Rethinking India's Past

Description

This volume explores the key aspects of early Indian history-political ideas and institutions; economic patterns and developments; and social orders and practices. Covering a long span-from the Vedic period to twelfth century AD-it explores the linkages between social formations and modes of production. It also examines the transition from ancient to medieval, underlining the accompanying socio-economic changes and the characteristic of the early medieval period. The book provides an incisive account of ancient social formations underscoring themes like oriental despotism, position of the sudras, feudalism, urban decay, and the sati.
Using a rich array of literary and archaeological source material as well as linguistic and tribal studies, this book will be useful for undergraduate students and teachers of ancient Indian history.

About the author

Table of contents

Publisher's Note, Introduction: Looking at Ancient Social Formations;
1.: Sources and Review of Early Socio-Economic History;
2.: Exploiting History Through Archaeology;
3.: Writings on Early Indian Polity;
4.: Studies in Ancient Polity;
5.:. Early Story of Oriental Despotism: A Critique;
6.: Writings on Sudras;
7.:Historiography of the Ancient Social Order;
8.: Light on Sati System;
9.: Some Western Views on the State and Economy in Early India;
10.:. Mode of Production in Ancient India;
11.: Stages in Ancient Economy;
12.: Transition from Ancient to Medieval;
13.: Introducing Early Medieval Indian Society;
14.: How Feudal was Indian Feudalism;
15.:. Historical Archaeology and Urban Decay;
16.: Social Changes in Early Medieval India (c. AD 500-1200);
17.:. Need for an Integrated Approach;
18.: Main Trends in Indian History;
19.: From Kin to Class;
20.: Rahula Sanskrityayana and Social Changes;
21.: Rethinking the Past; Index