Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300"Romila Thapar is the most eminent Indian historian. This superb book is not only the basic history of how India came to be and an introduction to how the writing of history takes shape, but also, not the least, a deconstruction of the historical myth and inventions on which is based the present intolerant and exclusivist Hindu nationalism. It is essential reading today."—Eric Hobsbawm "One of the world's most eminent historians of India, Thapar gives us a thoroughly revised edition of her authoritative general history. This one contains the accumulated research of the last thirty years and includes richly textured accounts of life in ancient India. Like its predecessor, this is indispensable reading for anyone interested in India's long and complex history."—Thomas R. Metcalf, Professor of History and Sarah Kailath Professor of Indian Studies, University of California, Berkeley, and co-author of A Concise History of India "Incorporating newer findings, methods, and interpretations, this thorough and outstandingly written addition to the author's highly acclaimed History of India, Volume One manifests her long and distinguished service to the study of Indian history. Thapar's skillful analysis of how India's past has been interpreted not only brings greater clarity to the understanding of contemporary India, but also contributes usefully to a broader study of history and historiography."—Peter L. Schmitthenner, Associate Professor of History, Virginia Tech |
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activities administration agriculture areas associated attempt authority became become brahmans Buddhist called caste central Asia centres century cities claimed clan coins continued cultivation culture Deccan deity described dynasty earlier early eastern economic emergence encouraged established evidence example exchange followed forest frequently functions further Ganges Plain given gradually grants groups Gupta ideas identity important included India initially inscriptions interest involved Jaina jati king kingdoms labour land language later linked maintained mentioned merchants millennium northern origin particularly past pattern peninsula period places political practice produce question referred region relations religion religious remained ritual river routes royal rulers ruling Sanskrit sects settlements social society sometimes sources status stone studies subcontinent suggest temple texts theory thought towns trade tradition urban various varna Vedic viewed village wealth western worship
Popular passages
Page 437 - We can only say, folly is an illness for which there is na medicine, and the Hindus believe that there is no country but theirs, no nation like theirs, no kings like theirs, no religion like theirs, no science like theirs. They are haughty, foolishly vain, selfconceited, and stolid. They are by nature niggardly in communicating that which they know, and they take the greatest possible care to withhold it from men of another caste among their own people...
Page 125 - When they divided the Man, Into how many parts did they divide him? What was his mouth, what were his arms, What were his thighs and his feet called?
Page 288 - Pratapaclla, a lion to the Huna deer, a burning fever to the king of the Indus land, a troubler of the sleep of Gujarat, a bilious plague to that scent-elephant the lord of Gandhara, a looter to the lawlessness of the Lats, an axe to the creeper of Malwa's glory.
Page 162 - To him amassing wealth, like roving bee Its honey gathering and hurting naught, Riches mount up as ant-heap growing high. When the good layman wealth has so amassed Able is he to benefit his clan. In portions four let him divide that wealth. So binds he to himself life's friendly things. One portion let him spend and taste the fruit. His business to conduct let him take two. And portion four let him reserve and hoard; So there'll be wherewithal in tunes of need.
Page 131 - Those whose conduct has been good, will quickly attain some good birth, the birth of a Brahmana, or a Kshatriya, or a Vaisya. But those whose conduct has been evil, will quickly attain an evil birth, the birth of a dog, or a hog, or a Kandala.
Page 159 - Such Indians, he also says, as are thought anything of, use parasols as a screen from the heat. They wear shoes made of white leather, and these are elaborately trimmed, while the soles are variegated, and made of great thickness, to make the wearer seem so much the taller.
Page 131 - But, after all, who knows and who can say whence it all came, and how creation happened? The gods themselves are later than creation, so who knows truly whence it has arisen?
Page 181 - Gods very earnestly practiced dhamma, desired dhamma and taught dhamma. On conquering Kalinga the Beloved of the Gods felt remorse, for when an independent country is conquered the slaughter, death and deportation of the people is extremely grievous to the Beloved of the Gods and weighs heavily on his mind. What is even more deplorable to the Beloved of the Gods, is that those who dwell there ... suffer violence, murder and separation from their loved ones.
Page 250 - Out of them, the two thousand, *,o00 at one pratika per cent are the cloth money; out of them to every one of the twenty monks who keep the vassa [the rainy season when monks remained at the monastery] in my cave, a cloth money of twelve kahapanas.
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Bibliographic information
| Title | Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300 |
| Author | Romila Thapar |
| Edition | illustrated, reprint |
| Publisher | University of California Press, 2004 |
| ISBN | 0520242254, 9780520242258 |
| Length | 555 pages |
| Subjects | › › History / Asia / General History / Asia / India & South Asia |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |