A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century

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Pearson Education India, 2008 - History - 677 pages
A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India is the most comprehensive textbook yet for undergraduate and postgraduate students. It introduces students to original sources such as ancient texts, artefacts, inscriptions and coins, illustrating how historians construct history on their basis. Its clear and balanced explanation of concepts and historical debates enables students to independently evaluate evidence, arguments and theories. This remarkable textbook allows the reader to visualize and understand the rich and varied remains of India s ancient past, transforming the process of discovering that past into an exciting experience.
 

Contents

Ideas of the Early Indian Past
2
The ruins at Bhita
3
Understanding Literary and Archaeological Sources
12
A 12th century manuscript of the Prajnaparamita
13
Purana Qila excavations in progress 1954
20
The mound of Hastinapura
36
INTERPRETING ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE
39
Nagarjunakonda salvage operations in progress
42
The Maurya Empire c 324187 BCE
320
The lion capital of Ashokas Sarnath pillar
321
ASHOKAS INSCRIPTIONS
326
LITERARY AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROFILES OF CITIES
334
Ring wells and storage jar Purana Qila
336
THE NATURE AND STRUCTURE OF THE MAURYA EMPIRE
340
ASHOKA AND BUDDHISM
349
The Rummindei pillar incription
351

Hero stone from Khanapur Karnataka
48
Silver GurjaraPratihara coin
54
HunterGatherers of the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Ages
58
Arun Sonakia
64
The Bhimbetka rock shelters
71
Burin from Mukat Manipur
78
Microliths from various sites
84
Graves subsistence and settlement patterns
86
CONCLUSIONS
93
Neolithic Neolithic
94
A pot from Nal Baluchistan
95
Neolithic stone tools Burzahom
111
Celts from Nayapur and Kuchai
122
Female figurine Mehrgarh
130
The Harappan Civilization c 26001900 BCE
132
Painted designs on early Harappan pottery Nal and Kulli
140
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE EARLY AND MATURE
145
Images from Texts
182
THE HISTORICAL MILIEU OF LATER VEDIC AGE TEXTS
198
The atman according to Uddalaka Aruni
208
The IndoGangetic divide the upper Ganga valley
214
The middle Ganga valley
223
The chalcolithic farmers of the Deccan
229
Goddesses with and without heads
235
PGW sherds from various sites
248
CONCLUSIONS
255
North India c 600300 BCE
256
NBPW from various sites
261
POLITICAL CONFLICTS AND THE GROWTH
269
THE EXAMPLE
276
Excavated section Hastinapura
281
THE MIDDLE AND LOWER GANGA VALLEY
283
CLASS KINSHIP VARNA AND CASTE
291
EARLY BUDDHISM
303
BUDDHISM AND WOMEN
310
Stone sculpture Lohaniganj
364
Interaction and Innovation c 200 BCE300 CE
368
THE SHAKAPAHLAVAS OR SCYTHOPARTHIANS
375
Copper coin of Soter Megas
377
THE SATAVAHANA EMPIRE IN THE DECCAN
381
VILLAGES AND CITIES
388
CENTRAL AND WESTERN INDIA
396
CRAFTS AND GUILDS
403
INDOROMAN TRADE
412
ASPECTS OF SOCIAL CHANGE IN NORTH INDIA AND
418
RELIGIOUS ARCHITECTURE AND SCULPTURE
445
THE JAINA CAVES AT UDAYAGIRI AND KHANDAGIRI
460
THE PATRONAGE OF RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENTS
467
Aesthetics and Empire c 300600 CE
472
THE ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE OF THE GUPTA
485
TYPES OF LAND LAND MEASURES AND LAND TENURE
493
CRAFT PRODUCTION GUILDS AND TRADE
500
A CLASSICAL AGE OF ART?
526
SCULPTURE
532
MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE
542
Emerging Regional Configurations c 6001200 CE
546
SOURCES LITERARY AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL
548
THE FAR SOUTH
557
EASTERN INDIA
564
KASHMIR AND THE NORTHWEST
571
THE IMPACT OF BRAHMANA SETTLEMENTS ON AGRARIAN RELATIONS
578
URBAN PROCESSES IN EARLY MEDIEVAL INDIA
584
THE ALVARS AND NAYANMARS
616
A Note on Diacritics
644
Further Readings
650
References
656
Index
667
Credits
676
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