Aspects Of Ancient Indian History And Historiography

The Book Deals With The Tradition Of Historiography From The Vedic Times To The 12Th Century Ad Through A Study Of Vedic, Epic And Puranic Traditions, Buddhist And Jain Historiography, Ancient Dramas And Writings Of South India. Focusing On Biographies, Chronicles And Vamsavalis, It Discusses The Social, Political And Economic Conditions In Different Periods As Highlighted By Them.

Contains 29 Research Papers Contributed By Eminent Scholars Felicitating Prof. Kalyan Kumar Dasgupta, A Familiar Name In The Domain Of Indology. These Papers Represent Various Aspects Of Indian History And Historiography Covering A Wide Range Of Subjects Viz., Popular Movements, Tribal History, System Of Education, Role Of Temples, Traditions And Social Customs, Trade And India S Foreign Policy. Contents Section I; Chapter 1: Petty Peasant Production And Agrarian Capitalism: A Recent View On Their Relationship In Colonial India By B B Chaudhuri; Chapter 2: The Congress Ministry In The Central Provinces And Berar, 1937-39: The Communal Problem By K Mojumdar; Chapter 3: Civil Disobedience Movement And Women In Midnapore District By Niranjan Ghosh; Chapter 4: Nature Of Agrarian Discontent And The Origin Of Peasant Movements In India During The Pre-Nationalist Era (1757-1857) By Debabandya Kabi; Chapter 5: Protest Movement In Manbhum Against Its Merger With Bihar, 1912 By S C Mukhopadhyay; Chapter 6: The Indian Reform And Awakening Of The 19Th Century: A Study Of Its Impact On Bihar By Sumanta Niyogi; Chapter 7: The Quit India Movement And The Tamralipta Jatiya Sarkar By P K Maity; Chapter 8: Western Poligars In Madras Presidency By Anies George; Section Ii; Chapter 9: A Living Tradition Of Tripura: An Ethno-Cultural Probe By Sumangal Sen; Chapter 10: Endowments To Temples In Northern India (Early Medieval Period) By Pushpa Niyogi; Chapter 11: Modern And Secular Trends In Muslim Social Thought In Nineteenth Century Bengal By A F Salahuddin Ahmed; Chapter 12: Tribal History Of Ancient Bengal By Bhaskar Chatterjee; Chapter 13: The Cola Army And The Royal Temple Of Rajarajesvaram By Geeta Vasudevan; Chapter 14: The System Of Education In Ancient Orissa (6Th Century A D To 13Th Century A D) By Sanghamitra Dasgupta; Chapter 15: Widow Burning And The Madri Episode: An Analysis By Ashvini Agrawal; Chapter 16: Glimpses Of Social Condition Of India In The Anguttara-Nikaya By Gayatri Sen Majumdar; Chapter 17: Medical Science As Known To The Chinese Pilgrims By Sukumar Sengupta; Chapter 18: Medicine In Ancient India: A Review By Rakhal Chandra Nath; Chapter 19: Orissan Chronology: An Epigraphical Study By P K Nayak; Section Iii; Chapter 20: Jagannath Cult Of Orissa And The Rajas Of Nepal By P K Mishra; Chapter 21: Indians Around The Pamir Plateau In The First Decade Of The Nineteenth Century: A View Of Contemporary Russians By Surendra Gopal; Chapter 22: India S Foreign Policy In The Post Cold War Era: Can It Be Reconstructed To Build A South Asian Community? By Jayanta Kumar Ray; Chapter 23: Origin And Development Of Arakanese Settlements In Bangladesh: A Study Of Arakan-Bangladesh Relations (1760-1825) By Abdul Mabud Khan; Section Iv; Chapter 24: Craft Of History Writing: An Early Indian Perspective By Sukla Das; Chapter 25: A Lost Book On Politics In Ancient India By Pratap Chandra Chunder; Chapter 26: Perspectives Of Pali And Buddhistic Studies And Bimala Churn Law By Dipak Kumar Barua; Chapter 27: Some Illusionistic Thoughts In History Writing By Rasesh Jamindar; Chapter 28: Swamikannu Pillai S Indian Ephemeris: A Reconsideration By Mahesh Sharma; Chapter 29: Voices Of Protest And Dissent In The Works Of Bana By Shankar Goyal.

The volume is a collection of papers on certain aspects of Indian history, historiography and culture. The papers are fundamental, insightful and path-breaking to some extent. Combining literary, archaeological, scientific and other perspectives, they cover a range of subjects stretching from ancient to modern India. The volume deals with the Greek historians, the Indian epic and Puranic tradition of historiography, colonial and cultural expansion of the Aryans, the early history of north-west India, society, trade and commerce in ancient India, economic, political and cultural contacts of India with other parts of Asia in ancient and medieval periods, and the 1857 War of Independence in India. It takes up some very interesting and new subjects like role of Brahmanas in the anti-Alexander movement in north-west India and the concept of national integration in ancient India. It explores the sources of history of Uttar Pradesh and the antiquity of Ayodhya and historicity of Rama in an interesting study. The volume will be of immense use to historians and scholars of philosophy.

Our knowledge of the most ancient times in India rests mainly on tradition. The Purana, the Mahabharata and in a minor degree the Ramayana profess to give accounts from tradition about the earliest occurrences. The Rgveda contains historical allusions, of which some record contemporary persons and events, but more refer to gone times and persons and are obviously based on tradition. Almost all the information, therefore, comes from tradition. The results obtained from an examination of the Puranic and epic tradition as well as of the Rgveda and Vedic literature are set forth in the present book, which happens to be a pioneering work in the area by an important orientalist of the nineteenth century.

A collection of papers that interprets afresh, known facts about the early period of Indian history up to the end of the first millennium AD. The papers discuss several associated themes such as society and religion, social classification and mobility and the study of regional history. A useful reference book for postgraduate students of History.