Prehistory and Protohistory in India and Pakistan c4.s2: Cul-De-Sac

Prehistory and Protohistory in India and Pakistan c4.s2

Language: English

Cul-De-Sac

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But having entered India, these cultures or the immigrant people, have not gone beyond. This is supposed to be due to the sea on either side of the peninsular India. Thus the new forces got into a blind road or country—a geographical *cul-de-sac*.

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There was also another *cul-de-sac*. Within India, there are even now thickly forested and hilly regions, where primitive, aboriginal tribes are concentrated. It is believed that these people have been driven thither as refugees by the advancing civilizations from outside, from more favourable areas which they once occupied during the Stone Ages.

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However, it has not been archaeologically ascertained whether the ancestors of these tribes had not settled there from prehistoric times.⁷

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⁶ HOLDICH, *op. cit.*, p. 1.

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⁷ Cf. DANI, A. H., *Prehistory and Proto-history of Eastern India*, p. 4, "But there is no evidence to show that these hill tribes were refugees from the great plains."

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PHYSIOGRAPHICAL AND CULTURAL DIVISIONS OF INDIA AND SIXTEEN EARLY KINGDOMS (JANAPADAS) C. 500 B.C.

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Fig. 2 Early Historical Centres of Civilization and Physiographical Divisions of India

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*Physio-Cultural Divisions*

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Having thus indicated the position of India in its Asian or continental context, we shall turn to its make up as defined by geography, language and ethnic composition.

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Let us first define the areas or regions.¹ (See Fig. 2)

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¹ SPATE, O. H. K., India and Pakistan (London 1954). He gives a very detailed regional division (pp. 352-61 and fig. 62) which for the present purpose is unnecessary. SPATE'S remarks on the difficulties of a proper division are worth reading. And, SUBBARAO, B., The Personality of India (Baroda, 1958), p. 16 and fig. 6. SUBBARAO'S sketchy picture is here amplified wherever necessary.