This is the first of a threevolume history of India characterized by three main arguments: (a) Indian history has been crucially conditioned by the connections linking the Indian subcontinent to the remainder of the world (b) Indian society was never static but always crisscrossed by powerful currents of change (c) colonialism caused both the crystallization of a ‘traditional’ society – which in that shape had never really existed before – and at the same time the rise of modernity. This volume examines the history of India from the first human settlements in the subcontinent up to the death of Emperor Aurangzeb in 1717. The political military economic and social developments are analysed against the backdrop represented by the rise decline fall and renaissance of flourishing urban civilizations. While the economy remained mainly agrarian longdistance trade and premodern but quite sophisticated manufacturing and service activities rose declined and rose again. This caused the parallel rise decline and resurgence of intermediate social strata later resulting in the formation of a modern bourgeoisie. While the existing religious and cultural strands are analysed a particular emphasis is placed on the relations between the two main religious traditions Hinduism and Islam. This volume demonstrates that despite exceptions an essentially harmonious coexistence did exsist which often extended to cooperation. This coexistence came into being as a result of both Realpolitik and the presence within both Hinduism and Islam of surprisingly similar mystical movements extremely influential both at the mass level and at the level of the ruling classes. About the Author Michelguglielmo Torri a former Harkness Fellow a retired full professor Asian History (University of Turin) presently the president of ‘Asia Maior an Italian think tank on Asia’ is the doyen of the Italian historians working on South Asia. He has widely published in Italian and English. Some of his articles have appeared in ‘Asian Survey’ the ‘Economic and Political Weekly’ the ‘Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society’ ‘Modern Asian Studies’ ‘Studies in History’ and ‘The Indian Economic and Social History Review’.
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Languages of India are divided into four main families i.e. IndoAryan Dravidian SinoTibetan AustroAsiatic. Dravidian is spoken in all four states of south India in northern Sri Lanka some parts of Eastern India and the Southwestern part of Pakistan. Languages except Konkani and Urdu such as Tamil Telugu Tulu Malayalam and Kannada are spoken in Southern India. This study is part of a comparative study of Dravidian languages concerning their language grammar and linguistic aspects. It contains a comprehensive description of each major and minor Dravidian language. It also studies its grammar rules and numerical system and draws its comparisons with North Indian languages including Sanskrit IndoEuropean languages and Semitic languages. In the domain of Dravidian linguistics this book remains a respected work today. About the Author Robert Caldwell (18141891) was a missionary associated with the London Missionary Society. He was the part of Society for the Propagation of the Gospel Mission. He studied at Balliol College Oxford and the University of Glasgow specializing in theology and philology. He authored books like Christianity and Hinduism: A Lecture Addressed to Educated Hindus A Political and General History of the District of Tinnevelly The Tinnevelly Shanars: A Sketch of their Religion and their Moral Condition and Characteristics The Prince of Wales in Tinnevelly and From Delahay Street to Edeyengoody etc.
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This epigraphic study of the political geography of two historical regions Daksina Kosala and Vidarbha between fourth and thirteenth centuries focuses on the interaction of physical and human geography as reflected in the changing nature of settlement patterns both rural and urban and their political organization through time – an important exercise based primarily on Sanskrit inscriptions from the period and the region. The study contributes to further substantiation of the critical significance of the conception of early medieval in the study of Indian history. Since almost all the inscriptions are in the nature of land grants to Brahamans shrines and monasteries a related area of investigation is the extent of agrarian expansion in the context of political and administrative changes initiated by a series of dynasties across centuries. This also involved a gradual growth of a sense of affiliation with the region or conscious effort to appropriate its identity by the ruling dynasties. The book critically analyses the data meticulously presented in tabulated form – an established method in inscriptionbased studies of early medieval India. It thus adds to our knowledge and understanding of the region as it has gradually evolved over several centuries through the early medieval period. About the Author Kundan Kumar holds a PhD degree from the Department of History University of Delhi. He is currently Assistant Professor in History Hansraj College Delhi.
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Philology was everywhere and nowhere in classical South Asia. While its civilizations possessed remarkably sophisticated tools and methods of textual analysis interpretation and transmission they lacked any sense of a common disciplinary or intellectual project uniting these indeed they lacked a word for ‘philology’ altogether. Arguing that such pseudepigraphical genres as the Sanskrit puranas and tantras incorporated modes of philological reading and writing Cox demonstrates the ways in which the production of these works in turn motivated the invention of new kinds of sastric scholarship. Combining close textual analysis with wider theoretical concerns Cox traces this philological transformation in the works of the dramaturgist Saradatanaya the celebrated Vaisnava poettheologian Venkatanatha and the maverick Saiva mystic Mahesvarananda. About the Author Whitney Cox University of Chicago is Associate Professor in the Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations at that university and a member of the Collegium of the Zukunftsphilologie research project Forum Transregionale Studien Berlin. He is the author of Politics Kingship and Poetry in Medieval South India: Moonset on Sunrise Mountain (Cambridge 2016).
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Annexation and the Unhappy Valley: The Historical Anthropology of Sindh’s Colonization addresses the nineteenth century expansion and consolidation of British colonial power in the Sindh region of South Asia. It adopts an interdisciplinary approach and employs a finegrained nuanced and situated reading of multiple agents and their actions. It explores how the political and administrative incorporation of territory (i.e. annexation) by East India Company informs the conversion of intracultural distinctions into sociohistorical conflicts among the colonized and colonizers. The book focuses on colonial direct rule rather than the more commonly studied indirect rule of South Asia. It socioculturally explores how agents perspectives and intentions vary—both within and across regions—to impact the actions and structures of colonial governance. About the Author Matthew A. Cook Ph.D. (2007) in Sociocultural Anthropology Columbia University is Professor of South Asian and Postcolonial Studies at North Carolina Central University. His research focuses on the history and anthropology of South Asia Sindh and colonialism. His previous publications include: Willoughby’s Minute: Treaty of Nownahar Fraud and British Sindh (Oxford University Press 2013) Observing Sindh: Selected Reports of Edward Paterson Del Hoste (Oxford University Press 2008) and with Michel Boivin Interpreting the Sindhi World: Essays on Society and History (Oxford University Press 2010).
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This book is the first part of the threevolume series of History of Medieaval Hindu India. It is divided into two parts. The author starts with the reign of Harsha and the kingdoms in North and Central India which were contemporary to Harsha’s reign. This volume covers the social religious political civil and military aspects from c.500800. The book further examines the Sindh kingdoms and the expansion of the Umayyad Caliphate into the Sind the profile of Kabul Shahis and the Hindu kingdoms of Kashmir in greater detail. The author also covers the popular kingdoms such as Vallabhis Chalukyas Pallavas Kesaris of Orissa and other minor kingdoms throughout the Indian subcontinent before the establishment of Delhi Sultanates. About the Author C.V. Vaidya (18611938) was a historian and Chief Justice of Gwalior State. He was also part of the Democratic Swarajya Party. He authored books both in English and Marathi. His works include Mahabharat: A Criticism History of Sanskrit Literature Shivaji: The Founder of Maratha Swaraj Epic India or India as Described in the Mahabharat and the Ramayan and The Riddle of the Ramaya? etc.
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This book is the last part of the threevolume series of History of Medieaval Hindu India. This book focuses largely on the impact of Hindu Kingdoms with the advent of Turkish invasions in the Indian subcontinent under Mahmud Ghazni. The Mohyal Brahmins popularly known as Hussaini Brahmins the rule of Raja Jaipal the Hindu Shahi kingdom of Kabul which is the last Hindu kingdom in Afghanistan and its decline are some of the interesting histories are covered in this book. Raids under the Turkish Sultans at Mathura Multan Kangra Kannauj Somnath and Thanesar and the conquest of Punjab and Kabul under Ghaznavids forms a significant part of the volume. Profiles of the major kingdoms of North and South India like Palas GurjaraPratiharas Cholas Gangas Kakatiyas Hoysalas Yadavas Himalayan kingdoms and so forth are covered in great detail. The latter part of book covers the ruling elites the decline of Rajput states caste stratifications religious history and changes in the politics administration language and literature arenas. About the Author C.V. Vaidya (18611938) was a historian and Chief Justice of Gwalior State. He was also part of the Democratic Swarajya Party. He authored books both in English and Marathi. His works include Mahabharat: A Criticism History of Sanskrit Literature Shivaji: The Founder of Maratha Swaraj Epic India or India as Described in the Mahabharat and the Ramayan and The Riddle of the Ramayan etc.
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Rajputs are a warrior caste who established major kingdoms in Northern India in the early medieval times. During the Sultanate and Mughal rule Rajputs played a key role in kingship. This book is the second volume of History of Medieaval Hindu India’s threevolume series which covers the history of the Rajput community starting from ad 750 till ad 1000 when the Turkish invasions began. The book has three parts. The first part starts with the genealogical origins of the Rajput clan especially their foreign origins propounded by contemporary scholars. The second part covers the historical profile of kingdoms in Northern India and Deccan regions such as Chahamanas Chandellas Palas Rashtrakutas and others. This book also contains the description of Rajputs made by the Arab chroniclers who visited India during the said period. The concluding part deals with the language cultural religious political civil and administrative roles and responsibilities of Rajputs in the medieval period. About the Author C.V. Vaidya (18611938) was a historian and Chief Justice of Gwalior State. He was also part of the Democratic Swarajya Party. He authored books both in English and Marathi. His works include Mahabharat: A Criticism History of Sanskrit Literature Shivaji: The Founder of Maratha Swaraj Epic India or India as Described in the Mahabharat and the Ramayan and The Riddle of the Ramaya? etc.
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A History of Sanskrit Literature covers the history of Sanskrit from the later Vedic literature and continues up to the twelfth century ad. The book in the initial part covers the origins of Sanskrit and the other two languages spoken in Northern India during the ancient period Pali and Prakrit which are the sacred languages of Buddhism and Jainism also. This volume also talks about the poems and selected literary works of Sanskrit such as Ramayana Panchatantra Ashwaghosha Hitopadesha and Kathasaritsagara and literary profiles of authors and poets such as Kalhana Kalidasa Banabhatta etc. The final part talks about scientific works in Sanskrit containing the explanation of Sastric literature and the contributions of Sanskrit in the fields of medicine astronomy astrology lexicography civil and religious law etc. Beneficial for students and scholars interested in Sanskrit literature and grammar. About the Author Arthur Berriedale Keith (18791944) was a Scottish jurist Indologist and scholar of Sanskrit. He was educated at the University of Edinburgh and was appointed as a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1935. His selected works include The Sa?khayana Ara?yaka The Sa?khya System: A History of the Smakhya Philosophy Classical Sanskrit Literature The Sanskrit Drama in its Origin Development Theory & Practice etc.
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