The Personality of India: Pre- and Proto-historic Foundation of India and Pakistan c14.s1.t2.42

c14.s1.t2.42

Yes, it survives. In the pivotal point—the Proto-historic tri-junction—the old Brahmavarta (Sarasvati and Drishadvati valleys) and north-eastern Rajaputana, all the streams of Proto-historic cultures mingle, and our immediate task is to explore for overlaps and contacts. This is very well borne out by the recent discoveries at Ukhlina, near Meerut, of a thick red ware of "Harappan fabric" with typical terracotta cakes. A few sherds of the same type were also found in the Grey Ware levels of Kausambi. But for the cakes, the only other identifiable type is the dish-on-stand. So the possibility of these being either very late Harappan or being derived from the other Post-Harappan cultures has to be stressed. Kausambi seems to carry some of the architectural elements of Harappa like the fortifications and corbelled drain? From this point of view the occurrence of Grey Ware and black-and-red ware at Ukhlina make it very interesting. The survival of so many Indus valley symbols on our Punch-marked coins remains an enigma. Similarly the clear evidence for slightly later dates for the Harappan, and the close inter-links of its direct descendant Post-Harappan cultures of Kathiawad, with the Pre-N.B.P. proto-historic Chalcolithic cultures of Central India, suggest the possibility of a Harappan survival in the peripheral regions to the east, west and south of the main Indus basin. Thus Harappan might have direct contacts with some of the Post-Harappan cultures of the sub-continent. Does it not fit in with the geographic factors already enumerated?