Ancient Indian History

About the Book History of Ancient India is very vast and significant. It dates back to the time when humans set foot in the subcontinent. Civilization and beginning of settlements were not limited to just some parts but the whole of India.

History is not namely a chronology of events, it is not story of heroes and great men. In fact, the historic initiatives of the masses has time and again produced social cataclysm that have changed the worlds. Early Indian History have influences from the cultures that surround the country, like China, Europe, Central Asia, etc. The effects of which are visible even today.

This book presents a comprehensive, intelligible and interesting account of the Ancient Indian History. It aims at presenting the information in an analytic manner and also in chronological order. All the information, both conventional and recent, provided in the book are taken from the authoritative sources. It is hoped that the students, research scholars and teachers of Indian History will find this book highly useful and indispensable for having a thorough and updated knowledge of ancient India. Besides, it also fulfill the requirements of the candidates for competitive examinations.

About the Author Dr P. Ganesan is presently working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ancient History, School of Historical Studies, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai. He obtained his M.A., M. Phil., Ph.D. degree from the School of Historical Studies, Madurai Kamaraj University and also got his Master of Library Science and Master of Tourism Management further from the same university.

He started his career as a Lecture in Tourism Management in the Madurai University College and later joined as an Assistant Professor in the Department of History, Government Arts College, Karur, Tamil Nadu before becoming an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ancient History, School of Historical Studies, Madurai Kamaraj University.

He has published two books so far, Art and Architecture in India (Tamil) and Prehistoric Culture of Madurai Region. He has twenty research articles in national & international seminars to his credit. Besides, he presented three papers in international conferences. Under his guidance fifty-five M.Phil have been awarded and six M.Phil are ongoing. Besides, under his guidance three Ph.D. have been awarded, four is submitted and seven are ongoing. In addition, he worked on a major research project sponsored by UGC on Jaina Monuments in the Pandya Country.

Preface The study of ancient Indian history is important for several reasons. It tells us how, when and where people developed the earliest cultures in our country. It indicates how they started agriculture which made life secure and settled. It shows how the ancient Indians discovered and utilized natural resources, and how they created the means for their livelihood. We come to know they took to farming, spinning, weaving, and metal-working, and so on; how they cleared forests; and how they found villages, cities, and finally large kingdoms.

People are not considered civilized unless they know writing. The different forms of writing prevalent in India today are all derived from the ancient scripts. This is also true of the languages that we speak today. The languages we use have roots in ancient times, and have developed through the ages.

The thing to remember about ancient history, and indeed about all past history, is that it relates to men and women of the same species as ourselves. The majority were occupied, as we are, in getting a livelihood in the day-to-day battle with nature, in courtship, marriage, and the rearing of children, and when necessary, in defending themselves against enemies. They knew less than we about the world in which they lived, had less command over nature, and were less critical than we of tales of the marvelous; but their basic needs were the same as ours.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages