Ancient Indian History

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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>An archaeologist’s journey into Adi Sankara’s Bhashyas</b>
                        by 
           <b>  T.Satyamurthy**</b>
            
The great personality of the times of yore, Adi Sankara, is not only a preceptor of Advaita philosophy, as generally known to the outer world, but also a historiographer, probably the first of its kind in the world. His works record the various philosophical schools that existed at that time.  In the process of analyzing the principles of these systems, he provides the material examples for proving Advaita as superior. He could successfully annul the arguments of all such orthodox and heterodox schools of thought by putting forth popular analysis showing examples from the day to day life and the materials known to every body and appealing to common man.


              For the archaeologists the materials tabled by him are really source materials for deciding the material culture of that period. The frequent material example enumerated is the pot or Ghata in Sanskrit. In fact potteries are alphabets of Archaeology and they are the real tools for archaeologists to fix any date or period.
 
                    For example, for the benefit of layman, it can be clarified as under.
Throughout the world, the period of civilizations, in the pre metal age is decided on the basis of pottery that was unearthed during excavations. During the metal age also potteries continued to give clue about the age of the site. The study is more based on the fabrics, slip applied over the pottery before and after firing them, colour, lamination, painting pattern etc. Each and every type of ancient pottery is affixed with some probable date/Age on the basis of known chronology or well accepted chronology. The associated materials preferably, organic materials are also scientifically dated and the time scale for such potteries is arrived. In modern time potteries can also be directly dated by optically stimulated luminance methodology.

           A careful study and analysis of the works of Adi Sankara show that his quoting or citations of examples are centered over pottery and the percentage of mention of metals are far less than the earthen ware. Potter finds a predominant position in the Society than the metal smiths. Thus the pastoral society enumerated by him may belong to a transition period from the mere pottery to metal Age. In Indian Context, the ancient cultures up to the beginning of the Common Era* are generally identified with the typological pottery of particular nature. Thus the Sites associated with Mahabharata like Mathura, Indraprasta (Puranakila, New Delhi); Kurushetra are flooded with PGW (Painted Grey Ware) a superior type of pottery par excellent.

                 The clay used in theses potteries are well lavigated and probably  used from Ganga Yamuna Duob.Similary the Sites associated with Buddha do have a pottery typologically known as NBP(Northern Blue Polished ware).This is a very superior pottery with the outer surface in peacock blue and polish. The outer surface would
reflect like a polished metal mirror. In the far south, we have megalithic black and red ware a typical pottery made out of inverted firing technique. 
           


       These potteries forerun the metal age or indicate a transition period from pottery age to that of metal age. Interestingly these potteries are associated with Iron Age culture in south India.

         It is more relevant to probe such a phase in  Kerala, the birth place of Adi Sankara (Kaladi).The above transition period is well recorded in many sites in Kerala.The early archaeological remains that were unearthed in Kerala  so far pose enigmatic problems in finding solution for their rare varieties. It is the land in which many varieties of Megalithic monuments are discovered. In theses monuments the mortal remains of human beings together with the materials used by them are kept. 
Most of them contain skeletal remains that were mostly kept after cremation or exhumation. The interesting such varieties include the rock cut caves in which the burial remains interred the monuments. Other models include the Kodail Kals,
Or known as Umbrella stones, Menhir, orthostats etc.,.In all these monuments huge stones were used to indicate the tomb below. Hence they are named as megalith (mega-huge, lith-stone).

    These monuments are associated with iron implements like sickle, knife, trident.horse saddle, hedges. Beside these models urn burials (Keepings the skeletal remains in big pots) are also seen with many varieties of stone circle.

    These monuments were dated to 300 years before Common Era* to 300 years after Common Era*, till 1990s. But after the present Author’s excavation at Mangadu in Kollam District, Kerala, the dates of the sites were revised scientifically and now they are dated to 1000.years before Common Era to the beginning of Common Era. The varieties of potteries encountered in these monumts vary from hand made potteries to well lavigated, thin, well fired megalithic black and red ware pottery. In all these monuments the discovery of metals are very less compared to earthen wares. Very few copper utensils or ornaments were discovered. Nevertheless, in the later phases the presence of gold is significant as Adi Sankara frequently refers to its melting etc.

       It is clear form the above that the Age of Adi Sankara from his works or from the written records in the form of Bhashyas, can easily be fixed to pre metallic Age of South India which is at least few centuries earlier than the Common Era. These findings are to be corroborated with sources like other contemporary literary sources, traditions, folk lore, oral history and contemporary writings of foreigners.
We will probe into them in future Issues.


NOTE:* Presently the beginning of Christian Era is indicated as Common Era.

  **.T.Satyamurthy,
              Former Director of Archaeology
              Govt.of Kerala      
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>                              ABOUT THE ARTICLE AND AUTHOR</b>


        Through out the world, it is the modern trends to co- relate the historical personalities and their works with the archaeological findings  of the region in which they lived. This methodology helps us to determine the period of their life and also provides many source information for understanding the material culture of that period. Adi Sankara, being a travelogue of his period had meticulously recorded in his works the Pan Indian traditions and archaeological material of that period which are very helpful to write the history of that period. They also form guidelines for Archaeologists to co-relate them with the materials unearthed in Archaeological Excavations.

      The author is a  well known Archaeologist of the modern Time. For the past four decades he worked in Archaeological Survey of India and served in various parts of the country. Basically a Sanskrit Scholar, he had the opportunity to learn Vedanta from Brahmasri Vepattur Panditaraja Subrahmanya Sastigal at Annamalai University. Having undertaken many Archaeological Excavations including the Krishna Janmasthan at
Mathuara, as Director of Archaeology, Kerala Government, he had conducted many archaeological excavations and explorations in Kerala, the birth place of Adi Sankara. In the series of Articles he deals with various archaeological recent researches on Adi Sankara .This new research approach is published for the first time. The subject is dealt with as much as simplicity as any common person can understand them
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.....to be continued.