In A Cultural History of India, first published in 1975, A.L. Basham brought together scholars from across the globe to provide international viewpoints on the rich cultural heritage of India. With contributors from across the world covering a wide array of topics including religion, philosophy, social organization, literature, art, architecture, music, and science, the book presented a comprehensive survey of India's rich cultural heritage. Over the years the book became a classic in its own right. The Illustrated Cultural History of India, an adapted and illustrated version of the original book, aims to sensitize young readers to the country's historic past and rich cultural heritage, and the need to preserve it. Key chapters cover the Indus civilization, Ashokan India and the Gupta Age, ancient Indian religions, philosophy, classical literature, early art and architecture, music, Muslim architecture in India, Islam, Sikhism, the nationalist movement, and modern Indian literature, and are complemented by extensive visuals, making for an informative and interesting read.

This book, edited by the well-known historian A. L. Basham, presents a comprehensive survey of Indian culture, covering such aspects as religion, philosophy, social organization, literature, art. architecture, music and science. It includes a special section dealing with the influence ofIndian civilization on the rest of the world, as well as details of the political history of the region to provide a chronological framework for the non-specialist. Contributors include such eminent scholars as Radhakrishnan, Burrow, Das, and Spear.

India: The Ancient Past provides a clear and systematic introduction to the cultural, political, economic, social and geographical history of ancient India from the time of the pre-Harappan culture nine thousand years ago up until the beginning of the second millennium of the Common Era. The book engages with methodological and controversial issues by examining key themes such as the Indus-Sarasvati civilization, the Aryan controversy, the development of Vedic and heterodox religions, and the political economy and social life of ancient Indian kingdoms. This fully revised and updated second edition includes: Three new chapters examining the differences and commonalities between the north and south of India; Extended discussion on contested issues, such as the origins of the Aryans and the role of feudalism in ancient India; New source excerpts to introduce students to the most significant works in the historiography of India, and questions for discussion; Study guides, including a list of key issues, suggested readings and a selection of internet sources for each chapter; Specially designed maps to illustrate different time periods and geographical regions This richly illustrated guide provides a fascinating account of the early development of Indian culture and civilization that will appeal to all students of Indian history.

This book examines the new orientations in the writing of cultural histories of India from the pre-colonial and early modern period to the postcolonial and contemporary era. It analyses the 'materialist' turn through wide-ranging textual, visual, aural, ritual, and spatial resources like eighteenth-century scribal literature in western India, art deco architecture in twentieth century Calcutta, circulating heads in Naga hills, and Mayawati's monuments in Lucknow.

Cultural History Of Medieval India Is A Part Of The Series, Readings In History. The Books In This Series Have Been Edited And Put Together By Eminent Historians For Their Students. This Anthology Of Readings Seeks To Explore Indian Culture In The Medieval Period Through Five Themes: Kingship Traditions, Social Processes Of Religious Devotion, Inter-Cultural Perception, Forms Of Identities, And Aesthetics. Written By Well-Known Scholars, The Eleven Essays In This Book Present Sub-Cultures In Diverse Regional Settings Of The Subcontinent. The Articles Suggest That Culture Does Not Exist As Fragments Of The Great And Little , Or Classic And Folk In Any Given Tradition. In Fact, Variants Within A Given Tradition Interact With One Another And Assimilate New Characteristics Over Time. These Interactions Also Take Place Across Boundaries Of Different Religious And Cultural Spheres, And In The Process, Give Meaning To The Notions Of The 'Self' And The 'Other'. In An Attempt To Define The 'Other' One Discovers The 'Self'. These Readings Introduce A New Way Of Understanding Medieval Indian History By Engaging With Interdisciplinary Methods Of Research On Issues That Are Significant To Everyday Existence In A Plural Society Like That Of India. This Book Will Be Of Great Value To Students Of History, As Well As To Other Readers Interested In The Culture Of The Medieval Period In India.

Ramayana is the story of Rama, the prince of Ayodhya. Poet Valmiki describes Rama as a dutiful son, loving brother, devoted husband, fierce warrior and wise statesman, of pleasant manners and speech. Rama is above all an upholder of Dharma so it is no wonder that he is hailed as an avatar or incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

In the popular imagination, Calcutta is a packed and pestilential sprawl, made notorious by the Black Hole and the works of Mother Teresa. Kipling called it a City of Dreadful Night, and a century later V.S. Naipaul, Gunter Grass and Louis Malle revived its hellish image. This is the place where the West first truly encountered the East. Founded in the 1690s by East India Company merchants beside the Hugli River, Calcutta grew into India's capital during the Raj and the second city of the British Empire. Named the City of Palaces for its neoclassical mansions, Calcutta was the city of Clive, Hastings, Macaulay and Curzon. It was also home to extraordinary Bengalis such as Rabindranath Tagore, the first Asian Nobel laureate, and Satyajit Ray, among the geniuses of world cinema. Above all, Calcutta (renamed Kolkata in 2001) is a city of extremes, where exquisite refinement rubs shoulders with coarse commercialism and political violence. Krishna Dutta explores these multiple paradoxes, giving personal insight into Calcutta's unique history and modern identity as reflected in its architecture, literature, cinema and music. CITY OF ARTISTS: Modern India's cultural capital; home city of