The Personality of India: Pre- and Proto-historic Foundation of India and Pakistan c15.s5: Retrospect and prospects
The Personality of India: Pre- and Proto-historic Foundation of India and Pakistan c15.s5
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Retrospect and prospects
c15.s5.1
Naturally this process of development of material culture in space and time was controlled by the geographic factors. Hence, I may repeat, it is difficult to draw lines of contemporaneity across the vertical lines of development of material culture, since its horizontal expansion has been influenced and to some extent retarded by the geographic factors within and without the country. This difference in the cultural *milieu* of the first large scale agricultural communities in different parts of the country seems to be the most important reason for the regional diversity. Due to the other vital historical forces, "these separate limbs of the body politic" have lent varying shades to the great mosaic of Indian culture.
c15.s5.2
Some of the main lacunae have been pointed out. In these days of planning, a well-co-ordinated plan of exploration and excavation will certainly complete the outlines of vertical sequence. Then we can indulge in large-scale work depending on resources personnel and facilities. Some of the important problems may be stated :—
c15.s5.3
(1) Stratigraphic evidence for our Prehistoric culture sequence and search for cave sites.
(2) Establishing the links between the Harappan and the Grey ware and the succeeding cultures (upper Indus).
(3) Extension of the Hastinapur evidence for linking up the copper hoard and the earlier Neolithic cultures of Bundelkhand Baghelkhand. The possibility of a widespread Pre-Grey ware copper Age Civilization in the Gangetic Valley needs to be investigated.
(4) The problem of Black-and-Red wares and the Megaliths in Northern India. Particularly, it is very important to establish the relative chronological position of Grey ware and the Black-and-Red wares.
(5) Exploration of focal areas like Krishna-Godavari delta and Kavery basin, Kerala, Assam, Lower Bengal. When we clear up our house and know what we have, we can confidently tackle the problem of external parallels outside India. Let us once again proceed from the known to the unknown.
c15.s5.4
Finally, a word of caution and an appeal may not be superfluous. In the picture depicted above, one could vaguely see the shadows of men and women, who were the prime agencies in making and transporting the few indestructible elements of their material life, with which the archaeologist and the historian reconstruct the past. It is very tempting to identify the authors from their shadows. But with the material at the disposal of the archaeologist in India today, he cannot designate them. Guesses at truth may be made, but the certainties call forth greater patience. The situation is certainly ripe for an attempt at reconciling the literary (particularly geographical) and archaeological data, since the approximate chronological horizons, in between which we have to sandwhich our literary and traditional material, are becoming clearer in the wider perspective of Eurasia. The first sure but faltering steps have been attempted⁷ (Appendix 1). But I would end with an appeal for a little more patience, till the names of some of our legendary kings enshrined in our literature, appear from under the earth, as A-anni-padda, son of Mes-anni-padda of the first Dynasty of Ur enlivened the whole Mesopotamian tradition and archaeology with the discovery of his temple. In 1946, alluding to the classic work of Sir Cyril Fox⁸, Sir Mortimer very significantly asked "Where is the Personality of India?"⁹ Here is its first glimpse and given a chance, Archaeology can reconstruct it.
c15.s5.5
⁷ LAL, B. B., op. cit. Ancient India 10 and 11, also see Appendix 1.
c15.s5.6
⁸ FOX, CYRIL, Personality of Britain, London, 1932.
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⁹ WHEELER, R. E. M. "Archaeological Planning for India", Ancient India No. 2, 1946.