Khinjali Mandal under the Bhanjas: A Study in Economic. Social and Political History


Book Description

This work, based on epigraphic evidences (37 inscriptions), is a very humble attempt to study the social history of Khinjali mandala region under the rule of Bhanja dynasty in early medieval Odisha. All the inscriptions are donative in nature and they indicate land grants of virgin or forest area- leading to deforestation and subsequently extension of agricultural lands. This work depicts tribals' holistic integration to the Brahmanical order ---- viz a. economically, tribals were peasantised in the agrarian system, b. socially, they were incorporated in the brahmanical 4 fold varna system, c. politically, tribal egalitarianism was substituted by hierarchical monarchy and d. lastly, the religious autochthonous deity (Stambheshswari) was also integrated to the Brahmanical pantheon (cult of Jagannath).




A River Sutra


Book Description

With imaginative lushness and narrative elan, Mehta provides a novel that combines Indian storytelling with thoroughly modern perceptions into the nature of love--love both carnal and sublime, treacherous and redeeming. "Conveys a world that is spiritual, foreign, and entirely accessible."--Vanity Fair.




Viharas In Early Medieval Eastern India


Book Description

In the introduction the importance of the study of the socio-economic condition of vih




Early Medieval Indian Society


Book Description

The book analyses the transition from the ancient to the medieval period in polity, economy, the caste system and culture. It examines the form of peasant protest and the reasons for their failure and infrequency. The author also examines the development of tantrism and the mentality that feudalism created.







The Penguin History of Early India


Book Description

A Largely Rewritten Version Of A Classic History Of Early India Concerned Not Only With The Past But Also With The Interaction Of The Past And The Present. Romila Thapar S Penguin History Of Early India Brings To Life Many Centuries Of The Indian Past. Dynastic History Provides A Chronological Frame But The Essential Thrust Of The Book Is The Explanation Of The Changes In Society And Economy. The Mutation Of Religious Beliefs And Practices, The Exploration Of Areas Of Knowledge In Which India Excelled, Its Creative Literature, Are All Woven Into A Historical Context. In This Version, The Opening Chapters Explain How The Interpretations Of Early Indian History Have Changed. Further, Although The Diversity Of Sources And Their Readings Are Well Known, Nevertheless, This Narrative Provides Fresh Readings And Raises New Questions. Romila Thapar Gives A Vivid And Nuanced Picture Of The Rich Mosaic Of Varied Landscapes, Languages, Kingdoms And Beliefs, And The Interaction Between These That Went Into The Making Of A Remarkable Civilization.




Tantra and Śākta Art of Orissa


Book Description

The author presents a rich and variegated picture of the sakta/ tantra art of Orissa, highlighting the evolving iconography of individual images. He focuses on different forms and depictions of the goddess as Sakti, painstakingly analyzing the architecture of a number of temples and their images.




The State in India, 1000-1700


Book Description

Since the 1940s, revaluations of the nature of the State have been a major preoccupation among historians worldwide. There has been a debate on the extent to which the State is independent of the interests of the ruling class. Pre-colonial India provides a unique testing ground for such debates, for it provides examples of State forms which vary enormously. Yet serious consideration of the nature of State forms in India was often overwhelmed by a focus on 'caste' and 'brahminism'. Now, however, as Professor Kulke demonstrates in his Introduction to this book - which consists of all the major essays on this important theme - several basic forms of the State can be isolated. Although the notion of 'centralized empire' still dominates the historiography, alternative models such as 'the segmentary state' and 'the patrimonial state' have given rise to productive debates.




The Making of Early Medieval India


Book Description

These essays explore the processes of change in Indian society over the period from about the seventh to the thirteenth century. Departing radically from the current historiography on the period, the author posits change as represented by processes of progressive transformation, not by the breakdown of an earlier social order. Within this framework, he discusses such diverse themes as irrigation, urbanization, the formation of a dominant ruling caste, and the structure of polity in general.