 The remains of ancient cities of Harappa and Mohenjodaro were found by archaeologists in 1922.Indus Valley civilization existed about 3000-2500 BC to about 1500 BC.The cities had houses made of baked brick with flat roofs. They were single or double storied. The houses had courtyard with well and bathroom. The streets had well-connected drainage system. People wore colorful robes with women wearing gold and precious stone jewelry. The food consisted of wheat bread, rice and barley. They grew barley, wheat, dates and vegetables. Farms had domesticated animals including sheep, pigs, zebus (a kind of cow), and water buffalo. Harappans were fond of catching fish which they caught with fish hooks. The towns had a large central storage building for grain. The dancing figure reveals that people loved dancing and singing. They also excelled in metal work. The remains of public swimming pool show that religious bathing was common. The smaller rooms and pools are believed to be dressing rooms and private baths for important people of the town. The children used to play with small carts, toys shaped as birds, monkeys etc.The Harappans were excellent craftsmen and skilled potters, weavers and metal workers who produced exquisite pieces. For transportation people used wooden carts with wheels and ships and boats to carry out trade with other civilizations. Pictographic seals are found in Indus Valley sites and Mesopotamia proving links of trade between the two places. The Vedic Age from 1500 BC to 1000 BC saw the arrival and settling down of Indo-Aryan people from areas around Caspian Sea and Iran. The Vedas contain the information about Aryan beliefs and their daily life. Around 1000 BC the two religious epics- Mahabharata and Ramayana were created which gives information about Aryan life, rituals, beliefs, wars and other achievements. In the earlier period the tribes were called Gana which had a chief. This was a hereditary title passed from father to son and soon. People lived in houses made from wood and straw. The life centered on a community fire place called Yagna where people used to meet and share their life together. The Aryans were meat eaters along with vegetables and fish. They were the first to introduce horse and chariot in India. Their favorite pastime was to gamble, tell stories and fight. Their religious life centered on many Gods and Goddesses. This period also saw the beginning of caste system or Varna system based on division of occupation. There were four main occupations- Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. There was mobility within the system but later it became rigid when person's occupation came to depend upon his birth. The social mobility was denied and son was forced to take up his father's occupation by default. Children studied under gurus which were done orally. The Aryans started growing cotton and weaving clothes out of it. It was almost same for both the sexes. A length of cloth was wrapped around the lower part and one loose fitting cloth for the upper body. Men usually wore headdress also. Later women started wearing skirt (a large wraparound type of garment), cholis with headdress. People were fond of wearing jewelry made from gold, precious stones and shells etc. The age of empires (500 BC -647 AD) saw tremendous development in all fields of life.
The Gupta Empire (320 AD-500 AD) had covered most of north India. It was the time of peace and prosperity which led to greatest achievements in the every walk of life including art, music and sciences. There was religious freedom and great emphasis on education. Houses were made from wood, straw and bamboo with several rooms and balconies. The streets were narrow with shops dominating both sides of the street. There iron and coppersmiths making utility items for daily use and deities for worship. People were paid by the state for welfare projects like building of roads and other public works. Food was vegetarian and non- vegetarian but influence of Jainism and Buddhism saw people eating more vegetables, fruits and milk.Ashrama life was tough for the children. They were required to do every thing on their own apart from studies. The most popular way of marriage was through Swayamvara where number of suitable men assembled at girl's house and she chose the husband. The other types of marriages were Gandharva Vivaha and Asura Viviha.People used to play chess, polo and cards. Martial arts including fencing, wrestling was very popular among people. They used to go for hunting in their free time. People used to wear dhoti which was a 9 m long cloth wrapped around legs. Women used to wear bright colored clothes with lot of jewelry .It included armbands, necklaces, waistbelts, leg and ankle bangles, earrings, nose rings and crowns for the rich women. People also used to wear leather shoes with thick soles.
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