HISTORY OF ANCIENTT INDIA (From Earliest Times To 1206 AD)
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- New Delhi Lotus Press 2025
- 815
This study by J.L. Mehta & Sarita Mehta presents a concise account of the political history and culture of ancient India from the earliest times to the beginning of the thirteenth century A.D. It gives a descriptive, critical and analytical survey of ancient India or the 'Hindu Period of James Mill's classification. The narrative portrays a compact picture of the evolution, growth and development of the Indian culture and polity in chronological sequence. It shatters the contention of the earlier European writers and the medievalist chroniclers that ancient India had 'no history properly so- called'. The 'Indo Aryans', the pioneers of Vedic civilization and culture, were made out as foreign invaders, and the pre Muslim India was summarily disposed off as 'the dark age' of Indian history, characterized by numerous dynastic and tribal states, absolute monarchies, feudalism and political anarchy. Modern researches have exploded most of these myths and fallacies to set the record straight. It is now generally accepted that the Rigvedic Aryans comprised an indigenous cultural group and not a racial stock, they were the proud inheritors of the indigenous Harappan culture, and roots of the Rigvedic society and culture lay deep into the Neolithic and Chalcolithic ages, which flourished in the fertile valleys of the great river systems of Sindhu, Saraswati and Ganga of the northern plains. The authors have made a judicious use of the extensive researches done by all those savants the historians as well as archaeologists, whose works have been cited in the body of the book and included in the bibliography. While claiming no 'originality' in the treatment of the subject, they have made a modest attempt to reorganize and reinterpret the historical data through clear and illuminating expositions, refreshing characterization of historic personalities, and objective assessment of events and movements so as to make the narrative readable but authentic. The subject matter is being presented in the form of a textbook for the benefit of young scholars and students of colleges and universities.
9788183821377
Gifted RRRLF, Kolkata
History & geography History of ancient world (to ca. 499) South Asia to 647