Passage Throught Indian Civilization

Preface

Indian civilization has remained an important area of study for the scholars of diverse disciplines. Indologists, historians, archaeologists, anthropologists and scholars of many other disciplines have been unveiling the nuances of the Indian civilization through application of the special methods of their respective disciplines. Professor Nirmal Kumar Bose’s attempt to understand Indian civilization through an empirical examination of the very rich and composite bio-cultural heritage of diverse ethnic groups of India, as components of this ancient civilization, is in fact a departure from the methods generally applied in the context of such study.

The present book brings into relief a composite approach cutting across the boundaries of many disciplines. Nirmal Kumar Bose, an extraordinary exponent of Gandhian thought, a rare example of versatile scholarship and a great nationalist studied India at the material culture, organizational and abstract levels and endeavoured to demonstrate linkages, roles and interaction among the various components of the civilization. In an era of too much of specialization in every field of life, the present book which contains discussion on many facets of Nirmal Kumar Bose’s thoughts and work highlighting the multi-dimensional holistic approach, re- emphasizes the importance of a critical Indian outlook for understanding diverse bio-cultural components as the characteristic features of Indian civilization and their underlying unity. The contributors of papers had opportunities to work either with Prof. Nirmal Kumar Bose or observe his academic activities from a close distance and therefore the views expressed by the contributors have interwoven with those of Nirmal Kumar Bose.

Contents