Author: Ramendra Nath Nandi
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal
Year: 2001
Language: English
Pages: 142
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8121509599
Description
This book on Rgvedic history underlines the need for considerable fresh thinking in Vedic research, rigorous stratification of textual materials, new methodology and discarding of notional ideas derived from a selective view of the data.
The book dispels the myth that the Aryans destroyed Harappan cities, that they were unfamiliar with the high-seas and seafaring and that the term arya always signified a fair-complexioned peopled. Myths of a different kind resulting from bardic mix-up of unrelated information's also need careful shifting of data for delineation of historical or semi-historical episodes, related characters and geographical areas. Existing generalizations on polity also need questioning in view of valuable evidence bearing on territorial states and rituals legitimizing territorial sovereign.
Contents
Preface
Map
CHAPTER 1
THE CONSTRAINTS OF SOURCE AND METHOD
The Text and the Trench : Need for Fresh Thinking
Constraints of a Constituted Text
the Tools of Research
CHAPTER 2
THE PITFALLS OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL PARMETER
The Problem of Social Grouping : Jana and Vis
Clan Exogamy and Vis
In Quest of Lineage
Situating the Householding Model
Differentiation and Stratification
CHAPTER 3
THE PROBLEM OF SOCIAL FORMATION
Situating the Pastoral Nomads
Land, Labour and Social Differentiation
Private Farms and Peasant Activities
CHAPTER 4
THE LIMITS OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL CORRELATION
The Myth of Aryan Invasion
The Rgvedic Pur : Text and Context
The Pur-Town Paradigm
Purah : The Model of Aboriginal Houses
Who Built the Purah
CHAPTER 5
DEMYSTIFYING HISTORICAL EPISODES
Pur : Encounters and the Omnibus Purandara
The Swat Encounter of a Dark-skinned Arya
Pur : Dwellings of a Desert Chief
Pur : Dwellings of a Dark-skinned Pastoral Chief
CHAPTER 6
TOWARDS TEXT-BASED ARCHAEOLOGY
Hill-dwellings of Sambara and the Karewa Archaeology
Determining the Sambara Episode
Mud Houses of Sambara and the Karewa Pit-dwellings
Number of Sambara Houses
Ayasi or the Metal-colour Dwellings
Satabhujih or the Houses with Many Posts
Hill-dwellers versus Hill-trekkers
Indra in Baltistan
Arson in Burzahom
CHAPTER 7
ON THE HORIZON OF SETTLEMENT HISTORY
Plurality of the Forms of Life
Characters and Episodes
Diversity of Geographical Context
The Gomal Valley
The Swat Valley
From Swat Valley to Sarasvati
Vale of Kashmir
Syr Darya
Beyond the Sutlej
On the Banks of Ravi
Hariyupiya
Aryans and the Sea
Bhujyu and the Shipwreck
Kaksivan and Sindh
Saryanavant and the Siwaliks
CHAPTER 8
THE EMERGING STATE
Bibliography
Index