The Political Economy of Craft Production
The Political Economy of Craft Production

Author: Carla M. Sinopoli

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2003-10-30

Total Pages: 380

ISBN-13: 9781139440745

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The study of specialized craft production has a long tradition in archaeological research. Through analyses of material remains and the contexts of their production and use, archaeologists can examine the organization of craft production and the economic and political status of craft producers. This study combines archaeological and historical evidence from the author's twenty years of fieldwork at the imperial capital of Vijayanagara to explore the role and significance of craft production in the city's political economy of the fourteenth to the seventeenth century. By examining a diverse range of crafts from poetry to pottery, Sinopoli evaluates models of craft production and expands upon theoretical and historical understandings of empires in general and Vijayanagara in particular. It is the most broad-ranging study of craft production in South Asia, or in any other early state empire.

A Concise History of South India
A Concise History of South India

Author: Noboru Karashima

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780198099772

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The course of south Indian history from pre-historic times to the contemporary era is a complex narrative with many interpretations. Reflecting recent advances in the study of the region, this volume provides an assessment of the events and socio-cultural development of south India through a comprehensive analysis of its historical trajectory. Investigating the region's states and configurations, this book covers a wide range of topics that include the origins of the early inhabitants, formation of the ancient kingdoms, advancement of agriculture, new religious movements based on bhakti, and consolidation of centralized states in the medieval period. It further explores the growth of industries in relation to the development of East-West maritime trade in the Indian Ocean as well as the wave of Islamicization and the course of commercial relations with various European countries. The book then goes on to discuss the advent of early-modern state rule, impact of the raiyatwari system introduced by the British, debates about whether the region's economy developed or deteriorated during the eighteenth century, decline of matriliny in Kerala, emergence of the Dravidian Movement, and the intertwining of politics with contemporary popular culture. Well illustrated with maps and images, and incorporating new archaeological evidence and historiography, this volume presents new perspectives on a gamut of issues relating to communities, languages, and cultures of a macro-region that continues to fascinate scholars and readers alike.

Modern South India
Modern South India

Author: Rajmohan Gandhi

Publisher: Rupa

Published: 2017-01-03

Total Pages: 544

ISBN-13: 9789388292221

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The South India story attempted here is of a peninsular region influenced by the oceans, not by the Himalayas. Yet it is more than that. It is a story of facets of four powerful culturesKannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu, to name them in alphabetical orderand yet more than that, for Kodava, Konkani, Marathi, Oriya and Tulu cultures have also influenced it, as also other older and possibly more indigenous cultures often seen as tribal, as well as cultures originating in other parts of India and the world. With South Indias Malayalam region being (in modern times) the most balanced in terms of religion and also the most literate, its Kannada zone occupying South Indias geographical centre and containing the sites of the Vijayanagara kingdom and also the kingdom of Haidar and Tipu, its Telugu portion the largest in area and holding the most people, and its Tamil part the most Dravidian and possessing the oldest literature, the four principal cultures are, unsurprisingly, competitive. But they are also complementary. This is a Dravidian story, and also more than that. It is a story involving four centuries, the seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth, yet other periods intrude upon it...

Coromandel
Coromandel

Author: Charles Allen

Publisher: Hachette UK

Published: 2017-11-02

Total Pages: 363

ISBN-13: 1408705400

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COROMANDEL. A name which has been long applied by Europeans to the Northern Tamil Country, or (more comprehensively) to the eastern coast of the Peninsula of India. This is the India highly acclaimed historian Charles Allen visits in this fascinating book. Coromandel journeys south, exploring the less well known, often neglected and very different history and identity of the pre-Aryan Dravidian south. During Allen's exploration of the Indian south he meets local historians, gurus and politicians and with their help uncovers some extraordinary stories about the past. His sweeping narrative takes in the archaeology, religion, linguistics and anthropology of the region - and how these have influenced contemporary politics. Known for his vivid storytelling, for decades Allen has travelled the length and breadth of India, revealing the spirit of the sub-continent through its history and people. In Coromandel, he moves through modern-day India, discovering as much about the present as he does about the past.

South India Under the Cholas
South India Under the Cholas

Author: Y. Subbarayalu

Publisher: OUP India

Published: 2011-12-22

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780198077350

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This volume deals with different aspects of state-society interactions in medieval south India, especially under the Cholas. It discusses the nature of the state, revenue system, local governance bodies, land rights, along with trade, merchant guilds, and maritime trade.

Social Formations of Early South India
Social Formations of Early South India

Author: Rajan Gurukkal

Publisher: OUP India

Published: 2012-10-18

Total Pages: 368

ISBN-13: 0198089392

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This book presents an incisive analysis of social formations in present-day Tamil Nadu and Kerala from pre-historic times to early medieval period. It examines the economy, technology, and the process of state formation to understand the transformation from agro-pastoral to agrarian social formation.

Vijayanagara
Vijayanagara

Author: S R Ramanujan

Publisher: Notion Press

Published: 2019-02-04

Total Pages: 111

ISBN-13: 1684667453

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The Vijayanagar Empire, which was headquartered in present-day Hampi, Karnataka, is acclaimed in pre-modern history as the most powerful kingdom to arrest the onslaught of Moghul invaders in the South for nearly two centuries. Its rulers were known for their valour in taking on the Sultans from the North. Further, the rulers of Vijayanagara were great patrons of Hindu culture and civilization and were known for their military and administrative acumen. They patronized fine arts, music, dance and temple architecture. Despite their glory, there are conflicting records of the empire’s history, right from the inception of the empire to its collapse. There are some apologists who even contest the fact that Sage Vidyaranya founded the empire to defend Hinduism and its values. Others, foreign tourists who visited the empire, were not wholly appreciative of the rulers and exaggerated their weaknesses if any. Influenced by their religious allegiances, these visitors were often biased and tended to base their narratives on hearsay. Modern historians too have descredited the empire so as to nullify the role of religious bigotry. They came up with theories that do not truly represent the true spirit and culture of this great empire. Which narrative is the most accurate and who has curated the history of the Vijayanagar Empire in the most succinct way? This book only tries to analyse various theories about the Empire and tries to give a perspective on such controversies.

Fierce Gods
Fierce Gods

Author: Diane P. Mines

Publisher: Indiana University Press

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 278

ISBN-13: 9780253345769

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A vivid account of ritual, power, and social inequality in rural India.