How Historians Divide Human History

Before we start studying the events of Indian history, one thing we must understand is this:

Not all parts of history are equally recorded.

Some periods have no written records, some have undeciphered texts, and some have abundant literature and inscriptions. Based on this availability of records, historians divide the human past into three major periods.

Let’s understand them:

1. Prehistory

📍 Time Period: Before 3000 BCE

This is the period before writing was invented, so:

• There are no written records
• No kings, wars, or empires recorded in text

So how do we know about it?
Through:

• Oral traditions (stories passed by speech)
• Archaeological evidence such as:
  • Stone tools
  • Pottery
  • Bones and cave art
  • Early metal objects

🧠 Example: When we study Paleolithic, Mesolithic, or Neolithic cultures, we are studying prehistory.

“Prehistory” is about human evolution, hunter-gatherers, stone tools, domestication, and the beginning of agriculture.

2. Proto-history

📍 Time Period: 3000 BCE to 600 BCE

This is the in-between period—a kind of transition zone.

Proto-history means:

• Some form of writing exists, but…
• Either the script is not yet deciphered
• Or no continuous literary records are available

Two Classic Examples in India:

1. Harappan Civilization (c. 2600–1900 BCE)
   • Harappans wrote on seals, but the script is undeciphered.
   • We can see the writing, but we can’t read it.
2. Vedic Age (c. 1500–600 BCE)
   • No written texts exist from that time.
   • But the Vedas were orally composed and memorised.
   • These were written down centuries later.

So, proto-history is like a blurred photograph—you know something is there, but it’s not yet fully clear.

3. Historical Period

📍 Time Period: After 600 BCE

This is when history becomes truly visible.

Why? Because now we have:

• Written records (texts, inscriptions, literature)
• Names of kings, wars, dynasties documented
• Buddhist, Jain, and later Hindu texts
• Inscriptions like those of Ashoka, Panini’s grammar, etc.

From this point on, we can trace:

• Political history
• Religious developments
• Social and economic structures

🗓️ Why 600 BCE?

• This is when Mahajanapadas emerged
• When Buddha and Mahavira lived
• When iron tools, cities, and economic systems became widespread

So from 600 BCE onwards, India enters its “recorded” past—what we formally call “History”.

⚖️ Some Historians Use Only Two Periods:

Division	Basis
Prehistory	Time before writing (before 600 BCE)
History	Time after writing appears (after 600 BCE)

But the threefold division—Prehistory, Proto-history, and History—is more detailed and academically accepted, especially in archaeology and UPSC prep.

✅ Summary Table for Quick Revision

Period	Timeline	Key Feature	Example in India
Prehistory	Before 3000 BCE	No writing; only tools/artifacts	Paleolithic, Neolithic cultures
Proto-history	3000–600 BCE	Some writing, but not deciphered or recorded	Harappan Civilization, Vedic Age
History	After 600 BCE	Written records available	Mahajanapadas, Mauryan Empire

🧠 UPSC Prelims Point:

• Harappan Civilization is Proto-historic, not prehistoric.
• Vedic Age is Proto-historic, not historical (until around 600 BCE).