Glimpses of Indian Culture (History, Religion and Culture)

India's culture is one of the oldest of cultures on earth and significantly the only one of its antiquity to be yet alive, not merely alive, but self-rejuvenating, growing and vigorous. Prof. Vidyarthi has narrated its story of more than five millenniums from the early dawning of prehistoric ages to the present day comprehensively in the present book.

Professor Mohan Lal Vidyarthi has been a distinguished academician and historian in India. He obtained first ass first position in M.A. (History) m prestigious Agra University in 937, followed by M.A. (Political Science) in 1941 and Ph.D. in History in 1956.

He started his career as a sub-editor in Pioneer newspaper, Lucknow (U.P.) and later worked for The Pratap newspaper, Kanpur (U.P.)

Subsequently, he served as a faculty member in History in various Colleges and Universities in India. This includes as Professor & Head of Department of History, D.A.V. Post aduate College, Kanpur (U.P.), Bana hali Vidyapeeth, Banasthali (Rajasthan). He also served as Principal of J.S. Hindu College, Amroha (U.P.) and D.S.N. Post graduate College, Unnao (U.P.).

The Author takes this opportunity to re-emphasise his thesis as presented in his book that India's salvation lies in a vigorous pursuit of Integral spirituality. But spirituality is not an antithesis of matter, rather spirituality embraces matter also. Today we have a civilizational crisis, consumerism has run riot and materialism is now failing to deliver the goods.

Future progress must come from within When the Soul in man begins to take the lead, we would have begun the process of transformation of man. For this transformation to begin, clues can be found in the Indian Culture based on spirituality or Hindu Dharma. A resuscitated Hindu Dharma will provide an inspiration and incentive to the world, it is hoped.

"Signs of the times point unmistakably to an eventual blossoming of a composite world culture in which all the strains of the cultures evolved hitherto will combine to form an orchestral whole. And if we would have an adequate idea of the lines on which the future of humanity is likely to be shaped in its cultural aspect, it is necessary that we study the various cultures that have been so far thrown upon the banks of time by the stream of history. The book "Glimpses of Indian Culture" is a helpful contribution to the subject.

In the present works we make a panoramic survey of India's culture down the ages. We emphasise that essentially our culture reveals deep and diverse experiments with spiritual truth. The soul of India lies in the universal and creative spirituality of the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Gita. The world is the rhythmic manifestation of the Spirit, Nature and life are making progressive efforts to incarnate the Spirit in Matter. Such was the message of the ancient Indian culture. To quote in support from the ancient scriptures :

"Threefold are those supreme births of this divine force that is in the world, they are true. He moves there wide-overt within the Infinite and shines pure, luminous and fulfilling .... That which is immortal in mortals and possessed of the truth, is a god and established inwardly as an energy working out in our divine powers... Became high, uplifted, O Strength, pierce all veils, manifest in us the things of the Godhead".¹

**Contents and Sample Pages**