Old Stone Age
It began about 2,50,000 years ago when man lived more or less like an animal, led an unsettled life and had no knowledge of cultivation or the use of fire or metals. His only tools were crude stone implements which he used to hunt animals for food. Thus, this age is also known as the Old Stone Age.
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Neolithic or New Stone Age
In this age, which is dated about 4000 B.C., man began to make finer, polished stone weapons instead of crude ones. But now, man had discovered the use of fire, could construct hut-like dwellings and learnt about cultivation of crops and domestication of animals.
The implements of this age, specially the stone axes, have been found all over India, particularly in Burzahom in Kashmir, south of the Godavari in South India and in the Assam hills. The Age of Metals
No definite line can be drawn between the Neolithic Age and the Age of Metals, though historians believe that it took the Neolithic man several centuries to learn the use of metals. Copper and iron were widely used during this age. Later, gold and silver ornaments were made and boats and ships built to carry on foreign trade.
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An advanced type of religion had also been developed. But probably the greatest of man’s achievements in this period was the art of writing. Hence, it may be said that in the Age of Metals, Indians had developed an advanced civilisation.