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

Front Cover
Pearson Education India, 2008 - History - 677 pages

Basic Approach

Developed as a comprehensive introductory work for scholars and students of ancient and early medieval Indian history, this books provides the most exhaustive overview of the subject. Dividing the vast historical expanse from the stone age to the 12th century into broad chronological units, it constructs profiles of various geographical regions of the subcontinent, weaving together and analysing an unparalleled range of literary and archaeological evidence.
Dealing with prehistory and protohistory of the subcontinent in considerable detail, the narrative of the historical period breaks away from conventional text-based history writing. Providing a window into the world primary sources, it incorporates a large volume of archaeological data, along with literary, epigraphic, and numismatic evidence. Revealing the ways in which our past is constructed, it explains fundamental concepts, and illuminates contemporary debates, discoveries, and research. Situating prevailing historical debates in their contexts, Ancient and Early Medieval India presents balanced assessments, encouraging readers to independently evaluate theories, evidence, and arguments.
Beautifully illustrated with over four hundred photographs, maps, and figures, Ancient and Early Medieval India helps visualize and understand the extraordinarily rich and varied remains of the ancient past of Indian subcontinent. It offers a scholarly and nuanced yet lucid account of India s early past, and will surely transform the discovery of this past into an exciting experience.

Tabel of Contents

List of photographs
List of maps
List of figures
About the author
Preface
Acknowledgements
A readers guide

1. Understanding Literary and Archaeological Sources
2. Hunter-Gatherers of the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Ages
3. The Transition to Food Production: Neolithic,Neolithic Chalcolithic, and Chalcolithic Villages, c. 7000 2000 bce
4. The Harappan Civilization, c. 2600 1900 bce
5. Cultural Transitions: Images from Texts and Archaeology, c. 2000 600 bce
6. Cities, Kings, and Renunciants: North India, c. 600 300 bce
7. Power and Piety: The Maurya Empire, c. 324 187 bce
8. Interaction and Innovation, c. 200 BCE 300 ce
9. Aesthetics and Empire, c. 300 600 ce
10. Emerging Regional Configurations, c. 600 1200 ce
Note on diacritics
Glossary
Further readings
References
Index


Author Bio

Upinder Singh is Professor in the Department of History at the University of Delhi. She taught history at St. Stephen s College, Delhi, from 1981 until 2004, after which she joined the faculty of the Department of History at the University of Delhi. Professor Singh s wide range of research interests and expertise include the analysis of ancient and early medieval inscriptions; social and economic history; religious institutions and patrona≥ history of archaeology; and modern history of ancient monuments. Her research papers have been published in various national and international journals. Her published books include: Kings, Brahmanas, and Temples in Orissa: An Epigraphic Study (AD 300 1147) (1994); Ancient Delhi (1999; 2nd edn., 2006); a book for children, Mysteries of the Past: Archaeological Sites in India (2002); The Discovery of Ancient India: Early Archaeologists and the Beginnings of Archaeology (2004); and Delhi: Ancient History (edited, 2006).

 

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
viii
14
Purana Qila excavations in progress 1954
20
The mound of Hastinapura
36
Nagarjunakonda salvage operations in progress
42
Excavated section Hastinapura
281
THE MIDDLE AND LOWER GANGA VALLEY
283
CLASS KINSHIP VARNA AND CASTE
291
7
303
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

Krishna and Balarama on Agathocles coins
43
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 carly Harappan pottery Nal and Kulli
140
THE DIVERSITY OF THE HARAPPAN SUBSISTENCE BASE
156
Shortughaia Harappan trading post in Afghanistan_169
169
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
late Jorwe terracotta figurine Inamgaon
235
PGW sherds from various sites
248
North India c 600300 BCE
256
NBPW from various sites
261
POLITICAL CONFLICTS AND THE GROWTH
269
THE EXAMPLE
276
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
Stone sculpture Lohaniganj
364
Interaction and Innovation c 200 BCE300 CE
368
Copper coin of Soter Megas
377
Aesthetics and Empire c 300600 CE
472
THE EMERGENCE OF TANTRA
511
THE WORSHIP OF OTHER DEITIES
517
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 Goddess as killer of the demon Mahisha
614
PATRONAGE TO TEMPLES
622
THE PALLAVA KINGDOM
634
CHOLA METAL SCULPTURE
641
A Note on Diacritics
644
Further Readings
650
References
656
Index
667
Credits
676
Copyright

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About the author (2008)

Upinder Singh is Professor in the Department of History at the University of Delhi. She taught history at St. Stephen¿s College, Delhi, from 1981 until 2004, after which she joined the faculty of the Department of History at the University of Delhi. Professor Singh¿s wide range of research interests and expertise include the analysis of ancient and early medieval inscriptions; social and economic history; religious institutions and patronage; history of archaeology; and modern history of ancient monuments. Her research papers have been published in various national and international journals. Her published books include: Kings, Brahmanas, and Temples in Orissa: An Epigraphic Study (AD 300¿1147) (1994); Ancient Delhi (1999; 2nd edn., 2006); a book for children, Mysteries of the Past: Archaeological Sites in India (2002); The Discovery of Ancient India: Early Archaeologists and the Beginnings of Archaeology (2004); and Delhi: Ancient History (edited, 2006).

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