 In the 4th millennium BC, one of the earliest civilizations of the world was developing in the river valleys of the Indian subcontinent. The first sites of this civilization were discovered in the basin of the Indus River. The name Indus Valley civilization has remained. This was a highly developed culture, with a sophisticated concept of town planning. More than 4,000 seals, probably used for the purpose of trade, have been found. They combine finely made images of animals with text. This is the only civilization where archaeology has not unearthed evidence of weapons of war or barracks for any army or police. Historians are also fascinated that all evidence points to a thriving cooperative system, and not a conventional kingship. By the 8th or the 9th century BC, the Upanishads were composed, out of the early philosophic traditions of the land. The thoughts contained in the Upanishads were to form the basis of all major Indic fates thereafter. In this period, there were large numbers of ascetics who gave up the material attractions of the world to seek the truth beyond. The names of two historical renunciators of this tradition became most prominent – Gotamabuddha and Mahavira. Both taught the philosophy of the Upanishadic age, and there are striking similarities in their teachings. In later times, the followers of these teachers formed large religious groups, which continue till today as two of the great religions of the world with millions of followers – Buddhism and Jainism. In the 1st century AD, under the rule of the Satavahana kings, great entrance gateways were made to the large stupa in Sanchi. These continued Buddhist themes. It is significant that at least the first 600 years of surviving Buddhist art was all created under the rule of kings who worshipped Hindu deities. There are no gods in the early philosophic vision of India. There are deities – deities who are the personifications of concepts and qualities. The qualities are within us, and by responding to these deities brought to us in art, we awaken those fine aspects. The period of Gupta rule in North India brings some of the finest and best known Buddhist, Hindu and Jain art. It is significant to note that many of the kings personally followed Hindu practices. However, some of the greatest Buddhist art of the world was made in their benevolent rule. At the magnificent site of Ajanta, in the horseshoe-shaped gorge of the Vaghura river, great shrines and monasteries had been carved out of the heart of the mountain in the 2nd century BC. This was in the rule of the Hindu Satavahana kings. In the mid-5th century, under the rule of the Hindu Vakataka kings, it saw renewed activity. As in the Indic tradition seen earlier in the western and eastern decom, feudatories, ministers of the king and even queens freely followed the Buddhist faith. They also patronized Buddhist caves and art. There were no religious divisions and the patrons of the Buddhist caves sometimes proclaimed their descent from Hindu deities. The understanding of the interrelatedness of the whole of creation remained the underlying belief and the theme of art in India. The sense of love and duty towards all that there is is seen in inscriptions throughout the ancient period. The most common wish in donation inscriptions is for the benefit of all sentient beings. A 5th century inscription at Ajanta translates, the joy of giving filled him so much that it left no space for the feeling of pain.