Indians | Ep 1: The Harappans | A Brief History of a Civilization

Summary

The video explores the history and civilization of ancient India, focusing on the Harappan or Indus Valley Civilization, which flourished around 5,000 years ago. It highlights the sophisticated urban planning, water management, and egalitarian social structures of the Harappans, along with their art, trade, and unique cultural practices. The narrator revisits six major archaeological sites and discusses the impact of climate change and migration on the decline of the civilization. The episode concludes by connecting Harappan achievements to modern Indian life, while drawing lessons relevant to today's ecological challenges.

Takeaways

• 📜 The story of Indian civilization begins nearly 5,000 years ago, marked by migration, conflict, and cooperation, with major historical sites unearthed by archaeologists.
• 🏙️ The Harappan Civilization, also known as the Indus Valley Civilization, flourished around 3300-1900 BCE, with major settlements across Western India and Pakistan.
• 🌊 Dholavira, one of the five major cities of Harappa, located in Gujarat, was known for its impressive water management systems and urban planning.
• 🔧 Harappans were skilled engineers, known for their city-wide drains, reservoirs, and the first indoor toilets, showing advanced urban sanitation.
• 🚢 The Harappans were seafaring people, trading with Mesopotamia and the Persian Gulf, using a barter system and standardized weights for transactions.
• 🏟️ Dholavira boasted the first known stadium in the world, possibly used for ceremonies, markets, and sports like cart races.
• 🧱 Harappans built the first planned cities with standardized bricks, sophisticated pottery, and metalwork, without creating large monuments like pyramids or temples.
• 👑 There is no evidence of temples, priests, kings, or large armies in Harappan society, which suggests a relatively egalitarian social structure.
• 💀 Burial practices varied across Harappan sites, with some opting for burials with goods and others leaving behind only symbolic grave markers.
• 🌍 The demise of the Harappan civilization is largely attributed to climate change and the drying up of key rivers, leading to migration and the abandonment of cities.

Q & A

What is the significance of the Harappan or Indus Valley Civilization in the context of Indian history?

The Harappan Civilization, which began nearly 5,000 years ago, is considered the first major urban civilization in India. It laid the foundations of Indian urban planning, sanitation, and technological innovations, and influenced many aspects of Indian culture, some of which are still present today.

How were the cities of the Harappan Civilization organized, and what innovations did they bring?

Harappan cities were highly organized with a grid-like layout, featuring public baths, sophisticated drainage systems, wells, and large reservoirs for water storage. They were pioneers in urban sanitation and water management, with indoor toilets and structured public amenities.

What do we know about the lifestyle and diet of the people of Dholavira?

The people of Dholavira, a city in the Harappan Civilization, had a meat-heavy diet, including beef and pork. They also kept dogs as pets. Their urban workshops were integrated into residential areas, suggesting that they didn’t need to commute to work.

What role did water management play in the Harappan Civilization, particularly in Dholavira?

Water management was crucial for Dholavira, which was located in a region with low rainfall. The city built advanced rainwater harvesting systems, massive reservoirs, and citywide drains to ensure water supply. Their largest reservoir was nine times the size of an Olympic swimming pool.

What is unique about the social structure of the Harappan Civilization compared to other ancient civilizations?

Unlike many contemporary civilizations, the Harappan Civilization did not show evidence of significant social stratification. There were no grand temples, palaces, or monumental statues, and the evidence suggests a relatively flat social hierarchy, with similar quality of nutrition, homes, and grave goods across the population.

What theories explain the decline of the Harappan Civilization?

The leading theory suggests that regional climate change, including a weakening of the monsoon and the drying up of the Ghaggar-Hakra River, led to the decline of the Harappan Civilization. For Dholavira, some scholars propose that a tsunami may have damaged its freshwater reservoir, contributing to depopulation.

What evidence is there to suggest that the Harappan people engaged in long-distance trade?

There is evidence that the Harappans were seafarers who traded with Mesopotamia and the Persian Gulf. They were known as the 'people of Meluhha' in Mesopotamian texts and likely had an expat community there. Trade was conducted through a barter system, and they produced seals to mark goods.

Why is the Harappan script considered enigmatic, and what are the challenges in deciphering it?

The Harappan script remains undeciphered despite numerous attempts. One reason for this is that it contains only around 400 unique symbols, making it hard to definitively classify as a linguistic system. Some scholars even propose that it may not represent a language but rather a symbolic form of communication.

What cultural practices from the Harappan Civilization have persisted in modern Indian society?

Several Harappan cultural practices have persisted, such as the reverence for mother goddesses, use of bangles, and some domestic objects like the matka (water pot) and bullock carts. The swastika symbol, game of dice, and early forms of meditation in yogic poses also trace back to Harappan culture.

How did the Harappan people differ from the later civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia in terms of monumental architecture and societal organization?

Unlike the Egyptians and Mesopotamians, the Harappans did not build monumental statues, palaces, or temples. They also lacked evidence of a centralized royal or warrior class. Their society appears to have been more egalitarian, focusing on urban planning, sanitation, and practical infrastructure over grand displays of wealth or power.

Outlines

00:00

📜 The Origin of Indian Civilization

This paragraph introduces the vast history of Indian civilization, dating back nearly 5,000 years. The narrative promises to explore India's historical sites, often forgotten until rediscovered by archaeologists. The host, Namit, aims to focus on cultural and social ideas that shaped the Indian identity, avoiding mundane historical details like dates and battles.

05:01

🏙️ The Harappan Civilization: Dawn of Urban India

The Harappan (or Indus Valley) civilization, emerging around 3300 BCE, was India's first urban society. At its height between 2600 and 1900 BCE, it spanned regions in Western India and Pakistan. Discovered in 1924, this civilization, with its meticulously planned cities, like Harappa and Dholavira, revolutionized our understanding of ancient India. Dholavira, an important port city, featured advanced water management systems and engineering feats.

10:03

🏗️ Dholavira’s Engineering Marvels

Dholavira was a well-planned city with grid-like streets and advanced drainage systems. It had three residential sections (Citadel, Middle Town, and Lower Town), large reservoirs, and civic amenities for all. People of Dholavira had a meat-heavy diet, kept pets, and constructed a stadium—possibly the first in the world. Their sea-faring skills allowed trade with distant lands like Mesopotamia.

15:04

🛠️ The Culture of the Harappans

Harappans had a unique culture marked by artistic seals, pottery, and a lack of monumental statues. They were highly skilled in metallurgy and urban planning. Notably, their cities had a flat social hierarchy with no evidence of kings, priests, or armies. Their common material culture—such as cotton garments, jewelry, and standardized weights—spoke of a well-organized society that valued egalitarianism.

20:06

🌳 Harappan Beliefs and Legacy

Harappan beliefs, such as reverence for mother goddesses and yogic postures, left a lasting mark on Indian culture. Their innovations, like dice games, carts, and round food balls, have persisted through time. Some cultural practices, such as the use of certain tools and spiritual symbols, can still be found in Indian society today. Despite this, the civilization remains enigmatic, as its script is yet to be deciphered.

🌊 The Decline of Harappan Civilization

The Harappan civilization likely declined due to climate change, especially the drying up of the monsoon and rivers like the Ghaggar-Hakra. This may have rendered farming unsustainable. Dholavira might have been hit by a tsunami, which destroyed its freshwater resources. Over time, the Harappans migrated to other regions, their cities abandoned, leaving behind a legacy of peaceful, egalitarian urban centers.

Keywords

💡Harappan Civilization

The Harappan Civilization, also known as the Indus Valley Civilization, was an ancient civilization that thrived around 3300-1900 BCE in modern-day Pakistan and India. It represents the first urban culture in India, with advanced urban planning, water management, and social organization. This civilization is the starting point of the video’s exploration of Indian history.

💡Urban Planning

Urban planning refers to the organized and methodical development of cities, which was a hallmark of the Harappan Civilization. Cities like Dholavira and Mohenjo-Daro were laid out in grid patterns with advanced drainage systems, wells, and even public baths. The video emphasizes the sophistication of these ancient cities compared to other contemporary civilizations.

💡Dholavira

Dholavira was one of the five major cities of the Harappan Civilization located in Gujarat, India. The site is known for its water conservation systems and unique urban design, with a citadel, middle town, and lower town. The video focuses on Dholavira as an example of the ingenuity of Harappan architecture, water management, and social organization.

💡Indus and Ghaggar-Hakra Rivers

These rivers were central to the rise of the Harappan Civilization. The Indus River supported the civilization’s agricultural and urban development, while the now-seasonal Ghaggar-Hakra river played a critical role before it dried up. The video highlights how proximity to these rivers enabled the flourishing of ancient cities like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.

💡Archaeology

Archaeology is the study of human history through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts. In the video, archaeology plays a pivotal role in uncovering the story of the Harappan Civilization, particularly with the rediscovery of its cities, such as Harappa, in the 20th century. Archaeological findings, like seals, tools, and urban structures, reveal much about their society and culture.

💡Seals and Script

Harappan seals were small stone carvings that featured animals, symbols, and inscriptions. They were likely used in trade and might have functioned as a form of identification or branding. The Harappan script remains undeciphered, adding mystery to their civilization. The video discusses these seals as significant artifacts that reveal aspects of Harappan trade and communication.

💡Water Management

Water management refers to the Harappans' advanced systems for harvesting and storing water, such as large reservoirs, storm drains, and wells. This innovation was essential for sustaining cities in arid regions like Dholavira. The video highlights these achievements as examples of their engineering prowess, especially given the challenges posed by their environment.

💡Trade and Barter System

The Harappan civilization engaged in extensive trade, particularly with Mesopotamia, using a barter system since money had not yet been invented. Goods such as beads, pottery, and metals were exchanged, and Harappans were known as skilled seafarers. The video explains how trade was a crucial part of their economy, evidenced by artifacts like seals and boat depictions.

💡Social Equality

Social equality in the Harappan Civilization is emphasized by the relatively uniform size of houses and the distribution of public amenities. Unlike other contemporary civilizations, there is no evidence of palaces, large tombs, or a ruling class, suggesting a more egalitarian society. The video contrasts this with the later, more hierarchical structures that developed in India.

💡Mother Goddess Worship

The Harappans appeared to worship a Mother Goddess figure, a practice that persisted in later Indian religions. Figurines of curvaceous female deities have been found in their cities, indicating the reverence for fertility and nature. The video connects this early form of goddess worship to later cultural and religious traditions in India, such as the Yakshi figures.

Highlights

The story of Indian civilization begins nearly 5,000 years ago and is filled with migration, conflict, mixing, coexistence, and cooperation.

The series focuses on six of India’s greatest historical sites, rediscovered by archaeologists.

The Harappan or Indus Valley Civilization was the first in India, arising around 3300 BCE and peaking between 2600-1900 BCE.

Dholavira in Gujarat, a Harappan city, was known for its advanced water harvesting systems and urban planning.

Dholavira had a unique layout with a Citadel, Middle Town, and Lower Town, surrounded by thick walls.

One of Dholavira's reservoirs was nine times larger than an Olympic-sized swimming pool, showcasing impressive water management.

Harappan society was relatively egalitarian with little evidence of hierarchy, standing armies, or royal palaces.

Dholavira had a stadium, perhaps the world’s first, used for ceremonies, markets, and possibly sports like cart races.

Harappans had trade networks extending to Mesopotamia, using barter systems and seals for identification.

Harappan cities had public baths, the world’s first indoor toilets, and sophisticated urban sanitation.

The Harappan civilization is marked by a decentralized structure, with no evidence of overarching authority or centralized power.

The Harappan people may have spoken a Proto-Dravidian language, with evidence from linguistic connections and loanwords.

The Harappan decline is believed to be due to climate change, particularly the drying up of rivers and monsoons.

The Harappans left a lasting legacy in everyday Indian life, from jewelry to water management techniques to spiritual practices.

Harappan society was notably peaceful and non-warlike, lacking evidence of weapons or large-scale conflicts.

Transcripts

[Music]

the story of Indian civilization begins

nearly 5,000 years ago it's a vast and

complex Story full of twists and turns

so how does one begin to tell it hello

and welcome to Indians I'm namit

[Music]

aora

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the story of India is one of profound

and continuous change it has been shaped

by the dynamic of migration conflict

mixing coexistence assistence and

cooperation the story is also a long and

exciting churn of ideas beliefs and

values some of which continue to shape

us today while others have been lost

forever in this series I will revisit

the story of Indians and our

Civilization by exploring six of our

greatest historical sites most of which

were lost to memory and were later dug

out by archaeologists I'll also focus on

what foreign travel Travers said when

they visited India in those days as

Outsiders they notic things that Indians

took for granted I won't dwell much on

boring dates and battles in Kings the

sort of stuff that turned you off

history in school instead I'll focus on

the deeper cultural and social ideas

that have made us who we

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are when historians talk about

civilization they usually refer to the

rise of urban life enabled by

agricultural surpluses a range of

specialized occupations writing

Monumental architecture and social

hierarchies based on this definition the

first civilization that arose in India

was the harapan civilization also called

the Indus Valley

Civilization and that's where I'll begin

my story of

Indians the harapon civilization arose

almost 5,000 years ago covering a large

area across Western India and

Pakistan it arose along the banks of two

major

rivers the mighty indas and the now

seasonal Gaga hakra but also on other

rivers sea coasts and

Islands although this civilization began

around 3300 BCE its social and

technological pinnacle what

archaeologists call its mature phase

happened between 2600 and 1900 BCE for

about 700

years the ruins of the harapan

civilization were discovered in

1924 a mere 100 years ago and what a

discovery it was it dramatically

expanded our civilizational story the

first city discovered was named harappa

and following a custom common in

archaeology

the entire civilization was named after

it the British archaeologist John

Marshall announced the discovery with

great flourish in The Illustrated London

news a forgotten age revealed he

declared since then over a thousand

settlements have been found mostly small

hamlets a few towns and five cities of

which three are in Pakistan two in

India

Tavira in Northern Gujarat was one of

the five cities of the harapan

civilization and its ruins are perhaps

the best excavated in India it's located

across a dazzling landscape of salt

marshes and the barren land of the great

ran of kach we don't know what dava's

harapan name was archaeologist gave it

the name of a nearby Village in its day

dhava was a port City on a small island

back then the Arabian Sea covered a

significant part of Gujarat including

the Run of

kach unlike other major haraan cities

dhava was in an aid region and received

little rainfall so its people focused on

capturing and storing water they

innovated and built amazing water

harvesting systems Citywide drains and

giant reservoirs

early archaeologists divided the city

into three residential sections led by

patterns they had seen elsewhere they

named them the Citadel or Castle Middle

Town and Lower Town a thick wall

surrounded the entire city these areas

do differ a little in terms of the size

of homes and Civic amenities but not by

much they also represent how the city

grew over time starting with the

Citadel the reservoir surrounded the

city center which must have made a

pretty sight as you can imagine from

this artist's reconstruction of the

[Music]

city they harvested rainwater from two

stormw waterer

drains one of their reservoirs was nine

times larger than an olympic sized

swimming pool the reservoirs and the

stone walls of the city are so massive

that they must have required enormous

engineering effort to plan and

execute today Dava is a lovely site to

wander through streets and homes are

laid out on a grid-like plan their Urban

workshops for pottery Metallurgy and

jewelry were located within their

residential areas which means most of

them didn't have to commute to work

astonishingly one can still find on the

ground shards of their painted Pottery

bits of stone Bangles and semi-precious

stones they used in their

jewelry one can see greenish copper slag

from their smelting process for

purifying The Ore as well as bone

fragments of some of the animals davan

ate from these bones as well as Potter

residues it's clear that these Harens

had a meat heavy diet which included

beef and pork they kept dogs as pets and

much like the stray dogs we see in our

own neighborhoods today davan had them

too one surprising find in davira was

its Stadium perhaps the first Stadium

anywhere in the world Spectators sat in

the stands which had three rows Scholars

think the stadium hosted ceremonies

major markets and perhaps even cart

races and other

sports the northern gate to the Citadel

overlooks the stadium and it once

carried the famous davira sign board

with 10 symbols though we have no idea

what it says for all we know it might

have said save

water it seems the city's administrators

allowed only pedestrians into the city

center vehicular traffic was not

permitted inside many Global cities do

the same today but our own urban

planners are yet to catch

[Music]

on the people of davira and harappans in

general were seagoing they made

excellent boats that sailed as far as

Mesopotamia in modern Iraq and the

Persian Gulf where they were called the

people of meua there is also evidence of

an expat community of harons in

Mesopotamia in in those days no one had

a money economy and all of their trade

was done through the barter

[Music]

[Applause]

system the harun were excellent Urban

Architects moan jaro was one of their

largest cities with up to 50,000 people

toava may have had 15,000 the harons

were the first people to build public

baths in the ancient world its best

known example is the great bath of

madaro which may have been a sight of

ritual significance as well here is an

artist's reconstruction of the great

bath along with four other

reconstructions of harapan

[Music]

sites the harant built the first planned

cities with Urban sanitation the first

indoor toilets in the world brick lined

Wells and Paka roads all very impressive

achievements for its day this private

bathroom and toilet structure comes from

Lal another harapon site in Gujarat

urban life in these cities must have

attracted youngsters from rural areas

where most harun lived their Urban

Design and civil engineering Works

reveal the harons as rather scaled

creative and pragmatic techies all

Harens shared a common material culture

this includes their seals which were

made from soft stones and were most

likely used in trade to indicate proper

packaging brand or identification these

seals are quite artistic and they depict

all sorts of real and mythical animals

though the horse camel and Donkey are

notable by their absence these three

animals were yet to arrive in the

subcontinent the horse in particular

would come with the Arians from Central

Asia in the centuries after 2000

BCE the harapan seals also depict their

script which was written from right to

left some seals show Dynamic action too

such as a buffalo hunting scene a woman

apparently strangling two tigers a woman

standing between two fighting men who

knows maybe they're fighting over her or

was she the

[Music]

referee across the entire haraan realm

the people wore finely woven cotton spun

on textile looms and dyed for color they

made beads Bangles Combs razors mirrors

and other household objects they wore

jewelry made of semi precious stones and

they light big haos and headdresses we

find similar copper implements and tools

everywhere made in furnaces with

controlled heating up to 1200°

Centigrade they had a uniform set of

standardized weights creating which must

have required a centralized Authority or

a trade organization of some

kind they used similar principles of

urban planning including things like

like standardized braks but for all this

commonality the harons also had a fair

bit of internal

diversity which we see in their Pottery

[Music]

Styles different settlements deferred in

their diets ferary practices ecological

challenges Coastal or Inland orientation

and other

variables

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take for instance the differences in

their death rituals burials for the dead

were common but other practices likely

coexisted such as consigning the Dead To

The River or the Sea of cremation there

is limited evidence burying household

items with the bodies implies belief and

life after death but davira provides a

Twist what dominates in DOA are cots

they have burial Goods but no human

remains suggesting different cultural

[Music]

beliefs we know that the harons were

contemporary with two other

civilizations of the Bronze Age the

Egyptian and the Mesopotamian

civilizations but compared to these The

Harens seem rather unique one difference

is that The Harens did not build the

sort of stuff that dazzles most people

today such as giant stone statues of

gods or Kings palaces or enormous burial

Chambers like the pyramids nobody knows

why the harons did not build such things

they could have their two best known

statues are the so-called dancing girl

and the priest king though both priest

and King now seem unlikely descriptors

for him both of these statues are below

7 in tall a lot of small figurines in

clay have also been found most of which

are female why did The Harens not make

giant statues the answer might be

related to the other ways in which The

Harens were fascinatingly

different for example the harons haven't

left behind any evidence of temples

priests palaces weapons of war or

standing armies this really jumps out

when compared to other civilizations

there is simply no evidence of royalty

aristocratic burials or a warrior class

there isn't much of a difference in the

size of their homes or in the level of

public goods like Wells and sanitation

that everyone had access to from the

bones of the Dead it appears that

everyone enjoyed similar nutrition even

the quality of the Grave Goods is

similar across people to be clear there

is enough evidence of a social hierarchy

but it happens to be much flatter than

in other ancient

civilizations across the entire harapon

realm no evidence of an overarching

authority has been found its Regional

centers seem to have been fairly

independent and decentralized suggesting

that they took the idea of federalism

seriously The Harens appear to have

built an unusually peaceful and

egalitarian social order

and that's

[Music]

something Indians would later abandon

the idea of social equality that The

Harens apparently valued but many other

harapan legacies are still with us one

is the imagination of mother goddesses

with their curvaceous bodies and a meala

belt around the hip a style that later

shows up on the yakshi of the sanchi

stupa 2,000 years

later

the harons Apparently revered the P

tree which many Indians still do

today several seals depict figures in

meditative yogic

[Music]

poses other harapon finds include the

swastika the game Dice and pieces for

what seems like an early form of Chess

who knows maybe they use the dice for

gambling too using beads or metal

objects as Wagers they wore a variety of

bangal including the kind that are still

worn in some rural communities in

Gujarat some female figurines even had a

red paste-like substance in the metal

parting of their hair which recalls the

custom of cnor the harapan bulak cart

mutka Lota H and other domestic objects

are still in use today they even ate

round balls made of high protein grains

and seeds essentially

lus they grew lentils wheat and millets

like joar and bajra it has been

estimated that one sixth of the harun

lived past the age of 55 which was quite

good for agricultural societies of the

day at the on-site museum at davira you

can see their children's toys and

evocative game boards carved on Stone

slabs

indeed the haran continuity in our lives

is still quite pervasive especially in

what we might call folk Hinduism with

its reverence for certain trees and

animals mother goddesses and perhaps

even spiritual meditative practices they

were also a dark skinned people darker

on average than modern South

Indians the harons live deep inside us

Scholars rightly urge CAU that there is

still immense mystery that surrounds

them they continue to be very enigmatic

and many of our assessments are partly

speculative but here is some friendly

advice never go to Bollywood to learn

about The Harens they'll show you horses

light-skinned people this sort of

dancing and countless other

[Music]

Horrors unfortunately their written

script remains undeciphered many have

tried to decipher the harapan script in

fact over a 100 people have even claimed

to have deciphered it but so far they've

not managed to convince anyone other

than themselves a minority view is that

the harapan script may not be linguistic

that is it may not encode a spoken

language and maybe another form of

symbolic communication like traffic

signs that that's possible though it's

worth remembering that the harun traded

with others who had a linguistic script

so the idea of writing down their

language would not have been alien to

them their script has just over 400

unique

symbols whereas Mesopotamian uniform a

linguistic script has around 600 not

that

[Music]

different but while the jury is still

out on the script there are good reasons

to believe that the harapan spoke a

Proto dravidian language evidence for

this comes from at least three sources

first the closeness between two language

families dravidian and elmite which was

spoken by the Western neighbors of The

Harens second the discovery of many

early dravidian lone words in early Vic

Sanskrit prevalent in North India and

third the survival of brahui a dravidian

language that's still spoken by a small

population in the baluchistan province

of Pakistan yes a pocket of dravidian is

still out there and it has had its own

parallel and independent Evolution for

many

[Music]

Millennia so what happened to the harons

several theories have been offered for

the demise of their civilization the

leading one blames Regional climate

change in which the local Monsoon dried

up and farming became

unviable this is doubly tragic because

unlike modern humans they did little to

cause their climate change we also know

that the gagar hakra river dried up by

about 200000 BCE impacting all the

settlements along it for Dava some some

Scholars suggest that it might have been

hit by a tsunami which may have

devastated its freshwater Reservoir and

caused

depopulation for centuries the Hans had

bravely tackled their ecological

challenges but nature seems to have

defeated them in the end after the

collapse of their civilization The

Harens began migrating to the south and

east City dwellers dissolved back into

the Rural Life from which they had

emerged

the great cities of the harapan

civilization were abandoned and

[Music]

[Applause]

forgotten today it seems reasonable to

say that the unique Genius of the harant

lies in building planned cities and en

forging what seems a significantly equal

and non-w warlike Society those are

impressive achievements the har 's

greatest Monumental work was the city

itself a Marvel of Urban Design and

Engineering their achievements in water

management and sanitation were not

exceeded until Roman times 2,000 years

later later Indians apparently forgot

about this toilet technology and took to

the fields with the same harapan

Lota ever since their Discovery a 100

years ago the harons have invited us to

ponder the Deep questions about human

nature and culture they transport us

back to the very birth of Indian

civilization what can we learn from them

today facing ecological challenges Davin

in particular responded with immense

creativity and resolve Perhaps it is

their vulnerability and struggle that

make them even more endearing to us

given the looming climate crisis today

will our own modern civilization Outlast

their mature period of 700

years in the next episode I'll continue

the story of Indians with the coming of

the Arians and the rise of the Vic age

see you next

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time

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GL

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all