What, Where, How & When

Understanding history begins with tracing how early humans lived, moved, and interacted with their surroundings. This chapter (NCERT History Class 6 Chapter 1 Summary: What, Where, How and When) explains the beginnings of agriculture. It describes settlement patterns and sources to study history. Additionally, it covers the evolution of human life on the Indian subcontinent.

What – Early Human Life

The earliest people were skilled gatherers who collected food from forests and hunted animals for survival.
They usually lived near rivers, especially the Narmada, because water supported food sources and movement.
Over thousands of years, people gradually discovered new ways of making tools, cooking food, and creating art.

Where – Regions of Early Development

Different cultural and economic developments began in different geographic regions:

Region	Development	Time Period
Sulaiman & Kirthar Hills (Present-day Pakistan)	First crops like wheat & barley cultivated	8000 years ago
North of the Vindhyas	Rice cultivation began	About 8000 years ago
Garo Hills & Vindhyan Region	Growth of agriculture	Later Neolithic period
Banks of Indus & Its Tributaries	Earliest cities flourished	4700 years ago
Banks of Ganga	New cities developed	Later Vedic period
Magadha Region (Bihar)	Powerful kingdoms emerged	2500 years ago

People moved from one place to another for livelihood, trade, exploration, safety from droughts/floods, and sometimes for conquest. Such movement led to the exchange of ideas and cultural enrichment.

How – Studying the Past

To understand history, scholars rely on two key sources:

1️⃣ Archaeological Sources

Studied by archaeologists, including:

Tools, weapons, pottery, ornaments, coins
Remains of buildings, sculptures, paintings
Bones of animals, birds, and fish → show ancient food habits
Inscriptions → writings on stone or metal

📌 Excavation: Digging land to discover old remains.

2️⃣ Literary Sources

Studied by historians, such as:

Manuscripts written on palm leaves and birch bark
Ancient books, hymns, poems, stories

These sources help reconstruct ancient life and understand political, social & cultural history.

When – Time & Dating in History

Events before the birth of Jesus Christ are marked as BC (Before Christ) or BCE (Before Common Era).
Time flows backward in BC years.
(Example: 8000 BCE → 4700 BCE → 2500 BCE)

Important Terms to Remember

Term	Meaning
Archaeologists	Study objects used in the past
Historians	Scholars who study historical records
Skilled Gatherers	Early humans dependent on collecting food
Manuscripts	Handwritten ancient texts on leaves/tree bark
Inscriptions	Engraved writings on hard surfaces
Tributaries	Smaller rivers joining a larger river
Excavation	Digging to discover historical remains

Timeline of Key Developments

Time Period	Event
8000 years ago	Beginning of agriculture
4700 years ago	First cities of Indus Valley Civilization
2500 years ago	Rise of the powerful Magadha Kingdom

Why This Chapter Is Important for UPSC?

Covers origins of human civilization in India
Gives understanding of archaeological and literary sources
Forms the base for entire ancient Indian history

📌 Concept clarity from NCERT is essential for UPSC Prelims & Mains history questions.

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