HISTORY OF ANCIENT INDIA, From the Last Ice Age to The Mahabharata War (≈9000–1400 BCE)


Book Description

Most Indians believe that the Purāṇic accounts of Indian history are just figment of human imagination. They fail to explain why would thousands of people create dynastic king-lists of fictitious families consisting of thousands of names and then remember them for several millenniums. In reality they have left behind a record of their families/tribes and social. moral and religious customs. The Vedic-Purāṇic literature as well as archeological, geological, historical and linguistic accounts have been reviewed to establish ancient history of the Indian subcontinent. The chronological and geographical information related to the various cultures/tribes were established using the dates when farming, use of kiln-baked bricks or metalworking started; horses were domesticated; chariots were invented; Sarasvatī River dried up; and Mahabharata War took place.







The Dancing Girl


Book Description

This book provides valuable insight on the history of India from ancient times to 1600 CE for Indians and non-Indians, and for the Indian Diaspora, which is estimated to be over 25 million, spreading across no less than 110 countries. The chapters cover many important aspects of history, from the ancient urban culture of the Indus Valley Civilization; Vedic Age's lasting legacy, Hinduism associated with the two great epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharata; and the founding of Buddhism and Jainism; to the Muslim conquests and the resultant Indo-Islamic and Mughal heritage. Indian influence travelled beyond its shores to Southeast Asia, China, Korea and Japan. The Angkor Wat, Borobudur and Prambanan temples reflect the cultural impact of the early Indian Diaspora. The famous Chinese monk Xuanzang who journeyed to Nalanda to study at that great University wrote extensively about India. This book will kindle interest in research on tracing the origins of the Indian Diaspora and the ancient ties that linked India to the rest of the world.




Cultural History of India


Book Description

Cultural History Of India Has Been Divided Into Three Parts To Discuss Various Aspects Of Development Of Indian Culture. It Talks About How Religions Such As The Vedic Religion, Buddhism, Jainism, Saivism And Vaisnavism Aimed At Securing Social Harmony, Moral Upliftment, And Inculcated A Sense Of Duty In The Individual. The Development Of Indian Art And Architecture Was A Creative Effort To Project Symbols Of Divine Reality As Conceived And Understood By The Collective Consciousness Of The People As A Whole. The Book Also Focuses On Social Intuitions, Educational Systems And Economic Organisation In Ancient India. Finally, The Book Discusses The Dietary System Of Indians From Pre-Historic Times To C. 1200 A.D. The Basis For Inclusion Of Food And Drinks In The Book On Indian Culture Is That Ancient Indians Believed That Food Not Only Kept An Individual Healthy, But Was Also Responsible For His Mental Make Up.According To The Author, It Is Of Utmost Importance That The Present Generation Imbibe Those Elements Of Indian Culture Which Have Kept India Vital And Going Through Its Long And Continuous History .Cultural History Of India Is An Extremely Useful Journal On Indian History And Culture For All Readers, Both In India And Abroad. It Is Therefore A Must-Read For All Interested In Indias Proud Past, Which Forms The Eternal Bed-Rock Of Its Fateful Present And Glorious Future. It Is An Academic Book Very Useful For Student Of History Aspiring For I.A.S.




History of Hinduism


Book Description

This book surveys the Pre-vedic religion of ancient India. It reflects upon controversies surrounding discoveries at the Indus sites and then takes a dip into the world of Vedas to discover the religion of that age. The book uncovers interesting facts about ancient Hinduism reviewing controversies surrounding the Aryan Invasion (now migrations) theory, the Asuran Indus theory, and the Indigenous theories.




History of India


Book Description

India is a land of mystery, richness, and deep spiritual discovery. Every facet of this ancient land seems scented with the famous spices that lured European traders to its shores more than five centuries ago. India is quite unique in the way it has brought its ancient histories and traditions with it into the modern age.







From Dasarajna to Kuruksetra


Book Description

Is it true that the ancient Indians had no sense of History? The book begins with this question, and points out how the ways of perceiving the past could be culture-specific and how the concept of historical traditions can be useful in studying the various ways of memorising and representing the past, even if those ways do not necessarily correspond to the methodology of the Occidental discipline called 'History'. Ancient India had several historical traditions, and the book focuses on one of them, the itihasa. It also shows how the Mahabharata is the best illustration of this tradition, and how a historical study of the contents of the text, with comparison with and corroboration from other contemporary sources and traditions, may help us restore the text in its original context in the bardic historical tradition about the Later Vedic Kurus. Is the Mahabharata then an authentic history? This book does not claim so. However, it shows how the text had originated as a critical reflection on a great period of transition, how it dealt with the conflicting philosophies of the transitional period, how it propounded its thesis by creating new kinds of heroes such as Yudhisthira and Krsna, and how the text was reworked when it was canonized by the brahmanas.




The Nation


Book Description




Perspectives in Indian History


Book Description

Perspectives in Indian History deals with the history of India from 10,000 BC until 1857 AD. It delves into the story of the Indus-Saraswati civilization and the development of the Vedas. Such a book has been written for the first time, wherein India’s history has been analyzed from the early Hindu period. Hitherto most history books have emphasized the Muslim period or the British period. These have been written by Muslim historians or European colonists, which was often skewed by their fundamental bias that no civilization could equal their own. During this retelling, the author covers the interesting aspects of each age starting with the Ramayana. He then examines hotly debated issues like whether Alexander the Great won or lost in India. The author carries out an analysis of the causes of the conquest of India by the Muslims. The author analyses detailed battleplans of major battles, which affected India’s history, like Panipat, Plassey, and many others, and discusses the weaponry and tactics used in these wars.