# Anarta tradition

History of Gujarat :
Stone Age (before 4000 BCE) Stone Age(before 4000 BCE) :
Chalcolithic to Bronze Age (4000–1300 BCE) Chalcolithic Gujarat  – Anarta tradition(c. 3950–1900 BCE)  – Padri Ware (3600–2000 BCE)  – Pre-Prabhas Assemblage(3200–2600 BCE)  – Pre Urban Harappan Sindh Type Pottery (3000–2600 BCE)  – Black and Red Ware (3950–900 BCE)  – Reserved Slip Ware(3950–1900 BCE)  – Micaceous Red Ware(2600–1600 BCE) – Malwa Ware – Jorwe Ware Indus Valley Civilisation(3300–1300 BCE)  – Early Harappan(3300–2600 BCE)  – Mature Harappan(2600–1900 BCE)  – Late Harappan(1900–1300 BCE) Late cultures(2200–1700 BCE)  – Prabhas Assemblage(2200–1700 BCE)  – Lustrous Red Ware (1900–1300 BCE) Vedic Civilisation(2000–500 BCE) :
Iron Age (1500–300 BCE) Vedic Civilisation(2000–500 BCE)  – Janapadas (1500–600 BCE)  – Black and Red Ware(1300–1000 BCE)  – Painted Grey Ware (1200–600 BCE) Maha Janapadas (600–300 BCE) Epic India (1700–300 BCE)  –Abhira kingdom  –Anarta kingdom  –Dwaraka kingdom  –Sindhu kingdom  –Saurashtra kingdom :
Classical period (380 BCE – 1299 CE) Nanda Empire (380–321 BCE) Maurya Empire (321–184 BCE) Indo-Scythians (312 BCE − 400 CE)  –Western Satraps (c. 119 – 405 CE) Vakataka dynasty(c. 250 – c. 500 CE) Kushan Empire (30 – 375 CE) Traikutaka dynasty (388 – 454 CE) Gupta Empire (405 – c. 730 CE) Maitraka of Valabhi (475 – 767 CE) Garulaka (c. 500 - c. 700 CE) Saindhava(c. 725 – c. 950 CE) Gurjaras of Lata(c. 580 – c. 738 CE) Chalukyas of Navasarika (c. 660 – c. 739 CE) Empire of Harsha( 7th century) Gurjara-Pratihara (c. 730 – c. 960 CE) Chavda dynasty (c. 690 – c. 940 CE) Chudasama dynasty (c. 875 – 1472 CE) Rashtrakuta dynasty(8–9th century) Paramara dynasty (9–10th century) Western Chalukya(9–10th century) Chalukyas of Lata (c. 970 – c. 1070 CE) Chaulukya dynasty (c. 940 – 1243 CE) Vaghela dynasty (1243–1299 CE) :
Medieval and early modern periods (1299–1819) Gujarat under Delhi Sultanate (1298–1407)  – Khalji Sultanate (1298–1320)  – Tughlaq Sultanate (1320–1407) Gujarat Sultanate (1407–1573) Mughal Gujarat (1573–1756) Maratha Empire (1756–1819)  –Peshwa  –Gaekwad Cutch State(1365–1947) :
Colonial period (1819–1961) Portuguese India(1534–1961) Company Raj (1819–1858) British Raj (1858–1947)  –Princely states(till 1948)  –Residencies (1819–1947)  –Agencies of British India(1819–1947)  –Bombay Presidency(1618–1947) :
Post-independence (1947–) Saurashtra State (1948–1956) Kutch State (1947–1956) Bombay State (1947–1960) Gujarat (1960–) :
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History of South Asia :
Outline
Palaeolithic (2,500,000–250,000 BC) Madrasian culture Soanian culture
Neolithic (10,800–3300 BC) Bhirrana culture (7570–6200 BC) Mehrgarh culture (7000–3300 BC) Edakkal culture (5000–3000 BC)
Chalcolithic (3500–1500 BC) Anarta tradition (c. 3950–1900 BC) Ahar-Banas culture (3000–1500 BC) Pandu culture (1600–750 BC) Malwa culture (1600–1300 BC) Jorwe culture (1400–700 BC)
Bronze Age (3300–1300 BC) Indus Valley Civilisation(3300–1300 BC)  – Early Harappan culture(3300–2600 BC)  – Mature Harappan culture(2600–1900 BC)  – Late Harappan culture(1900–1300 BC) Vedic Civilisation(2000–500 BC)  – Ochre Coloured Pottery culture(2000–1600 BC)  – Swat culture(1600–500 BC)
Iron Age (1500–200 BC) Vedic Civilisation(1500–500 BC)  – Janapadas (1500–600 BC)  – Black and Red ware culture(1300–1000 BC)  – Painted Grey Ware culture (1200–600 BC)  – Northern Black Polished Ware (700–200 BC) Pradyota dynasty (799–684 BC) Haryanka dynasty (684–424 BC) Three Crowned Kingdoms (c. 600 BC – AD 1600) Maha Janapadas (c. 600–300 BC) Achaemenid Empire (550–330 BC) Ror Dynasty (450 BC – 489 AD) Shaishunaga dynasty (424–345 BC) Nanda Empire (380–321 BC) Macedonian Empire (330–323 BC) Maurya Empire (321–184 BC) Seleucid India (312–303 BC) Sangam period (c. 300 BC – c. 300 AD) Pandya Empire (c. 300 BC – AD 1345) Chera Kingdom (c. 300 BC – AD 1102) Chola Empire (c. 300 BC – AD 1279) Pallava Empire (c. 250 AD – AD 800) Maha-Megha-Vahana Empire (c. 250 BC – c. AD 500) Parthian Empire (247 BC – AD 224)
Middle Kingdoms (230 BC – AD 1206) Satavahana Empire (230 BC – AD 220) Kuninda Kingdom (200 BC – AD 300) Mitra Dynasty (c. 150 – c. 50 BC) Shunga Empire (185–73 BC) Indo-Greek Kingdom (180 BC – AD 10) Kanva Empire (75–26 BC) Indo-Scythian Kingdom (50 BC – AD 400) Indo-Parthian Kingdom (AD 21 – c. 130) Western Satrap Empire (AD 35–405 ) Kushan Empire (AD 60–240) Bharshiva Dynasty (170–350) Nagas of Padmavati (210–340) Sasanian Empire (224–651) Indo-Sassanid Kingdom (230–360) Vakataka Empire (c. 250 – c. 500) Kalabhras Empire (c. 250 – c. 600) Gupta Empire (280–550) Kadamba Empire (345–525) Western Ganga Kingdom (350–1000) Kamarupa Kingdom (350–1100) Vishnukundina Empire (420–624) Maitraka Empire (475–767) Huna Kingdom (475–576) Rai Kingdom (489–632) Kabul Shahi Empire (c. 500 – 1026) Chalukya Empire (543–753) Maukhari Empire (c. 550 – c. 700) Harsha Empire (606–647) Tibetan Empire (618–841) Eastern Chalukya Kingdom (624–1075) Rashidun Caliphate (632–661) Gurjara-Pratihara Empire (650–1036) Umayyad Caliphate (661–750) Mallabhum kingdom (694–1947) Bhauma-Kara Kingdom (736–916) Pala Empire (750–1174) Rashtrakuta Empire (753–982) Paramara Kingdom (800–1327) Yadava Empire (850–1334) Somavamshi Kingdom (882–1110) Chaulukya Kingdom (942–1244) Western Chalukya Empire (973–1189) Lohara Kingdom (1003–1320) Hoysala Empire (1040–1347) Sena Empire (1070–1230) Eastern Ganga Empire (1078–1434) Kakatiya Kingdom (1083–1323) Zamorin Kingdom (1102–1766) Kalachuris of Tripuri (675–1210) Kalachuris of Kalyani (1156–1184) Chutiya Kingdom (1187–1673) Deva Kingdom (c. 1200 – c. 1300)
Late medieval period (1206–1526) Ghaznavid Dynasty (977–1186) Ghurid Dynasty (1170–1206) Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526)  – Mamluk Sultanate (1206–1290)  – Khalji Sultanate (1290–1320)  – Tughlaq Sultanate (1320–1414)  – Sayyid Sultanate (1414–1451)  – Lodi Sultanate (1451–1526) Ahom Kingdom (1228–1826) Chitradurga Kingdom (1300–1779) Reddy Kingdom (1325–1448) Vijayanagara Empire (1336–1646) Bengal Sultanate (1352–1576) Garhwal Kingdom (1358–1803) Mysore Kingdom (1399–1947) Gajapati Empire (1434–1541) Ladakh Kingdom (1470–1842) Deccan sultanates (1490–1596)  – Ahmadnagar Sultanate (1490–1636)  – Berar sultanate (1490–1574)  – Bidar Sultanate (1492–1619)  – Bijapur Sultanate (1492–1686)  – Golkonda Sultanate (1518–1687) Keladi Kingdom (1499–1763) Koch Kingdom (1515–1947)
Early modern period (1526–1858) Mughal Empire (1526–1858) Sur Empire (1540–1556) Madurai Kingdom (1529–1736) Thanjavur Kingdom (1532–1673) Bhoi dynasty (1541–1804) Bengal Subah (1576–1757) Marava Kingdom (1600–1750) Sikkim Kingdom (1642–1975) Thondaiman Kingdom (1650–1948) Maratha Empire (1674–1818) Sikh Confederacy (1707–1799) Travancore Kingdom (1729–1947) Sikh Empire (1799–1849)
Colonial states (1510–1961) Portuguese India (1510–1961) Dutch India (1605–1825) Danish India (1620–1869) French India (1759–1954) Company Raj (1757–1858) British Raj (1858–1947) :
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The Anarta tradition or Anarta ware is a chalcolithic culture tentatively dated between c. 3950 BCE to 1900 BCE based on radio carbon dates from Loteshwar and Gola Dhoro. The sites associated with it are located in Gujarat, India.

## Nomenclature

During the earlier excavations at Surkotada, the ceramics of this culture were described as the coarse red or gray "local" ware. P. Ajitprasad and V. H. Sonawane described these non-Harappan ceramics from north Gujarat as the "Anarta ware". Anarta is a historical name of north Gujarat. The name later applied retrospectively to this type of ceramics found from other sites.

## Geographical range

The core area of Anarta tradition is located in north Gujarat having 67 sites while four sites are reported from Kutch and three sites from Saurashtra regions. The Padri Ware is not very different from the Anarta tradition. So if it is considered as the Anarta tradition, its ten sites in Saurashtra can be added to the Anarta tradition.

## Sites and association with Harappans

The ceramics similar to the Anarta tradition was first reported from Surkotada with Classical Harappan (IA, IB and IC periods) ceramics. When Nagwada in Surendranagar district was excavated, this distinctive regional type of ceramics were first recognized where it was associated with Pre-Urban and Urban Harappan artifacts. The Anarta tradition was recognized as an independent culture when Loteshwar in Patan district was excavated in 1991-92. These ceramics are also associated with Pre-Urban Harappan Sindh Type Pottery/Burial pottery (Amri Nal type) found at Motipipli and Datrana and with Pre-Prabhas pottery at Datrana. These ceramics are also compared and found similar to the Padri Ware. These ceramics are also found in the association of the Classical Harappan and Sorath Harappan elements at Gola Dhoro (Bagasara) in Saurashtra and Shikarpur in Kutch. These ceramics are also found Rangpur IIC period. They are not found associated with Post-Urban Harrapan artefacts at any sites. Other sites are Panchasar, Santhli, Lothal, Zekhada, Rojdi and possibly Desalpur. These sites are concentrated in Patan, Mehsana and Banaskantha districts in north Gujarat. These sites in north Gujarat are located in sand dunes which may have provided fresh water from its interdunal depressions and pastures for animals. These people may have originated from the early Mesolithic people settled here. The lived alongside other "aboriginal" hunter-gatherer people.

## Ceramics

The Anarta ceramics include gritty red ware, fine red ware, burnished red ware and burnished grey/black wares. The pottery from this tradition are hand or slow wheel made and are coarse and well-fired. The vessel forms include straight or convex sided bowls with incurved rims; basins with thick flaring rim; pots or jars with flaring rim, narrow neck and bulging body. These vessels are treated with red slip with paintings in red, black and white.