Shriram Janmabhoomi, Ayodhya, U.P., ke sandarbh mein bahudha puche jane wale prashno dwara sach janiye

In ancient India, learning and literature flourished at different levels and concerned almost all broad disciplines of knowledge. One such stream was historiography as we find a rich tradition of history-writing maintained over the centuries. This book examines the evolution of the tradition of historiography from the Vedic times to the 12th century ad, arguing against an oft-held belief that ancient Indians lacked a sense of chronology and history. Here, Dr. G.P. Singh highlights the contributions of ancient India to historiography through a critical study of literary works authored by eminent scholars and writers of the past that contain historical writing. Based on research for over two decades, the work elaborately studies Vedic, Epic and Puranic traditions, Buddhist and Jain historiography, historical references and details in the dramas of Kalidasa and Visakhadatta, and historical writing in South India. It pays special attention to writing of historical biographies, chronicles and vamsavalis. It discusses how various religious and other texts throw light on the political and social fabric of different periods and their economic condition and cultural milieu. It frequently refers to the views of modern scholars on various aspects of the historical writings. It looks into the value of the historical writings, the historical conditions under which they were written and the purpose for which written, their language and style, and their immediate impact and influence on writing in later times.The volume will offer fresh approaches to studying ancient Indian historiography and new bases of research on the subject for historians and scholars.

The book The Central Narmada Valley: A Study in Quaternary Palaeontology and Allied Aspects is the first attempt at studying a small stretch of the valley from a multidisciplinary point of view incorporating the results of archaeology, geology, palaeontology and taphonomy. New techniques and parameters have been applied to study and re-interpret these areas. This book also summarizes the morphology, distribution pattern and evolutionary history of certain extinct animals in relation to cultural development. With the help of modern analogies, the book attempts to build up a palaeoecological model for Narmada and its surrounding areas including some of the rock shelter sites. The book extends the dimensions of understanding the life history of Narmada and its tributaries, not only by discovering and reinterpreting various biological and cultural events, but also by seeking to understand varied aspects like river behaviour, flood history and man-land relationship during the past. The book should prove useful to students and researchers of river valley cultures in general and to those of Narmada Valley in particular.