Hattusa was the capital of Hittites in the Bronze Age.

Discovered in 1834-35, it's ruins lie in the Boğazköy region of central Turkey.

Image of Lion gate at Hattusa.
At its peak, the city covered 1.8 sq km, surrounded by massive walls.

The city had a population of at least 40-50,000 people & inside the city there was the imperial residences, temples, people's quarters, etc.
At the centre of Hittite life was their religion.

The Hittites have been called ' People of a Thousand Gods', as they assimilated Gods of conquered people into their pantheon.

The most famous is the 'Storm God', who perhaps is the precursor to Zeus and Jupiter.
One of the great finds at Hattusa are the cuneiform clay tablets, popularly known as the 'Bogazköy Archive'.

The tablets contain information regarding diplomacy, contracts, correspondence, and the literature of the region.
The most important find among these tablets is the peace treaty between Hittites and the Egyptians, after the Battle of Kadesh in 1275 BCE.

The treaty signed in the year 1259 BCE, is the first recorded diplomatic treaty between two superpowers of the mediterranean.
A copy of this treaty is displayed prominently on the walls of UNO, NYC.
Hattusa was perhaps burnt down in the mayhem created in the aftermath of the Bronze Age collapse in c. 1200 BCE.

In 1986, the site was declared as UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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More from @PrasunNagar

13 Sep
Mycenae is an archaeological site 120 km SW of Athens.

During the late bronze Age, it was one of major centres of Greek civilization.

The period of Greek history between 1600-1100 BCE, is called 'Mycenaean' in reference to Mycenae.

Image of Lion/Lioness gate at Mycenae
At its peak in 1350 BC, the citadel and lower town had a population of 30,000 and an area of 32 hectares.

The Mycenaeans have been described in the Linear B tablets, by the Hittites in their diplomatic correspondence, and by Homer who describes it as 'rich in gold'.
Perhaps Mycenae was the strongest of all the Greek regions in those times, bounded by a loose confederation.

This confederation, perhaps sacked Troy ( Wallusia, in Hittite texts) in the Asia Minor.

Image of a Mycenaean Woman
Read 9 tweets
10 Sep
The Origin of Guptas.

This short thread would detail the origin of Gupta dynasty, laying special emphasis on first of its two kings, Sri Gupta and Ghatotkacha Gupta.
The origin of Guptas is shrouded in mystery.

Like all great empires before them, the imperial Gupta family must have had a small and obscure origin.

Some have debated that they were from the area of Benaras or Bengal, and they started out as feudatories of Kushans.
Though the available evidences are not conclusive regarding Guptas as being feudatories of Kushans, several later era Gupta inscriptions and travelogue from Chinese pilgrims like I-tsing, gives an indication as to the origins of Gupta dynasty.
Read 15 tweets
5 Sep
History of India after the Mauryas

This short thread will chronicle the details of India, after the demise of Mauryas up till the rise of Guptas. Image
After the death of Ashoka in 232 BCE Mauryan empire was consigned to the pages of history less than 50 years after his death.

A succession of weak kings, rebellions & foreign attacks ended the empire by 184 BCE when Pushyamitra deposed the last Mauryan King.
The Mauryas were able to achieve the Vedic political ideal as defined in the 'Atraeya Brahmana' , that a king should be 'Ekarat', the 'supreme sovereign of the country up to the seas.' Image
Read 23 tweets
19 Aug
Southern Campaigns of Samudra Gupta.

Samudra Gupta (335-375/380 AD), was the Second Emperor of Gupta dynasty, who campaigned in South India, and brought this whole area under his suzerainty.
The main source of his campaigns to the South is the famous Allahabad Pillar inscription.

The inscription is undated, but inscribed before his Ashvamedha, and the writer of this composition is his court-poet, Harisena.
The pillar is undated, however, it could be ascertained that this campaign must have occured before Samudra Gupta's ' Second War of Extermination', against kings of North India in around 348 AD.

Hence this campaign must have occured in around 340 AD.
Read 27 tweets
9 Aug
For those who came in late...

Ashoka was a Buddhist at least 2.5 years before Kalinga, as he himself admits in his minor rock edict at Maski, 260 BCE.

Hence, any views of him converting to Buddhism after seeing the carnage at Kalinga is an utter lie.
He uses the 'Buddha-Sakya' = Ordinary Follower of Buddhism in his edict at Maski.

The word 'Buddha-Sakya' in Brahmi
Ashoka, however, did not inherit, but was a convert to Buddhism.

Like his predecessors, he freely allowed the slaughter of animals in royal kitchens every day, prior to conversion. In fact, Ashoka did not become an absolute vegetarian, even after his conversion.
Read 7 tweets
8 Aug
General Neil ( 1810-1857) was a notorious military officer of East India Company, who is remembered for his cruelty towards Indians.

At Kanpur, he ordered the Brahmins to lick the blood of Bibighar victims, had them whipped and hanged them from trees. Image
William Hodson (1821-1858), was a soldier of British, who shot to death unarmed princes of the last mughal emperor in 1857.

He left their bodies to rot at 'Khooni Darwaza' ( Bloody Gate).

He was shot dead at Lucknow in March 1858. Image
General Nicholson (1822-1857) was a soldier of British Army, who is remembered for his sadistic role in suppressing the events of 1857.

He has been called " The Great Imperial Psycopath" & " byword for brutality & racism." Image
Read 4 tweets

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