From Dasarajna to Kuruksetra
From Dasarajna to Kuruksetra

Author: Kanad Sinha

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2021-11-24

Total Pages: 470

ISBN-13: 0190993456

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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.

India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy
India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy

Author: Ramachandra Guha

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Published: 2017-07-13

Total Pages: 871

ISBN-13: 1509883282

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Ramachandra Guha’s India after Gandhi is a magisterial account of the pains, struggles, humiliations and glories of the world’s largest and least likely democracy. A riveting chronicle of the often brutal conflicts that have rocked a giant nation, and of the extraordinary individuals and institutions who held it together, it established itself as a classic when it was first published in 2007. In the last decade, India has witnessed, among other things, two general elections; the fall of the Congress and the rise of Narendra Modi; a major anti-corruption movement; more violence against women, Dalits, and religious minorities; a wave of prosperity for some but the persistence of poverty for others; comparative peace in Nagaland but greater discontent in Kashmir than ever before. This tenth anniversary edition, updated and expanded, brings the narrative up to the present. Published to coincide with seventy years of the country’s independence, this definitive history of modern India is the work of one of the world’s finest scholars at the height of his powers.

Śuṅga Art
Śuṅga Art

Author: Rajaram Hegde

Publisher: Spotlight Poets

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13:

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This Book Unravels The Details Of The Material Culture Of 2Nd And 1St Century B.C. India In Different Headings Like Architecture, Costume And Textile, Personal Ornaments, Coiffure And Head Gear, Vessels And Household Materials, Aries And Armour, Conveyance, Musical Instruments, Etc. The Represented Shapes Are Co-Related With The Descriptions In The Contemporary Literature And Corroborated With The Excavated Evidence, Wherever It Is Found Possible, To Establish The Authenticity Of The Pictorial Representations. Attempts Are Also Made In This Study To Understand The Social Context Of These Materials Like The Class, Gender And Regional Differences As Well As Their Cultural Functions Wherever The Evidences Have Permitted To Do So. This Study Also Helps Us Expand Our Understanding Of The Contemporary Literature And Excavated Objects, Because, It Provides The Visual Counterparts To The Literary Terms And, The Lost Shapes And Functional Contexts To The Excavated Objects. The Description In This Book Is Visually Supported By The Relevant Line Drawings And Photographs.

Rethinking Religion in India
Rethinking Religion in India

Author: Esther Bloch

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2009-12-24

Total Pages: 209

ISBN-13: 1135182795

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Critically assesses recent debates about the colonial construction of Hinduism. Written by experts in their field, the chapters present historical and empirical arguments as well as theoretical reflections on the topic, offering new insights into the nature of the construction of religion in India.

Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger
Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger

Author: Christopher Moseley

Publisher: UNESCO

Published: 2010-01-01

Total Pages: 221

ISBN-13: 9231040960

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Languages are not only tools of communication, they also reflect a view of the world. Languages are vehicles of value systems and cultural expressions and are an essential component of the living heritage of humanity. Yet, many of them are in danger of disappearing. UNESCO's Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger tries to raise awareness on language endangerment. This third edition has been completely revised and expanded to include new series of maps and new points of view.