The Personality of India: Pre- and Proto-historic Foundation of India and Pakistan c14.s1.t7.37

c14.s1.t7.37

Leaving all these controversial facts aside, it is proposed to make a few observations about the material culture of these megalithic folk. If one were to look at the enormous size of these cemeteries and even the associated habitation sites like Brahmagiri, Maski, Sanganakallu, one is immediately struck by their implication on the size of the communities and their probable duration. For example, within an area of five miles radius around Brahmagiri (including the sites in the bordering district of Bellary) we have no less than 2000 cists. V. D. Krishnaswamy has noticed the general association of large tank bunds with these cemeteries. E. J. Hunt has also commented on this association. The graves generally occur on the high ground overlooking these tanks, and fields. Their extensive use and fabrication of iron tools and weapons, gold beads, copper and bronze vessels and jewellery (reported from Pondicherry) and beads of semi-precious stones, suggest large scale agricultural and industrial communities. Apart from the literary references, the Emperor Asoka refers to Ratthikas, Pethinias, Andhras, Cholas, Pandyas, Keralaputras and Satyaputras in and outside the southern portions of his empire. Hence there seems to be no doubt that the first urban life in south India started with the settlement and rapid expansion of this true Iron Age Culture, to use a term so well-popularised by Foote. Following Gordon Childe, we may define urban life as being characterized by a surplus of food production, helping to maintain other industrial and craft communities. Where are the thirty walled Andhra towns of Megasthenes, unless they be the large number of early sites in the upper and the lower basins of Godavary and Krishna?