Understanding Ancient India

Table of Contents

Understanding ancient India (from earliest times to ACE 300)

Preface

INTRODUCTION

Historiography – understanding or misunderstanding?

Orientalist understanding

Imperialism

Nationalist historians

Marxist School

Pre Historic India

Chalcolithic cultures

Nature of state and society

Summary

The Indo-Aryan debate

State formation

Social formation

Economy

Religion

Summary

Conclusion

Reading list:

Understanding ancient India (from earliest times to ACE 300)

S.D. Sharma Published in 2014 at Smashwords 

Copyright Author 2014 

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Preface 

1. After teaching history of ancient India, the teacher needs to express his understanding of the subject so that large numbers of people will benefit from this understanding. However, the attempt is not to write a comprehensive work, and such details are already available in the form of writings by stalwarts of ancient Indian history including scholars such as R.C. Majumdar, D.D. Kosambi, Romila Thapar, R.S. Sharma, Burton Stein, M.G.S. Narayanan, Rajan Gurukkal, Kesavan Veluthat, and others. 

2. The attempt of this work is to give information regarding debates that have emerged in the context of history of north and south India. The book shows that over a period, considerable differences emerged between the North and the South. At the same time, there was interaction between the two zones. Students of ancient India need to be aware of the major developments, at the historigraphical plane, with reference to this study area. 

3. I thank the medium of Smashword, the e-book publication agency that has inspired me to write this work so that I, like other authors, can participate in the e-book revolution. I have attempted to share information and knowledge with other students of ancient Indian history. I do