Archaeological Resources of Himachal Pradesh History
||Archaeological Resources of Himachal Pradesh History ||Archaeological Resources of HP History ||
The sources of history of Himachal Pradesh are divided into two categories i.e. Archaeological Resources and Literary Resources. There are two main sources of history of Himachal Pradesh. These are discussed below:
i. Archaeological Sources
ii. Literary Sources
i. Archaeological Sources :-Archaeological remains provide the most reliable evidence for knowing the history and the level of cultural and economic attainment of people of a region. Archacological discoveries, inscriptions temples and coins are some archaeological resources which provide information about the history of Himachal Pradesh. There sources are as follow:-
Archaeological Discoveries
About 2 million years ago, existence of human life has been proved in the Himachal foothills of Nalagarh, Suketi and Kalpa area. This is evident from the tools found from these areas during archaeological Surveys which are estimated to be 40000 years old. These evidences are also found in Guler, Dehra, Dhaliyera at Kangra in Banganga Beas valley, Sirsa-Sutlej valley of Nalagarh, Bilaspur and a valley of Sirmar
Inscriptions
A large number of inscriptions like copper plates and stone inscriptions have been found in Himachal Pradesh that dates back to the rule of Asika. Some evidence of late Palaolithic period are founded by GE Lewis, Prof Lal and Joshi and Mr Sen. Pots, pans and stone tools like axes, chisels, picks, axe-hammers and ring stones which dates back to 1.8 million years ago are found in Ror (near Kangra). The copper plates of 7th century AD isted by Maharaja Samurrasca found in Nirmand village in Kullu tells about that en Many inscriptions of Asoka are found from Pathiyar and Khaniyara in Kangra, Doonpur hillock care inscription in Hatkoti (Shimla) and Salanu near Manglor in Mandi Stone inscriptions found at Sarahan are mainly written in ‘Sharda and Tankri’script. Moreover, inscriptions are who found in Khurosthi, Brahmi, Bluustian, Naga, etc languages
Antiques or Temples
A group of fifteen rock cut temples at Mastur was discovered by HL Shuttleworth and believed to be of 8th century AD. A wooden temple at Makraha in Kulh is believed to be of 2nd century BC. Icon of Lord Vishnu found at Fatehpur (Kangra) was of 5th-6th century AD and inscriptions of 5th and 6th centuries have been found at stone temples near Chari at Kangra.
Coins
Coins are very uscful in knowing about the past. Kangra, Kullu, Chamba and Mandi state, cach had its own coinage informer times. The carliest copper coins are found in Trigarta Kingdom. It also included the cins of Menandar, Antimachus, Antialcidas, Philoxenus and Lysias along with some worn silver punch marked coins which were found in Kangra and Arki in Solan district. A large number of silver Indo-Greek coins (1-2 BC), kept in a put was found in 1970 near the village “Lacbori’ in Chamba district. From Jwalamukhi in Kangra, silver coins of Kunindas and Audumbaries were found. In 1892 at Tappa Mewa in Hamirpur district coins of Auclumbaras were found Silver and copper coins have been found in the region of Kangra valley which were related to the old Hindu Katoch Shahi rulers of Kangra. The coins bearing the names of later Kangra rulers were discovered in 1892 at Patasalian in Tchsil Palampur in Kangra district. Coins of the Ghazanavi Shiab-ud-Daula Haudad (1041-1050 AD) were also found from the Kangra valley.
||Archaeological Resources of Himachal Pradesh History ||Archaeological Resources of HP History ||
