In the 7th Century C.E. when the Pushyabhuti dynasty of Kannauj held sway in North India under the rule of Emperor Harsha Vardhana and the Chalukya dynasty held power in the Deccan under Emperor Satyashreya Pulakeshin, the Pallavas of Kanchipuram lay injured in South India, a lion licking its wounds.Against the backdrop of these mighty empires the Pallavas of Kanchipuram looked within to regain their lost strength. Did they succeed ? This book is an interesting study of the much-neglected history of the Pallavas of Kanchipuram and their lavish contributions to the arts, architecture, literature,
This book traces the emergence of the South Indian city of Kanchi as a major royal capital and multireligious pilgrimage destination during the era of the Pallava and Chola dynasties (circa seventh through thirteenth centuries). It presents the first-ever comprehensive picture of historical Kanchi, locating the city and its more than 100 spectacular Hindu temples at the heart of commercial and artistic exchange that spanned India, Southeast Asia, and China. The author demonstrates that Kanchi was structured with a hidden urban plan, which determined the placement and orientation of temples around a central thoroughfare that was also a burgeoning pilgrimage route. Moving outwards from the city, she shows how the transportation networks, river systems, residential enclaves, and agrarian estates all contributed to the vibrancy of Kanchi's temple life. The construction and ongoing renovation of temples in and around the city, she concludes, has enabled Kanchi to thrive continuously from at least the eighth century, through the colonial period, and up until the present.
Presenting a grand sweep of Indian history, this work covers antiquity to the later half of the 20th century. The authors examine the major political, social and cultural forces which have shaped the history of the Indian subcontinent. This third edition of the text has been updated to include current research as well as a revised preface, index and dateline.
Stone figures hardened by ascetic discipline and heroic effort face north in deep shadow. There they meet the gazes of the same gods and goddesses but with gentler bodies enacting grace, warmth, seduction, and marriage, drenched in sunlight, facing south. These figures adorn the eighth-century Kailasanatha temple complex in southeastern India, built by rulers who were both warriors and ascetics, engaged in the work of this world and in spiritual quests. They designed their temple as an exuberant visual feast to sustain both modes of being. In Opening Kailasanatha, Padma Kaimal deciphers the intentions of the monument’s makers, reaching back across centuries to illuminate worldviews of the ancient Indic south. She reveals how circling the complex in a clockwise direction focuses the mind and spirit on worldly engagement; in a counterclockwise direction, on renunciation and ascetic practice. This pairing of highly charged, complementary pathways enabled devotees to grasp these counterpoised opportunities in their own listening, gazing, moving bodies. By focusing on the material form of the complex—the architecture, inscriptions, and sculptures, along with the spaces they carve out that guide light, shadow, sound, and footsteps—Kaimal offers insights that complement what surviving texts tell us about Shaiva Siddhanta ideas and practices, providing a rare opportunity to walk in the distant past.
Presents a consolidated timeline of medieval India by taking into account the period that marked the end of ancient India, and focusing on the importance of the transitory centuries when Delhi had begun to surface as the new power center, triggering prominent trends in thought and institutions. This book analyzes the nature of social forces, complexity of causation and the interdependence of change and continuity in the light of the crucial transition from ancient to early medieval India, with the emergence of the Delhi Sultanate and the Vijayanagar-Bahmani kingdoms. Proceeding to detail the most effervescent period in Indian history - the era of the great Mughals - the text provides an insight into the ideological-philosophical basis of the times, focusing on the Sufi and Bhakti movements, and culminates with the rise of the Marathas, the advent of European companies, and the eventual establishment of the British in Bengal. keeping in mind that the history of medieval India has not moved in a linear fashion, and that much of the period saw phases of expansion and realignment of political attributes, this book contributes to a deeper understanding of the much misread period of Indian history with a view that takes into account the resultant interface between the political, social, economic, religious and cultural elements and devotes to this crucial period the attention it deserves.
What is (real) Hinduism? The simple answer is that there is no ‘simple answer’. We know Hinduism as the most ancient, complex and fascinating religion of humankind. It may also be the least understood due to bewildering variety of its thought processes, which are both original and sublime. An attempt has been made in the book to present a short and simplified, yet comprehensive view of Hinduism – its culture and civilization. The vast range of Hindu gods and goddesses is fully explored. It is considered that after going through the book, aam admi (layman) would be greatly informed about Hinduism; and Hindus will feel empowered about their religion. The book will be of special interest to NRIs, especially of the second generation, in search of their roots. For everyone else, including the foreigners, there is a fascinating story waiting to be discovered. The second half of the book relates to study of the Hindu military value system from the earliest times of mythology to the present times. Issues of Hindu military mindset and 750 years of unending slavery are covered in detail. The causes for the Hindu military defeats are analyzed with an extraordinary degree of candor; the conclusions reached shatter many a prevalent myth. The causes for Hindu military defeats lay in their mind, rather than in their muscle.
