This book is the first of its kind to chart the terrain of contemporary India’s many place names. It explores different ‘place connections’, investigates how places are named and renamed, and looks at the forces that are remaking the future place name map of India. Lucid and accessible, this book explores the bonds between names, places and people through a unique amalgamation of toponomy, history, mythology and political studies within a geographical expression. This volume addresses questions on the status and value of place names, their interpretation and classification. It brings to the fore the connections between place names and the cultural, geographical and historical significations they are associated with. This will be an essential read for scholars and researchers of geography, law, politics, history and sociology, and will also be of interest to policy-makers, administrators and the common reader interested in India.

A placename is often much more than just a label. A name may bespeak the history of a nation, the culture of a people, or the hopes of an individual. Such connections are revealed in this very large reference work on placenames of the world, which offers an in-depth look at the origins of each. First published in 1997, this 2006 edition contains 6,000+ entries--natural features such as mountains, rivers and lakes and human entities such as cities and countries. Each entry includes the name of the feature; a brief description and its geographical location; and the origin of the name with relevant historical, biographical and topographical details. Appendices give the meanings of common elements of non-English placenames (e.g., Abu, as in Abu Dhabi, means "father of"); major placenames in European languages (e.g., Pays-Bas and Paesi Bassi are the French and Italian names, respectively, for what English speakers call the Netherlands); and transcribed Chinese-language equivalents for the names of the world's countries and capitals.

Present volume presents the culture of Orissa as gleaned from place names mentioned in the inscriptions of the different dynasties and gives much emphasis on the meaning of the place names. The data obtained is corroborated and supplemented with the evidence obtained from other sources (archaeological, literary, sculptural and epigraphical) and has been arranged under different heads such as topography, flora, fauna, settlements, administrative geography under different dynasties, society, economic conditions, religion etc. It would prove as an important source for the study of the cultural progress of the region and found interesting and thought provoking by discerning scholars.

This unique and informative dictionary explores the history, meanings, and origin of place names around the world. In over 11,000 entries it covers an enormous geographical range, including continents, countries, islands, cities, mountains, rivers, and much more. Key historical facts are incorporated into each entry, as well as a record of the place name in the local language for an accurate and comprehensive account. For this fifth edition, 134 entirely new entries have been added, including Byzantine Empire, Lac qui Parle, Nasr, Sauk City, and Yekaterinogradskaya. Existing entries have also been fully updated to reflect recent socio-political and geographical changes, most notably in Eswatini and Northern Macedonia. In addition to the entries themselves, the dictionary contains invaluable supplementary content to support the text. There is a glossary of foreign word elements which appear in place names, as well as a list of personalities and leaders who have influenced the naming of places around the world.

The Present Work Aims In Tracing The Cultural And Historical Geography Of Madhya Pradesh From Available Place Names From The Inscription Found In The Region Which Have Been Classified In This Book On The Basis Of Prefixes And Suffixes And Are Arranged Under Different Heads Such As Topography, Flora, Fauna, Settlement, Administrative Divisions, Social, Economic And Religious Conditions Chronologically. The Place Names Which Have Been Taken Here Are Dynasty-Wise And For The Convenience Of The Readers They Have Been Classified Under Different Groups Such As (1) Mauryas, Sungas And Satavahanas, (2) Guptas And Their Feudatories And Contemporaries, (3) Pratiharas And Paramaras, (4) Chandellas And Their Contemporaries And (5) Kalachuris Of Tripuri. Some Epigraphs Mentioning The Place Names Of Madhya Pradesh But Found In Adjoining Provinces As Well Have Also Been Discussed. The Maps Of The Kingdoms Of Paramaras And Chandellas Of Jejakabhukti Give An Idea About The Extent Of The Empire Of These Dynasties. The Present Book Is The First Ever Systematic Attempt Towards The Reconstruction Of The Cultural And Historical Geography Of Madhya Pradesh Based On Place Names Corroborated And Suppliemented, Wherever Possible, With The Archaeological, Literary And Sculptural And Epigraphical Data.