{"title":"Ancient India","description":"\u003cp\u003eJourney back to the dawn of one of humanity's greatest civilisations. Explore books on the Vedic age, the Maurya and Gupta empires, ancient Indian philosophy, mathematics, and the extraordinary achievements of a civilisation that shaped the world.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"india-since-independence","title":"India since independence","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe story of the forging of India, the world's largest democracy, is a rich andinspiring one. This volume, a sequel to the India's Struggle forIndependence, analyses the challenges India has faced and the successes ithas achieved in the light of its colonial legacy and century-long struggle forfreedom. It covers the framing of the Constitution and the evolution of theNehruvian political and economic agenda and basics of foreign policy; theconsolidation of the nation and contentious issues like party politics in theCentre and the states, the Punjab problem and anti-caste politics anduntouchability. 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You will never think about India or economic development in the same way again.--Simon JohnsonIndia's journey has been distinctively 'precocious' in comparative terms. It opted for democracy before development and social change, promoted high-skilled services before and over low-skilled manufacturing and chose a globalization that favoured exports of talented people and short-changed the poor. The socialist state became an inefficiently capitalist one before providing the public goods of physical infrastructure and human capital. The outcomes have been surprising, with the country achieving success in creating and sustaining democracy, albeit flawed, and maintaining a modicum of order. Four decades of economic dynamism and the emergence of a somewhat more capable Indian state has meant that it is able to build infrastructure and deliver the essentials of life to its population at scale-still not without disappointments, but a massive improvement over the past. 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The book explores India's past quite vividly, helping readers to visualize the formation of a nation and how it grew and flourished over generations. It explores all varieties of hue that India represented from then to now and documents India like it has never been documented before. A Ride Through the Ages The historical book starts right from the prehistoric era and enumerates the good and the bad of every era that followed. It compares the religious customs, living habits, economical prosperity, traditions and rituals of each era, giving readers a clear idea of how India formulated to be what it is today. Emergence of all the great dynasties have been discussed in detail and it is made clear what the emergence of a particular dynasty meant for India. It also documents names of revered scholars, rulers and visionaries through the ages and discusses their contributions. It explains how religious sects took root in the Indian society and what each sect believed, the creation of the epic mythologies, etc. The book ends narrating the events of 1300 AD, during the reign of the last Chola ruler Rajendra III. The book has been composed using authentic historic data computed using modern scientific methods, thus offering readers a refreshing new take on prehistoric India. About The Author Romila Thapar is author to several historic books such as Early Indian History: A Reader, Ancient Indian Social History, etc. A renowned Indian historian, Thapar graduated from Punjab University and went to complete her doctorate from School of Oriental and African Studies. Her books are mostly pertaining to ancient Indian history. Her works have been critically acclaimed all over the world and she has won many awards and recognition for her contributions to the arena of ancient Indian history. 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They built stupendous temples – the tallest freestanding structures on earth after the pyramids of Egypt. Chola queens popularized new forms of gods and worship, such as the iconic Nataraja and the singing of Tamil poems to deities. And they were spectacularly daring, raiding not just the powerful Deccan and North India but also Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka. For a dynasty that was so influential – and is so loved today –its actual historical achievements were surprisingly forgotten by the late nineteenth century, for they had faded into myth and legend. In this book, the award-winning historian Anirudh Kanisetti brings to life the world of the Cholas. Not just the world of kings and queens attended by generals and ‘service retinue’ women – but the stories of the ‘little people’, whose lives were buffeted by big events. What was life like on board a merchant vessel making its way from the Tamil coast to Southeast Asia and China? What kind of food was served at temples to devotees and to soldiers in times of war? What became of a landless peasant who murdered his brother in a fit of rage? Why did a noble woman commit sati holding a lemon over her head? Based on thousands of inscriptions and hundreds of secondary sources, this deeply researched book is not just a procession of dazzling kings and queens but also a portal that transports us to the peasant settlements of over a thousand years ago. 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Every Dussehra we celebrate the victory of Rama over Ravana, the victory of good over evil. Every Deepavali, we commemorate the return of Rama and Sita to Ayodhya and hear the tale of how the entire city was lit up to receive their beloved king and queen. But is the magnificent capital of Ayodhya just limited to this?Ayodhya was a renowned pilgrimage destination since the dawn of mankind, and after the birth of Lord Rama, it became a place of supreme importance for Hindus. Amazing Ayodhya is an attempt in gaining knowledge about this ancient city-its architecture, its design, its buildings and all the splendid details during the era when Lord Rama walked this earth. This splendidly researched book, replete with shlokas from the Valmiki Ramayana, offers authentic information about the city which will not only help understand the life and times of ancient Hindus but also the revered figures of Rama and Sita.Replete with descriptions, author Neena Rai draws out comparisons of an earlier era with our current life and culture, thus connecting the past with the present. She further compares Ayodhya with the cultures of other ancient civilisations so that the reader feels 'connected' to the past and the content of the book appears 'contemporary'. A fascinating account of an ancient city with significant contemporary relevance, Amazing Ayodhya is a must-read for a better understanding of history, scriptures and Hindu civilisation.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dusky's Shrine","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":46039739531321,"sku":"9789390358878","price":539.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0795\/3367\/0457\/files\/71nq3bT39yL._SL1400_7129ece3-c1bb-4b0b-8684-1b3446874824.jpg?v=1784139867"},{"product_id":"the-history-and-culture-of-the-indian-peoplevolume-1the-vedic-age","title":"The History And Culture Of The Indian People\/Volume 1\/The Vedic Age","description":"\u003cp\u003eBharatiya Vidya Bhavan\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dusky's Shrine","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":46039793926201,"sku":"9788172765194","price":1148.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0795\/3367\/0457\/files\/81b3zEqsB4L._SL1500.jpg?v=1784140571"},{"product_id":"indian-citiesancient-and-medieval","title":"Indian Cities—ancient and Medieval","description":"\u003cp\u003eDid You Know?The urban population during Akbar's rule had exceeded the urban population of the entire Europe of that time! By 1500 CE, the city of Hampi was the world's second-largest medieval-era city after Beijing. Dholavira, the Harappan desert city, adopted highly advanced hydraulic engineering in order to maintain the same standards of living as was seen in other Harappan cities. This Quick and Concise reference explores the beginning of urbanization in India and its advancement in science, technology, architecture, town planning, economics, art, and culture in the ancient and medieval periods. Indian Cities throws light on the political history of old cities – both lost and extant – including invasions by foreign powers or by neighbouring states. The intriguing comparisons between cities helps put information in context and makes it easy to access. Timelines and visuals further the charm of this classic reference.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dusky's Shrine","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":46039799726137,"sku":"9789357312509","price":359.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0795\/3367\/0457\/files\/81nsxxfaqpL._SL1500.jpg?v=1784140664"},{"product_id":"somanatha","title":"Somanatha","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn 1026, Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni raided the Hindu temple of Somanatha (Somnath in textbooks of the colonial period). The story of the raid has reverberated in Indian history, but largely during the raj. It was first depicted as a trauma for the Hindu population not in India, but in the House of Commons. The triumphalist accounts of the event in Turko-Persian chronicles became the main source for most eighteenth-century historians. It suited everyone and helped the British to divide and rule a multi-millioned subcontinent. In her new book, Romila Thapar, the doyenne of Indian historians, reconstructs what took place by studying other sources, including local Sanskrit inscriptions, biographies of kings and merchants of the period, court epics and popular narratives that have survived. The result is astounding and undermines the traditional version of what took place. What makes her findings explosive is the fact that the current Hindu nationalist regime in India constantly utilizes a particular version of history\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dusky's Shrine","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":46039832363065,"sku":"9780143064688","price":449.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0795\/3367\/0457\/files\/61dre2ES68L._SL1200.jpg?v=1784141003"},{"product_id":"aryans-the-search-for-a-people-a-place-and-a-myth","title":"Aryans: The Search for a People, a Place and a Myth","description":"\u003cp\u003eFew themes in history have had as strong a hold on people's imagination. Fewer still have managed to alter the course of civilization. This is Charles Allen's definitive account of the Aryans, offering a grand sweep of language, mythology, contested histories and conflict. Spanning continents, cultures and societies: from the Russian steppe to the Indus valley, the Iliad to the Mahabharata, Greek to Sanskrit, Putin to Trump, and Müller to Vivekananda, Aryans astonishes with its scope. Allen, true to a style that has endeared him to a legion of admirers, weaves a narrative that is startling and illuminating. 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Knoll is a compelling and essential read that has captivated audiences worldwide with its depth, originality, and enduring relevance.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dusky's Shrine","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":46039951638585,"sku":"9789355435378","price":359.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0795\/3367\/0457\/files\/91tk8cT17YL._SL1500.jpg?v=1784142617"},{"product_id":"the-rani-of-jhansi-rebel-against-will","title":"The Rani of Jhansi: Rebel Against Will","description":"\u003cp\u003e1857-1858: The British Empire in india is teetering on the brink of collapse in the face of widespread rebellion by native regiments. In the final phase of the Great Indain Mutiny an intrepid young woman rises to lead the mutinying sepoys: Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi. In India she is still venerated today as leader in the fight for national independence. 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Qureshi and Moinul Haq were seeking legitimacy for the creation of Pakistan in medieval history and blaming emperor Akbar for the fall of Mughal Empire who, according to them had diluted the purity of Islam by inducing an interface between it and other religions, especially Hinduism – all denounced as kufr.Bashir’s is a rebellious book, a challenge to the sort of history the state was patronising and its official historians were hurriedly writing. Again and again he is led by his evidence to be ‘fair’ to Akbar and give him credit for being ‘great’.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dusky's Shrine","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":46040124915769,"sku":"9788189833817","price":473.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0795\/3367\/0457\/files\/71AXztao9jL._SL1289_cab4356d-6494-409a-ba06-530df45651b7.jpg?v=1784143539"},{"product_id":"hindu-polity-a-constitutional-history-of-india-in-hindu-times","title":"Hindu Polity: A Constitutional History of India in Hindu Times","description":"\u003cp\u003eHindu Polity is a well-known work in the field of Indology, in two parts with introductory scope and sources. 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Beginning with the origins of Magadha in the sixth century BCE, this definitive book on the Mauryas captures the drama, the colourful betrayals and the intrigues of the Mauryan dynasty in Magadha, starting with its enigmatic founder, Chandragupta Maurya, and his even more enigmatic mentor, Chanakya\/ Kautilya, who helped him to get the throne. Chandragupta’s son and heir, Bindusara, is an extremely shadowy, elusive figure in the historical narrative of the Mauryas. Sandwiched between his well-known father and his even more well-known son, Ashoka, Bindusara has slipped through the cracks of known history. Yet the little bits of evidence that we glean about him from varied sources suggest a ruler of power and foresight. A man of eclectic and whimsical tastes, even, who ensured that his heir would inherit a vaster empire than he did. Ashoka, Bindusara’s son, was not only the most powerful Mauryan ruler but also one of the best-known monarchs in Indian history. There are several wildly imaginative tales that document his transition from Ashoka the Fierce to Ashoka the Contrite, consequent on the battle of Kalinga in c. 261 BCE where, horrified at the bloodshed, he underwent a radical personal and spiritual transformation and documented this fact all over his empire through inscriptions on pillars and rocks that have endured till today—a brilliant, pioneering method of communication. An incisive wit and humour makes Devika Rangachari’s The Mauryas sparkle even when it is disentangling grave accounts of significant battles or tedious details of city planning. 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