A History of Travancore from the Earliest Times

A History of Travancore from the Earliest Times PDF Author: P. Shungoonny Menon
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Kerala (India)
Languages : en
Pages : 656

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A History of Travancore from the Earliest Times

A History of Travancore from the Earliest Times PDF Author: P. Shungoonny Menon
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Kerala (India)
Languages : en
Pages : 656

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Book Description


The Travancore State Manual

The Travancore State Manual PDF Author: Travancore (Princely State)
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Political science
Languages : en
Pages : 792

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India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy

India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy PDF Author: Ramachandra Guha
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
ISBN: 1509883282
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 871

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Book Description
Ramachandra Guha’s India after Gandhi is a magisterial account of the pains, struggles, humiliations and glories of the world’s largest and least likely democracy. A riveting chronicle of the often brutal conflicts that have rocked a giant nation, and of the extraordinary individuals and institutions who held it together, it established itself as a classic when it was first published in 2007. In the last decade, India has witnessed, among other things, two general elections; the fall of the Congress and the rise of Narendra Modi; a major anti-corruption movement; more violence against women, Dalits, and religious minorities; a wave of prosperity for some but the persistence of poverty for others; comparative peace in Nagaland but greater discontent in Kashmir than ever before. This tenth anniversary edition, updated and expanded, brings the narrative up to the present. Published to coincide with seventy years of the country’s independence, this definitive history of modern India is the work of one of the world’s finest scholars at the height of his powers.

The Ivory Throne

The Ivory Throne PDF Author: Manu S. Pillai
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 9351776433
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 854

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Book Description
In 1498, when Vasco da Gama set foot in Kerala looking for Christians and spices, he unleashed a wave of political fury that would topple local powers like a house of cards. The cosmopolitan fabric of a vibrant trading society - with its Jewish and Arab merchants, Chinese pirate heroes and masterful Hindu Zamorins - was ripped apart, heralding an age of violence and bloodshed. One prince, however, emerged triumphant from this descent into chaos. Shrewdly marrying Western arms to Eastern strategy, Martanda Varma consecrated the dominion of Travancore, destined to become one of the most dutiful pillars of the British Raj. What followed was two centuries of internecine conflict in one of India's premier princely states, culminating in a dynastic feud between two sisters battling to steer the fortunes of their house on the eve of Independence. Manu S. Pillai's retelling of this sprawling saga focuses on the remarkable life and work of Sethu Lakshmi Bayi, the last - and forgotten - queen of the House of Travancore. The supporting cast includes the flamboyant painter Raja Ravi Varma and his wrathful wife, scheming matriarchs of 'violent, profligate and sordid' character, wife-swapping court favourites, vigilant English agents, quarrelling consorts and lustful kings. Extensively researched and vividly rendered, The Ivory Throne conjures up a dramatic world of political intrigues and factions, black magic and conspiracies, crafty ceremonies and splendorous temple treasures, all harnessed in a tragic contest for power and authority in the age of empire.

The Years of Rice and Salt

The Years of Rice and Salt PDF Author: Kim Stanley Robinson
Publisher: Spectra
ISBN: 0553897608
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 777

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Book Description
With the same unique vision that brought his now classic Mars trilogy to vivid life, bestselling author Kim Stanley Robinson boldly imagines an alternate history of the last seven hundred years. In his grandest work yet, the acclaimed storyteller constructs a world vastly different from the one we know. . . . “A thoughtful, magisterial alternate history from one of science fiction’s most important writers.”—The New York Times Book Review It is the fourteenth century and one of the most apocalyptic events in human history is set to occur—the coming of the Black Death. History teaches us that a third of Europe’s population was destroyed. But what if the plague had killed 99 percent of the population instead? How would the world have changed? This is a look at the history that could have been—one that stretches across centuries, sees dynasties and nations rise and crumble, and spans horrible famine and magnificent innovation. Through the eyes of soldiers and kings, explorers and philosophers, slaves and scholars, Robinson navigates a world where Buddhism and Islam are the most influential and practiced religions, while Christianity is merely a historical footnote. Probing the most profound questions as only he can, Robinson shines his extraordinary light on the place of religion, culture, power—and even love—in this bold New World. “Exceptional and engrossing.”—New York Post “Ambitious . . . ingenious.”—Newsday

Trabancore, the Footprints of Destiny

Trabancore, the Footprints of Destiny PDF Author: Uthradom Tirunal Marthanda Varma
Publisher:
ISBN: 9788122007916
Category : Travancore (Princely State)
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Autobiographical reminiscences of the author and the historical significance of Travancore princely state.

Astronomy in India, 1784-1876

Astronomy in India, 1784-1876 PDF Author: Joydeep Sen
Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press
ISBN: 0822981653
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 277

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Book Description
Indian scientific achievements in the early twentieth century are well known, with a number of heralded individuals making globally recognized strides in the field of astrophysics. Covering the period from the foundation of the Asiatick Society in 1784 to the establishment of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science in 1876, Sen explores the relationship between Indian astronomers and the colonial British. He shows that from the mid-nineteenth century, Indians were not passive receivers of European knowledge, but active participants in modern scientific observational astronomy.

Bravehearts of Bharat

Bravehearts of Bharat PDF Author: Vikram Sampath
Publisher: Penguin Random House India Private Limited
ISBN: 9354928285
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 376

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Book Description
Fifteen Brave Men and Women of Bharat who Never Succumbed to the Challenges of Invaders But were Lost and Forgotten in the Annals of History. These are the stories of those Bravehearts who Fought to Protect their Rights, Faith and Freedom. History has always been the handmaiden of the victor. 'Until the lions have their own storytellers,' said Chinua Achebe, 'the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter!' Exploring the lives, times and works of the fifteen long-forgotten and mostly neglected unsung heroes and heroines of our past, this book brings to light the contribution of the warriors who not only donned armour and burst forth into the battlefield but also kept the flame of hope alive under adverse circumstances. Narrating the tales of valour and success that India, as a nation and civilization, has borne witness to in its long and tumultuous past, the book opens a window to the stories of select men and women who valiantly fought against invaders for their rights, faith and freedom. Rajarshi Bhagyachandra Jai Singh of Manipur, Lalitaditya Muktapida of Kashmir, Chand Bibi of Ahmednagar, Lachit Barphukan of Assam, Begum Hazrat Mahal of Awadh, Rani Abbakka Chowta of Ullal, Martanda Varma of Travancore, Rani Rudrama Devi of Warangal, Rani Naiki Devi of Gujarat and Banda Singh Bahadur are some of the 'bravehearts' who fought to uphold the tradition and culture of their land. Pacy and unputdownable, Bravehearts of Bharat chronicles the stories of courage, determination and victory, which largely remained untold and therefore unknown for a long time.

Story of an Era Told Without Ill-will

Story of an Era Told Without Ill-will PDF Author: M K K Nayar
Publisher: D C Books
ISBN: 938169933X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 557

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Book Description
The author, M K K Nayar's impressionable childhood, schooling and university years began in early 1920s - the most turbulent period of India's independence struggle. Aftergraduating in 1940 and spending two years in Travancore Civil Service, M K K Nayar joined the Ordnance Department of British India in Hyderabad. During this phase of his career, he risked his life more than once to bring nefarious going-ons in the princely state of Hyderabad to the attention of national leaders like Sardar Vallabhai Patel and defuse conspiracies that were jeopardizing India's national interests. In 1948, M K K Nayar joinedthe IAS and was involved prominently in India's national development - notably in building the Bhilai Steel Plant and fertilizer plants that also seeded several other industries in the Cochin Industrial Belt, and by propagating modern agriculture throughout South India. His friendship and intimacy with national leaders like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, illustrious civil servants like V P Menon, industrialists like J R D Tata and innumerable opinion-leaders all over India gave him a ringside view of and insider information on some the most important and interesting episodes of Indian history until mid 1970s. !Destiny took him to Kerala in 1959 to head India's pioneer fertilizer company, The Fertilisers And Chemicals Travancore Ltd (FACT) which he developed into a multifaceted organization that grew over twenty-fold during the decade of his tenure in it. This period that ended in 1971 also found him raising Kathakali, one of the most stylized forms of mime dance-drama from a destitute existence on the fringes of Kerala's social milieu to the forefront of international recognition. Success in everything he did even outside of his vocation, from resolving political imbroglios to promoting art and literature, took him to the forefront of life in Kerala and the national capital. Jealousies it aroused resulted in court cases being instituted against him on frivolous charges and they took 12 years for him to be fully exonerated. In that time, India lost the services of one of its ablest go-getters during what should have been his peak years. !Between June 1986 until his premature passing away in September 1987, he penned a series of articles about his life nd times. It was serialized under the title of Aarodum Paribhavamillathe, Oru Kalaghattathinte Katha in the popular Malayalam weekly, Kala Kaumudi. It was later published as a book which became a big hit with Malayali readers and is printed and published even now. !M K K Nayar emphasizes that this was not an autobiography but an attempt to share without bitterness or ill-will some of his experiences and the joy, pain and terrible sadness they brought him. The renowned historian, author and academician, M G S Narayan says that M K K Nayar's 'memoirs did not get the due recognition it deserved"e; and acknowledges it as a "e;historical chronicle of pre and post independent India"e;. !The book has been translated into English by Gopakumar M Nair, who was an executive of FACT during a part of M K K Nayar's tenure there. Though Gopakumar is a popular amateur writer from his college days in IIT Madras, this translation named The Story of an Era, Told Without Ill-will is his first book.

A Concise History of South India

A Concise History of South India PDF Author: Noboru Karashima
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 9780198099772
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The course of south Indian history from pre-historic times to the contemporary era is a complex narrative with many interpretations. Reflecting recent advances in the study of the region, this volume provides an assessment of the events and socio-cultural development of south India through a comprehensive analysis of its historical trajectory. Investigating the region's states and configurations, this book covers a wide range of topics that include the origins of the early inhabitants, formation of the ancient kingdoms, advancement of agriculture, new religious movements based on bhakti, and consolidation of centralized states in the medieval period. It further explores the growth of industries in relation to the development of East-West maritime trade in the Indian Ocean as well as the wave of Islamicization and the course of commercial relations with various European countries. The book then goes on to discuss the advent of early-modern state rule, impact of the raiyatwari system introduced by the British, debates about whether the region's economy developed or deteriorated during the eighteenth century, decline of matriliny in Kerala, emergence of the Dravidian Movement, and the intertwining of politics with contemporary popular culture. Well illustrated with maps and images, and incorporating new archaeological evidence and historiography, this volume presents new perspectives on a gamut of issues relating to communities, languages, and cultures of a macro-region that continues to fascinate scholars and readers alike.