History & Beyond - An Omnibus Edition of 4 Books

Bibliographic Details

Title: History and Beyond

Author: Romila Thapar

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Place of Publication: New Delhi, India

Publication Year: 2006

Edition: Fourth impression

Originally Published: 2000

Series: Oxford India Paperbacks, 2004

Language: English

Format: Paperback

Pagination: 454 pages

ISBN-10: 0-19-566832-4

ISBN-13: 978-0-19-566832-2

Description

History and Beyond brings together four significant works by Romila Thapar that examine interconnected questions in early Indian history and historiography. The omnibus contains Interpreting Early India, Time as a Metaphor of History, Cultural Transaction and Early India, and From Lineage to State.

Interpreting Early India considers how historians construct and interpret the past. Its essays examine ideology, historical consciousness, social theory, religious identity and the contributions of D. D. Kosambi to the study of early India.

Time as a Metaphor of History investigates concepts of time in early Indian traditions. Thapar examines systems of time-reckoning, cosmological and historical time, changing ideas of decline and renewal, and the relationship between myth and history. She questions the conventional division between linear and cyclical conceptions of time and shows how multiple understandings could coexist within the same society.

Cultural Transaction and Early India considers culture and tradition as products of continuing interaction rather than fixed or isolated inheritances. Its studies of tradition and patronage explore how cultural forms are selected, transmitted and transformed within changing social contexts.

From Lineage to State examines political and social change in northern India between approximately 1000 and 400 BCE. Combining literary and archaeological evidence, it traces the transition from lineage-based societies to territorial states and analyzes the accompanying changes in social organization, economy and political ideology.

Together, these four works provide a substantial resource for the study of early Indian historiography, social formation, political institutions, cultural change, religious traditions and historical method. The volume is particularly relevant to university collections supporting ancient Indian history, South Asian studies, archaeology, historiography and religious studies.

Condition

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