Indian Civilization The Formative Period

Book deals with the anthroplogy and culture of ancient India and the surviving archaeological evidence.

Originally published between 1920-70,The History of Civilization was a landmark in early twentieth century publishing. It was published at a formative time within the social sciences, and during a period of decisive historical discovery. The aim of the general editor, C.K. Ogden, was to summarize the most up to date findings and theories of historians, anthropologists, archaeologists and sociologists. This reprinted material is available as a set, in the following groupings, or as individual volumes: * Prehistory and Historical Ethnography Set of 12: 0-415-15611-4: £800.00 * Greek Civilization Set of 7: 0-415-15612-2: £450.00 * Roman Civilization Set of 6: 0-415-15613-0: £400.00 * Eastern Civilizations Set of 10: 0-415-15614-9: £650.00 * Judaeo-Christian Civilization Set of 4: 0-415-15615-7: £250.00 * European Civilization Set of 11: 0-415-15616-5: £700.00

As India rises to great power status in the emerging multipolar world order, what influence will its rich and ancient culture have on the country’s foreign policy? This book reveals that cultural values have greater explanatory power than previously thought and describes the nature of their influence. Excavating thousands of years of history, the monograph identifies enduring values that are relevant to contemporary foreign policy. It examines three critical areas of Indian foreign policy – nuclear policy, humanitarian intervention and relations with the Middle East. Major decisions were shaped by cultural values – sometimes at the expense of strategic interests. India’s choice to test nuclear weapons was not purely because of China or Pakistan: hierarchy also played a role. From a hierarchical worldview shaping Delhi’s approach to international law on arms control to pluralism facilitating simultaneous friendships with America and Iran, values thread their way throughout India’s foreign relations. Non-violence underpins Delhi’s soft power in both the West and the Middle East, while having spurred India’s opposition to Western intervention in Iraq. Analyzing state behavior and interviewing diplomats, the book charts culture’s evolving influence from Rajiv Gandhi to Narendra Modi.

Contributed articles.

The Crisis Of The Age Inheres In This, That Notwithstanding The Century S Mind-Boggling Disasters, It Persists In Subscribing To Propositions Which Have Logically Led To The Atomization Of The Whole Cloth Of Human Experiencing, And Being. Great Indeed Is The Value, Which Is Placed On The Procedure Of Analytic Dismemberment. While The Method Has Certainly Been Result Producing, Materially, In Its Wake It Has Brought Immense Suffering- Both Physical And Spiritual. The Price Paid For A Lopsided Advance Is Thirty Major Wars With Their Toll Of One Hundred And Thirty Million Lives, And The Irreparable Destruction Of The Natural Environment. The Time Cries For A Reappraisal Of The Basic Paradigms Of Human Existence, But The Hegemony Of Well-Entrenched Vested Interests Material Or Intellectual Would Seem To Preclude This. The Advanced Among The Mankind Of The Day Become Suicidally Specialized. For, If The Mechanical Model Of Thought Has Been Of Advantage In Man S Preceding Unfolding, The Same, What May Be Called The Survival Paradigm,, Now Creates Dangerous Dualities, Binary Oppositions (You-Me, Body-Mind, East-West, Etc.) . The Model Has Outlived Its Usefulness Merely Enforcing Dormancy On A Major Part Of The Human Brain. It Behoves Mankind To Choose Wisely Right Now Since Parallel To The Socio-Economic, Scientific And Technological Revolutions There Has Got To Be The Overdue Radical Psychic Transformation. The First Step Towards Clearing The Fateful Crisis Would Therefore Be To Be Aware, And End The Hold Of The Linear, Causal, Mechanical Thought Orientation Over The Intellectual Culture Of The Times. Delving Deep Into The Epistemological-Cum-Ontological Causation Of The Emergency Confronting The Being And Becoming Of Man, The Author Of This Important Work Provokes The Thoughtful Lay Reader To A Serious Engagement With His Or Her Self.

Revised to encompass developments through to the end of the 20th century, this is a study of India's complex history and society. The author views the development of Indian civilization in terms of the socio-religious conflicts and traditions through time, and their impact on political culture.