Massive stone structures dotted across the subcontinent provide a fascinating glimpse into India’s prehistoric past

....But where do these people fit into the historical narrative of India? According to Korisettar, the collapse of trade gave rise to a change in the urban character of the Harappan civilization. The Harappans then diffused eastwards and came into contact with the early agricultural settlements in the Gangetic plain and moved southwards, and gradually reverted to a more primitive way of life. This is indicated by the smaller, but greater number of settlements found after 1800 BC, compared to earlier sites.

But where do these people fit into the historical narrative of India? According to Korisettar, the collapse of trade gave rise to a change in the urban character of the Harappan civilization. The Harappans then diffused eastwards and came into contact with the early agricultural settlements in the Gangetic plain and moved southwards, and gradually reverted to a more primitive way of life. This is indicated by the smaller, but greater number of settlements found after 1800 BC, compared to earlier sites.

“They again gradually developed themselves into prosperous agricultural communities and began to develop into complex societies. Megalithism indicates the developments of a second urbanization, a chieftain society or chiefdoms, as reflected in monumental architecture as well as other aspects: surplus being generated, multiple crops including cash crops and horticultural crops, mineral, stones. Essentially, the emergence of Megalithic period marks the beginning of second urbanization in various parts of India beyond what was covered by Indus Valley Civilization,” says Korisettar.

While their association with the Iron Age breaks down in the case of some older megaliths dating to 2000 BC, megaliths in peninsular India are more strongly associated with a characteristic wheel-made pottery type known as Black and Red Ware, which is found across sites.

BRW culture was contemporaneous with the Painted Grey Ware culture present in the Ganga valley (1300-600 BC), a proto-urban culture associated with Hastinapur of the Mahabharata by noted archaeologist B.B. Lal. Painted Grey Ware was contemporaneous with and succeeded by the Northern Black Polished Ware culture associated with the Mahajanapada period (600-300 BC), a more developed urban society stretching from Bengal to Peshawar. The Mahajanapadas consisted of the sixteen city republics of Magadha, Chedi, Gandhara and other familiar names from the Mahabharata.

Clearly, while the Kauravas and the Pandavas were battling it out in the plains of Kurukshetra, megalithic people in peninsular India were building monumental burial structures for prominent people in their community. But while no material remains of the fantastical palaces described in the Mahabharata are to be found, these unfussy megaliths have managed to weather 3,000 years of tumultuous history.

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