Wheel of time: Chariots and sophisticated weapons from the pre-Iron Age

Even as burial pits were excavated at Rakhigarhi, Kalibangan and Lothal in the past, this is the first time that chariots have been discovered in burial pits. This has led to great excitement among historians and archaeologists. Those supporting the theory of Aryan invasion say horses were brought to India by the Aryan army around 1300 BC. The theory may be challenged if archaeologists can establish the presence of horse-driven chariots dating back to 2000 BC.

Eminent historian Irfan Habib, says, “During previous excavations pertaining to the Indus Valley Civilisation, toy bullock carts were found, indicating that they had developed bullock carts during the mature Harappan era.” Habib says that if carbon dating places these finds to that period — 2000-2500 BC — it would imply that these were likely the bullock carts used by the Harappan traders as transport as well as for fights.

While the debate can only be settled by concrete findings, the excavated material has been brought to Delhi for further examination. Besides chariots and swords, the team has also found ivory combs with peacock motifs near a female skeleton, and ornamental beads in gold and silver near the skull. A dog’s skeletal remains have also been discovered in a pit, along with ritualistic pots near the dog’s head.

Besides chariots and swords, the team has also found ivory combs with peacock motifs near a female skeleton. (Source: Express Photo by Divya A)

As the first pictures emerged in the local media last week, swarms of OB vans and curious villagers rushed to the site, many of them proclaiming that evidence of the Mahabharata’s existence has finally been found in Baghpat. An anchor of a regional television channel even declared it to be “Arjun ka rath” on live television, even as officials on the ground kept issuing denials.

Manjul reiterates the standpoint. “There is no conclusive evidence to link any of this to the Mahabharata, but the discovery is significant.” The sophistication of the weapons and jewellery, along with the chariots, indicate that Indian civilisation might have been on a par with other ancient civilisations like Mesopotamia and Greece, and that the wheel was discovered earlier in the region than what history has accounted for so far. It also indicates that, perhaps, a warrior class populated the floodplain between Ganga and Yamuna at the time.

So who were these people? Amit Rai Jain, director of the Baraut-based Shehzad Rai Research Institute, who has authored several books on the region’s archaeology, is convinced that these people were from the “era of the Mahabharata”. “According to the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna had asked for five villages for the Pandavas — Paniprastha (present-day Panipat), Sonaprastha (Sonipat), Vrikshprastha (Baghpat), Indraprastha (Delhi) and Tilaprastha (Tilpat). This corresponds to present-day Baghpat. These graves may not be of the Kaurava or the Pandava kings, but could be of their army commanders,” he says.

The ASI director dismisses this theory. “These findings open up a tremendous scope for further excavation and research. But it is not possible to conclude anything just yet,” he says. In fact, Manjul points to a Vedic link. “In the Rig Veda, there is a mention of both kinds of funeral practices — cremation and burial. These findings could have some connection with the Puru warriors mentioned in the Rig Veda (around 1500 BC),” he says.