Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Abrupt Holocene Climatic Change in Northwestern India:
Disappearance of the Sarasvati River and the End of Vedic Civilization
B. S. Paliwal 1
Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur, India
Abrupt climatic changes during the Holocene period accompanied by neotectonic
disturbances in the northwestern part of the Indian Peninsular Shield brought about
major changes in the region, popularly known as the Thar Desert. These changes
not only disorganized the drainage pattern of the region but caused the disappear-
ance of the Vedic Sarasvati River and several other tributaries of the Indus River.
Many new tributaries like Jhelam, Chinab, Ravi, Satluj, and Vyas were added to the
main course of the Indus River. Ancient mythological literature of India, particu-
larly, Vedas, Puranas, Manusmriti, and Mahabharata of Hinduism, provides evi-
dence showing that the Sarasvati and Drishadvati rivers were
flowing in this region
during the Vedic era. The famous Vedic civilization
flourished along the banks of
this mighty river. Because of these abrupt climatic changes and neotectonic activ-
ities the Vedic civilization, a civilization much older than those of the Indus Valley
and the Harappan civilization, met its end, and several saline lakes were formed in
the green fertile region.
1. INTRODUCTION
noyer, 1998; Sridhar et al., 1999; Roy, 1999; Radhakrishna
and Merh, 1999; Possehl, 2002; Madella and Fuller, 2006]
resulting in stabilizing and destabilizing a number of civili-
zations during the Quaternary period. Evidence of some has
been excavated, and many more are yet to be discovered. The
present trend of climate change is a small arch of a big circle.
Abrupt climate changes during the Pleistocene and the Ho-
locene have left signatures in the region, in addition to the
geology ranging from the Precambrian to the Recent con-
cealed below the sands of the great Thar Desert [Heron,
1953; Paliwal, 1993; Roy and Jakhar, 2002]. The drainage
pattern of the tributaries has been severally affected; the main
stream of the Indus River (Figure 2) has not. It follows the
Indus Suture that was almost constant for the last 5 million
years [Clift and Blusztajn, 2005; Clift et al., 2008; Paliwal,
2008]. Therefore, whether it is the beginning or end of
different civilizations in the region, the disappearance of
Vedic Sarasvati River, formation of saline lakes, or desertifi-
cation, just how all the events have been governed by the
abrupt climate change in the region during the recent past is
not well understood.
Abrupt climate change and global warming are important
issues that are threatening our civilization and need to be
addressed seriously. To find a clue for the future, we will
have to look into the changes in the climate pattern of the
recent past. This chapter describes abrupt climatic changes
during the Holocene period and the effects in the region
presently occupied by the great Thar Desert. This region to
the west of the Aravalli Mountain Range (Figure 1), extend-
ing up to the plain of the Indus River in the northwestern part
of the Indian Peninsula, has witnessed several climatic
changes and neotectonic disturbances [Sinha-Roy, 1986; Ke-
1 Deceased.
Search WWH ::




Custom Search