Ancient and Medieval Indian Thought

Ancient and Medieval Indian Thought PDF Author: Ankit Tomar
Publisher: Sage Publications Pvt. Limited
ISBN: 9789353882310
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 302

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Book Description
This textbook offers a lucid and comprehensive account of pre-modern Indian thought and traditions. The book will serve as a helpful reference for undergraduate and post-graduate students of Political Science, Sociology, History and Social Work.This book can also be useful for UGC NET and Civil Service Aspirants It aims to unravel the ideas and thoughts of ancient and medieval thinkers and various intellectual traditions of the Indian sub-continent. The book departs from the conventional approach and carries a context-driven conceptualization of major strands of pre-modern Indian thought. Further, it provides a roadmap to orient the students to the main themes and traditions of Indian socio-political thought. Ancient and Medieval Indian Thought will help the reader to understand the basic concepts of Indian political thought and develop a critical understanding of the major themes and issues such as community, state, kingship, culture and religion as perceived by different thinkers. This multi-authored volume has been designed as a core and invaluable resource for the students, researchers and teachers of political science, sociology and history, and will also be useful for the scholars of other sub-fields of social sciences. Key Features: - Concise and well-balanced coverage of thoughts, ideas and traditions from multi-disciplinary perspective - Extensive summary and glossary terms at the end of each chapter to help the readers recapitulate better - Thought-provoking review questions and suggestions for further reading to enrich the teaching-learning experience

Ancient and Medieval Indian Thought

Ancient and Medieval Indian Thought PDF Author: Ankit Tomar
Publisher: Sage Publications Pvt. Limited
ISBN: 9789353882310
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 302

Get Book Here

Book Description
This textbook offers a lucid and comprehensive account of pre-modern Indian thought and traditions. The book will serve as a helpful reference for undergraduate and post-graduate students of Political Science, Sociology, History and Social Work.This book can also be useful for UGC NET and Civil Service Aspirants It aims to unravel the ideas and thoughts of ancient and medieval thinkers and various intellectual traditions of the Indian sub-continent. The book departs from the conventional approach and carries a context-driven conceptualization of major strands of pre-modern Indian thought. Further, it provides a roadmap to orient the students to the main themes and traditions of Indian socio-political thought. Ancient and Medieval Indian Thought will help the reader to understand the basic concepts of Indian political thought and develop a critical understanding of the major themes and issues such as community, state, kingship, culture and religion as perceived by different thinkers. This multi-authored volume has been designed as a core and invaluable resource for the students, researchers and teachers of political science, sociology and history, and will also be useful for the scholars of other sub-fields of social sciences. Key Features: - Concise and well-balanced coverage of thoughts, ideas and traditions from multi-disciplinary perspective - Extensive summary and glossary terms at the end of each chapter to help the readers recapitulate better - Thought-provoking review questions and suggestions for further reading to enrich the teaching-learning experience

Indian Political Thought

Indian Political Thought PDF Author: Mahendra Prasad Singh
Publisher: Pearson Education India
ISBN: 9788131758519
Category : Political science
Languages : en
Pages : 308

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Book Description
Indian Political Thought: Themes and Thinkers covers all major Indian political thinkers from the ancient, through medieval to the modern times. Thus, this book provides an overview of the evolution of the Indian political thought through different historical periods, giving an insight into the sociological and political conditions of the times that shaped the Indian political thinking. It does not only talk about the lives and times of the thinkers, but also explores the important themes that formed the basis of their political ideologies. The chapters discuss the contributions of the thinkers and at the same time examine some important themes including the theory of state, civil rights, ideal polity, governance, nationalism, democracy, social issues like gender and caste, swaraj, satyagraha, liberalism, constitutionalism, Marxism, socialism and Gandhism. With a comprehensive coverage of both the thinkers and the themes of the Indian political thought, this book caters to needs of the undergraduate as well as the post graduate courses of all Indian universities. It is valuable also for UGC-NET and civil service examinations.

Political Violence in Ancient India

Political Violence in Ancient India PDF Author: Upinder Singh
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674981286
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 617

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Book Description
Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru helped create the myth of a nonviolent ancient India while building a modern independence movement on the principle of nonviolence (ahimsa). But this myth obscures a troubled and complex heritage: a long struggle to reconcile the ethics of nonviolence with the need to use violence to rule. Upinder Singh documents the dynamic tension between violence and nonviolence in ancient Indian political thought and practice over twelve hundred years. Political Violence in Ancient India looks at representations of kingship and political violence in epics, religious texts, political treatises, plays, poems, inscriptions, and art from 600 BCE to 600 CE. As kings controlled their realms, fought battles, and meted out justice, intellectuals debated the boundary between the force required to sustain power and the excess that led to tyranny and oppression. Duty (dharma) and renunciation were important in this discussion, as were punishment, war, forest tribes, and the royal hunt. Singh reveals a range of perspectives that defy rigid religious categorization. Buddhists, Jainas, and even the pacifist Maurya emperor Ashoka recognized that absolute nonviolence was impossible for kings. By 600 CE religious thinkers, political theorists, and poets had justified and aestheticized political violence to a great extent. Nevertheless, questions, doubt, and dissent remained. These debates are as important for understanding political ideas in the ancient world as for thinking about the problem of political violence in our own time.

A Comprehensive History of Medieval India

A Comprehensive History of Medieval India PDF Author: Salma Ahmed Farooqui
Publisher: Pearson Education India
ISBN: 9788131732021
Category : India
Languages : en
Pages : 444

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Book Description
Presents a consolidated timeline of medieval India by taking into account the period that marked the end of ancient India, and focusing on the importance of the transitory centuries when Delhi had begun to surface as the new power center, triggering prominent trends in thought and institutions. This book analyzes the nature of social forces, complexity of causation and the interdependence of change and continuity in the light of the crucial transition from ancient to early medieval India, with the emergence of the Delhi Sultanate and the Vijayanagar-Bahmani kingdoms. Proceeding to detail the most effervescent period in Indian history - the era of the great Mughals - the text provides an insight into the ideological-philosophical basis of the times, focusing on the Sufi and Bhakti movements, and culminates with the rise of the Marathas, the advent of European companies, and the eventual establishment of the British in Bengal. keeping in mind that the history of medieval India has not moved in a linear fashion, and that much of the period saw phases of expansion and realignment of political attributes, this book contributes to a deeper understanding of the much misread period of Indian history with a view that takes into account the resultant interface between the political, social, economic, religious and cultural elements and devotes to this crucial period the attention it deserves.

A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India

A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India PDF Author: Upinder Singh
Publisher: Pearson Education India
ISBN: 9788131711200
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 708

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Book Description
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).

Modern Indian Political Thought

Modern Indian Political Thought PDF Author: Bidyut Chakrabarty
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000963535
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 479

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Book Description
This book is an unconventional articulation of the political thinking in India in a refreshingly creative manner in more than one way. Empirically, the book becomes innovative by providing an analytically more grasping contextual interpretation of Indian political thought that evolved during the nationalist struggle against colonialism. Insightfully, it attempts to unearth the hitherto unexplored yet vital subaltern strands of political thinking in India as manifested through the mode of numerous significant socio-economic movements operating side by side and sometimes as part of the mainstream nationalist movement. This book articulates the main currents of Indian political thought by locating the text and themes of the thinkers within the socio-economic and politico-cultural contexts in which such ideas were conceptualised and articulated. The book also tries to analytically grasp the influences of the various British constitutional devices that appeared as the responses of the colonial government to redress the genuine socio-economic grievances of the various sections of Indian society. The book breaks new ground in not only articulating the main currents of Indian political thought in an analytically more sound approach of context-driven discussion but also provokes new research in the field by charting a new course in grasping and articulating the political thought in India. This volume will be useful to the students, researchers and faculty working in the fields of political science, political sociology, political economy and post-colonial contemporary Indian politics in particular. It will also be an invaluable and interesting reading for those interested in South Asian studies.

India's Ancient Past

India's Ancient Past PDF Author: R.S. Sharma
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199087865
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 384

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Book Description
This book presents a complete and accessible description of the history of early India. It starts by discussing the origins and growth of civilizations, empires, and religions. It also deals with the geographical, ecological, and linguistic backgrounds, and looks at specific cultures of the Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and Vedic periods, as well as at the Harappan civilization. In addition, the rise of Jainism and Buddhism, Magadha and the beginning of territorial states, and the period of Mauryas, Central Asian countries, Satvahanas, Guptas, and Harshavardhana are also analysed. Next, it stresses varna system, urbanization, commerce and trade, developments in science and philosophy, and cultural legacy. Finally, the process of transition from ancient to medieval India and the origin of the Aryan culture has also been examined.

The Idea of Ancient India

The Idea of Ancient India PDF Author: Upinder Singh
Publisher: Penguin Random House India Private Limited
ISBN: 9357082425
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 709

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Book Description
How can the complexities of ancient India be comprehended? This book draws on a vast array of texts, inscriptions, archaeology, archival sources and art to delve into themes such as the history of regions and religions, archaeologists and the modern histories of ancient sites, the interface between political ideas and practice, violence and resistance, and the interactions between the Indian subcontinent and the wider world. It highlights recent approaches and challenges in reconstructing South Asia's early history, and in doing so, brings out the exciting complexities of ancient India. Authoritative and incisive, this revised Penguin edition-with two new chapters-is essential reading for students and scholars of ancient Indian history and for all those interested in India's past.

A World History of Ancient Political Thought

A World History of Ancient Political Thought PDF Author: Antony Black
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0192507982
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 278

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Book Description
This revised and expanded edition of A World History of Ancient Political Thought examines the political thought of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Israel, Iran, India, China, Greece, Rome and early Christianity, from prehistory to c.300 CE. The book explores the earliest texts of literate societies, beginning with the first written records of political thought in Egypt and Mesopotamia and ending with the collapse of the Han dynasty and the Western Roman Empire. In most cultures, sacred monarchy was the norm, but this ranged from absolute to conditional authority. 'The people' were recipients of royal (and divine) beneficence. Justice, the rule of law and meritocracy were generally regarded as fundamental. In Greece and Rome, democracy and liberty were born, while in Israel the polity was based on covenant and the law. Confucius taught humaneness, Mozi and Christianity taught universal love; Kautilya and the Chinese 'Legalists' believed in realpolitik and an authoritarian state. The conflict between might and right was resolved in many different ways. Chinese, Greek and Indian thinkers reflected on the origin and purposes of the state. Status and class were embedded in Indian and Chinese thought, the nation in Israelite thought. The Stoics and Cicero, on the other hand, saw humanity as a single unit. Political philosophy, using logic, evidence and dialectic, was invented in China and Greece, statecraft in China and India, political science in Greece. Plato and Aristotle, followed by Polybius and Cicero, started 'western' political philosophy. This book covers political philosophy, religious ideology, constitutional theory, social ethics, official and popular political culture.

A History of Indian Philosophy: Volume 1

A History of Indian Philosophy: Volume 1 PDF Author: Surendranath Dasgupta
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 550

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Book Description
In this benchmark five-volume study, originally published between 1922 and 1955, Surendranath Dasgupta examines the principal schools of thought that define Indian philosophy. A unifying force greater than art, literature, religion, or science, Professor Dasgupta describes philosophy as the most important achievement of Indian thought, arguing that an understanding of its history is necessary to appreciate the significance and potentialities of India's complex culture. Volume I offers an examination of the Vedas and the Brahmanas, the earlier Upanisads, and the six systems of Indian philosophy.