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The State of Madhya Pradesh is drained by a major river valley: the Narmada The river valley already is well-known for archaeological potentialities. Numerous Palaeolithic sites, late Harappan sites are traced. Historically too the region is very important. One may therefore expect similar archaeological remains even in the nearby tributaries.
Over some years, explorations in the Narmada river valley resulted in the discovery of Palaeolithic sites including the most important find spot of the human fossil skull from Hathnora about 40 km north-east of Hoshangabad, painted rock shelters, numerous monuments mostly temples, have been discovered. It is therefore felt necessary to review critically the work done so far to know what new light they have shed on the history of the region and to ascertain the indications for further work in the Betwa valley. Scholars who have worked and studied the archaeological remains in the river valley therefore were invited to present their studies and researches on the materials they had discovered. On the whole therefore this publication was fruitfully successful.
In all 22 papers were presented on early Palaeolithic sites, painted rock shelters, excavation of historical sites, monuments in the Betwa river valley. The papers may be classified into the geography and history of the region under study; Early Palaeolithic sites; Painted rock shelters; and Historical sites including some of their excavations and Monuments mostly temples. The first two papers may be deemed as background for the
remaining papers.
The paper on the geography of the river valley deals with the references to the river as Betravati in the Puranas such as Matsya, Markandeya, Vamana as well as some celebrated works: Kalidasa’s Meghaduta, Varahamihira’s Brithatsamhita implying its traditional importance, and its tributaries and its five valleys The Betwa originating in Raisen district and finally joining the river Yamuna in the district Hamirpur in Uttar Pradesh, has many tributaries on both the sides and some important historical places such as Vidisha, Besnagar and pilgrim centres like Charana Tirth etc.
The paper on the history of the Betwa Valley region is quite exhaustive and the subject is dealt with in considerable detail. The language is lucid and makes an easy flow. The Prehistoric sites from early Palaeolithic to the Chalcolithic and up to early historical i.e. third-second century BCE are briefed and the sequence of the cultures as well as the discovery of an ovaloid temple known from the excavations at Besnagar. Then follows the history of the Janapadas in particular : Dasaarna in the Avanti and Cedi with the Traditional historical account associating with the Yadavas and Subahu, the son of Shatrughna, the youngest brother of Shri Rama and Hiranyakashipu, Prahlada etc.
Thereafter eloquently runs the history of the region under the Pradyota dynasty, the Mauryas, the Shungas, the Post- Gupta, the Kalachuris of Mahishmati, the Vardhanas, the Gurjara-Pratihar, the Later Pratiharas, the Candelas, and the Paramaras of which Bhoja was very well known, up to the last king Kaka or Goga and the final downfall of the dynasty in 1305 at the hands of Alauddin Khalji, the Delhi Sultan. The paper ends with the history of the region in one para up to 1812 when Vikramjita entered into a treaty with the British. It is appended with Notes and References and texts of the nine inscriptions of the Pratiharas. On the whole it is a good compilation of the history of the region.
“Prehistoric Investigation in Betwa River Valley” reviews the previous explorations of the prehistoric sites by many archaeologists including Klaus Bruhm who traced Palaeolithic tools of “series of I and II near Lalitpur” in the districts Lalitpur, Jhansi and Tikamgarh. The sites are: Lower Palaeolithic 14 in Lalitpur in Devgarh, Panduvan, Nayagaon, Paunda and Rajghat; 1 “beyond Jhansi” and 2 in Tikamgarh. Besides, a site near Kshetrapala temple was excavated that produced early Palaeolithic tools. The site seems to be important in view of the fact that finished and partially finished with waste flakes etc. were found in the excavations. In most of the sites hand-axes prepared by Val technique, cleavers of U and V shapes are found while Bangawan (Tikamgarh district) has yielded chopper, chopping tools. The site appears to be cool producing. It needs to be more intensively. What is needed now is to plot of the known sites to find out the primary and secondary sites, the area of concentration and the area of peripheral zone preceded by some more explorations in these areas. Further, it is interesting to note the occurrence of early Palaeolithic tools of true traditions: Hand Axe-Cleaver of the peninsular India and Chopper Chopping of the Potwar Valley of Pakistan. Their chronological and cultural dimensions are to be ascertained.
In view of the above review, the research works covering the entire gamut of cultural development from the early Palaeolithic to the recent times and different aspects in particular the art, such as not only temples and other religious monuments, but also forts, palaces and paintings are covered. Thus, the topic of the seminar was very comprehensive and fruitful. Besides making a critical review of the archaeological data already known there are some distinct original contributions especially in the fields of prehistory. The younger scholars in particular are exposed to different areas of research that they may take up in future and thus get inspired. It is an important contribution in the field of archaeology covering both the prehistoric and the historical. ISBN - 9789380574356
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Pages : 415
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