Letter 7: "The Early Man" (In English) | Letters From a Father to His Daughter

In "The Early Man," Jawaharlal Nehru explains the evolution of early humans and their increasing intelligence, which gave them an advantage over animals. He describes how early humans, lacking weapons, initially used stones but later developed stone tools like axes and spears. Nehru mentions the Ice Age, after which humans spread out and lived in caves, subsisting on fruits, nuts, and the animals they hunted, without the knowledge of cooking or farming.

Despite their primitive lifestyle, early humans showed creativity by drawing animals on cave walls, using tools like stone needles. These people, known as Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) men, relied solely on stone for their tools, as metals were unknown to them. As the climate warmed, Neolithic (New Stone Age) humans emerged, making significant progress by discovering agriculture, taming animals, and creating pottery. They also lived in lake dwellings for protection and used flax to make rough clothing.

Nehru discusses the gradual development of tools made from copper, bronze, and even gold, marking a shift from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age, which took place around 10,000 years ago. He emphasizes that this transition was slow, with changes in lifestyle and adaptation to different climates. Nehru also narrates the story of a great flood, possibly the formation of the Mediterranean Sea, which may have been the origin of flood myths in various cultures, including the Bible and Sanskrit texts.