-
Historical Geography...
Historical Geography of Orissa
by: J.K. SahuThis work presents a study of the historical geography of Orissa. It uses literary and other sources to delve into the ancient, medieval and modern periods of Orissas growth and underline the historico-geographical significance of various kingdoms.
₹1,170.00
ISBN: 9788186921005
Year Of Publication: 1997
Edition: 1st
Pages : xxiv, 324
Language : English
Binding : Hardcover
Publisher: Decent Books
Size: 23 cm.
Weight: 600
The region of Orissa, from the point of view of studies in historical geography, has always remained a challenging area, not least owing to its vast and complicated history, varied geography and intriguing sources. Though the historical geography of this region has been considered for analysis in the past, it has only been featured as a chapter or in a section as part of a larger whole. Thus, this work is perhaps the first attempt to present a comprehensive research study of the historical geography of Orissa. The author, guided by long research experience, culls material from all available sources literary, epigraphic, etc. to subject the theme to a systematic analysis that leaves not a facet of the subject unexplored. He describes and delves into the ancient, medieval and modern periods of historical growth to underline the historico-geographical significance of various kingdoms and places of importance that emerged, flourished and disintegrated at different times as Kalinga; South Koshala; Odri, Utkala or Toshala; Trikalinga; and the many Mandala states. He studies the physical features of the area, the mountain system of the Orissa state and its rivers, with a view to showing how they have shaped its history. The transport and communication routes in the region since ancient times are retraced to reveal the regions strong cultural and economic foundations among other things. This book, from first to last, unfolds a wealth of interesting and useful information. Complete with an exhaustive bibliography, index and maps of Orissa, the book can immensely aid further research works on the subject.
Preface
Transliteration Table
Abbreviations
Maps
1. The Prologue
Naming of Orissa — A Historical Study
The People
Language
Script (Lipi)
2. Kalinga
Origin of the Kingdom of Kalinga — Puranic Theory
The Kalingas as a Tribe
The Baudhayana Dharmasutra
The Extent of Kalinga
Kalinga under Nanda Rule
Kalinga under the Mauryas
The Atavika Country
Kalinga under the Shungas and Kanvas
The Mahameghavahanas
The Satavahanas
Kalinga on the Eve of Samudraguptas Invasion
Invasion of Samudragupta
Kalinga under the Matharas
The Vasishthas
The Eastern Gangas
Administrative Divisions of Kalinga under the Gangas
Metropolises of Kalinga
Dantapura — Paloura — Pithunda — Jaugada and Samapa — Kalinganagara — Simhapura — Kalingapattana — Vishakhapattana — Chikhalipatna-Pura — Jayantipura
Important Villages
3. South Koshala
The Parvatadvarakas
The Arang Copperplate Charter
The Sharabhapuriyas
The Panduvamshis (cir ad 700 to 800)
The Somavamshis
The Telugu-chodas
The Kalacuris
4. Utkala, Odra and Toshala
Utkala
Puranic Origin — The Utkalas as a People — The Meaning of Utkala — Extent of Utkala
Odra
Puranic Origin — The Odras as a People — Geographical Location
Toshala or Toshali
5. Trikalinga
Trilinga and Tilinga in Early Literature
Trikalinga in Epigraphs
Views of Scholars
Historical Analysis
6. Feudatory Mandala States
Kongoda-Mandala
Shvetaka-Mandala
Administrative Divisions — Capital City
Khinjali-Mandala
The Capital City — Bhanjas of Vanjulvaka — Vishayas and Villages — Khinjali Under the Somavamshis — Khinjali Mandala Under the Gangas
Khijjinga-Mandala
Kodalaka-Mandala
Airavatta-Mandala
Yamagartta-Mandala
Banai Mandala
Cakrakota-Mandala
Khindarishringa-Mandala
Amvavadi-Mandala
7. Mountains
Kula-Parvata
Mahendragiri — The Vindhyas — Malayagiri
Mountains of Historical Importance
The Asia Range — Dhauligiri — Udayagiri-Khandagiri-Nilagiri — Kapilas — Gonasika — The Baula Parvata — Jagamanda — Gandhamardana — Devagiri — Similipal — Barapahar
8. Rivers
The Mahanadi
Tributaries of the Mahanadi — The Mahanadi Delta
The Brahmani
The Vaitarani
Suvarnarekha
The Burhabalanga
The Rishikulya
The Vamshadhara
The Nagavali (Langulya)
The Godavari
The Indravati
The Kolab or Savari
The Macchakunda or the Matsya River
9. Routes and Highways
10. The Epilogue
Dismemberment of South Orissa
Disintegration of North Orissa
Bibliography
Index
-
Sale!History and Culture of Tamil Nadu: Vol. 2 (PB) ₹405.00
Epigraphy, or the study of inscriptions, has played a very important role in reconstructing the history of India. Tamil Nadu in particular has a very large number of epigraphs, which have been of immense help to historians in writing about the history of the Tamil country. The majority of these inscriptions are written in Tamil. However, beginning from the sixth century ad, a large number of inscriptions, both lithic and copper-plate grants came to be composed in Sanskrit as well. Some of these epigraphs are wholly in Sanskrit while some, especially the copper-plate inscriptions, are bi-lingual, with the first or prashasti portion in chaste Sanskrit and the second or operative part of the record being in Tamil.
-
Sale!Buddhism in Karnataka ₹248.00
Dr. R.C. Hiremath examines the age-old story of Siddhartha Gautamas early life and renunciation, providing the reader with the background of the Shramana schools that did not accept the authority of the Vedas. He treats, with meticulous scholarship, the Hinayana and Mahayana forms of Buddhism, and establishes that, contrary to popular belief, these two forms were not antagonistic to each other. The author maintains that Buddhism had in fact entered Karnataka before the time of the Emperor Ashoka, and that it enjoyed its heyday between the third century BC. and the third century AD. He describes the organisation of the centres, assesses the standing of Buddhism as a living important religion of Karnataka, and accounts for its decay and departure to countries outside the land of its birth. He discusses the impact of the religion on the literature of Karnataka, of which little, that is authentic, is yet known. Based on the Ashokan edicts found in the region, which are claimed to have been the first writings in Karnataka, Dr. Hiremath goes further to infer that the Kannada script and literature have been derived from Buddhistic literature and philosophy. Supported with reports of archaeological excavations and foreign travellers, the study gives a fresh insight on an hitherto untapped area. With highly informative appendix giving Devanagari text, Roman transliteration and translation of the inscriptions found in Karnataka, extensive bibliographic references, and a glossary of non-English words/phrases, the book holds out an enduring appeal to both scholars and discerning readers.
-
Sale!Artisans and Craftsmen of Northern India ₹990.00
The basic aim of the book is to expose the major contributions of artisans and craftsmen in portraying the society in different perspectives. These artisans and craftsmen, were drawn mostly from the shudras, lower caste of the community, suppressed and have-nots section of the society, but were highly talented. The work is also designed to create interest among the reader and scholars alike, to understand the society of the period under reference through the immortal art of these creative people. The artisans such as potters, weavers, carpenters, architects, sculptors, brick-makers, metallurgy and metal workers, leather workers, painters, and the workers engaged in the profession of ivory, glass and mirror, perfume and cosmetic, musical instrument, oil, salt and liquor makers, etc. were the heroes of that time, who not only met the day-to-day requirement of the then society, but also portrayed different aspects of their life, in its true color, through their workmanship. It was the architect who designed and constructed houses to live in, as well as water tank, well and channel, royal building, stupa, temple and fort, bridge, pillar and rock-edict etc., which met the need of the society.
Today, we feel proud of the rich heritage of old Indian art and architecture, credit for which solely goes to the then artisan who crafted immortal creations. However, the invaluable contribution made by the historians in immortalizing their creations, by putting them in black and white, is no less important. It is the historian, whose mighty pen has immortalized not only Ashoka the great, as a king but also the creators of the stupas of his times on equal footings. It is with this aim in view that the present book has been presented to the posterity, in order to pay rich tributes to the creators of our rich cultural heritage.
Unluckly there was no proper institutionalized provision for the education of artisans and craftsmen, so generally the former adopted the occupation of their parents and hereditary skill was enhances as it was transferred from father to son, and generation to generation. Contemporary sources reveal that the social stautus of artisan class was based on the nature and economic conditions of a particular profession. -
Sale!Bharat Ka Pragatihaas evam Adhya-Itihaas ₹234.00
Fresh excavations, new dating techniques and ever-growing conceptual frameworks since 1950 have greatly reshaped our perspective on Prehistory and Protohistory of the Indian subcontinent. This monograph, which is primarily aimed to serve as a starter for the undergraduate and postgraduate students, presents, in a concise but comprehensive manner, a syncretic view of the latest information on various aspects such as tools and technologies, settlement and subsistence patterns, ecological background and distributional configuration in respect of the Stone Age and the Chalcolithic Cultures outside the Harappan Zone. The Megalithic Cultures of peninsular India and the Deccan too find a place in the book. A glossary of the terms used frequently in archaeology as well as maps, line-drawings and explanatory notes on individual sites add further value to the text.
-
Sale!Social History of the Tamils (1707-1947) ₹1,440.00
Notwithstanding the prolificity of indepth researches in contemporary historiography, Professor Subramanian’s book is the first concentrative effort to track down the social history of the Tamils. Today, the Tamils, over fifty million of them, live in the south-eastern state of the Indian peninsula: Tamil Nadu — which indisputably represents the very nucleus of millennia-old Dravidian culture in India. The book offers a compelling account of the Tamils’ society, economy, religious beliefs, educational mechanisms, arts, and cultural expressions during the years 1707-1947 — when, significantly, the British domination blossomed, bloomed, and faded; when new thoughts, new ideas, and new ways of life came as irresistibly into the homeland of the Tamils as into the Indian subcontinent. Thus retracing over two centuries of the ‘British connextion with India’, the author here tries to show how the long colonial rule in India exposed the tradition-bound Tamilian society to Western influences — with results that proved incalculable in both their range and depth. Social History of the Tamils : 1707-1947 is the outcome of Professor Subramanian’s decade-long, painstaking research, authenticated by an astonishing mass of evidence including archival records, Jesuit sources, Modi (Maratha) manuscripts, newspapers’ reports, biographies, travelogues, literary writings, and even fictional works.
