An Outline of the Aryan Civilization

This book attempts a comprehensive account of the old Vedic society with particular focus on the physical conditions of life during the Bronze Age in north western South Asia. With territorial kingdoms, specialized production of craft goods, large scale trade by land and sea and a high end surplus producing peasant economy, situates the Aryan di

In a first of its kind, this book attempts a comprehensive account of the old Vedic society with particular focus on the physical conditions of life during the Bronze Age in north western South Asia. Based primarily on textual evidence, the narrative relates wherever necessary to the known archaeological information from the area.With territorial kingdoms, walled urban places, specialized production of craft goods, large scale trade by land and sea, a broad spectrum service sector and a high end surplus producing peasant economy supporting all of these situates the Aryan discourse on an entirely different platform. The book shows that the Aryans of the Rigveda with diverse forms of speech, physical features and funerary behaviour were far from the monolithic concept of a single people and a single culture.Hopefully, the book will help readers to escape the broad misinformation long circulating in history texts for schools, general readers and specialists. Extensive citations are also intended to enable interested readers to access the text on their own and ascertain for themselves what is true and what is false.

Autorentext

R.N. Nandi is a former Professor of History at Patna University. His publications include State Formation, Agrarian Growth and Social Change in Feudal South India, ad 600-1200 (2000); Aryans Revisited (2001); Ideology and Environment: Situating the Origin of Vedic Culture (2009).

Inhalt

Preface

Introduction

1. The Nature of the State The Political Spectrum

Political Terminology

The King and his Palace

The King and his Territory

Horses, Chariots and Territorial Conquests The King and the People

2. The Form of Government

Role of Corporate Bodies: Vidatha, Sabh, Samiti

The Rituals of Empowerment The Avamedha Sacrifice

The Incipient Rjasya

3. The City and the Citadel

Vedic Gods and Walled Settlements

Harappan Citadels and the `Rgveda

Defensive Architecture

Construction Material

Grid Plan

Multi-pillared

Numerous Gateways

Fort as a Resource Centre

4. Merchants and Moneylenders

Routes and Merchandise of the Bronze Age

Commodity Exchange of the Middle Bronze Age

Business Terminology

Professional Traders: Vanik* and *Pani

Private Bankers

5. Cruising the Blue Water

Rivers and the Sea

Cloud Formation and the Water Cycle

Vedic Gods and the High Seas

Tidal Waves, Monsoon Winds and Gulfs

Marine Fires

Resources of the Deep Sea

Seafaring Crafts

Shipwreck and Rescue Operations

Pirates and Loss of Direction

Merchants, Crew Members and Escorts

Nature of the Cargo

River-borne Sea Trade

Sea-borne Wealth and Fame

6. Caravans on Dusty Tracks

Hazards of the Land Route

Trade in Gem Stones

Trade in Livestock

Donkeys and Camels

Trade in Textiles

Gold, Gold-like Objects and Other Merchandise

From Priest to King

7. Crafts and Craft-working

Metals and Metal-working

Functional Objects

AyasCopper or Just Metal?

The Smelter (Dhmt) and the Smith (Krmr, Karmr)

Wood-working and Carpenters (Tak_s)

Functional Objects: Pots, Shafts, Carts, Boats

Agricultural Tools

Weavers (Vsovya, Vayanti) and Weaving

Leather Workers (Carmamn) and Leather Working

8. The Story of the Cow-tale

The Chorus of Nomadism

Meaning of Go

Buffalo or Mahi*a*

Permanent Dwellings

9. Peasants and Plough Lands

Gods and Peasant Activities

Some Crucial Expressions

K_setrapati: The God of Plough Lands

Terms for Plough Lands

The Acquisition of Plough Lands

Fights for Acquisition

Resource Crunch, Famines and Starvation Deaths

Irrigation: Need of the Hour Peasants at Work

Importance of Food Crops

Private Farms and Social Differentiation

10. Crops and Consumption

Cereal Dishes: Meals and Oblations

Puro_la, Dhn, Appa, Saktu

Non-cereal Food

Summer and Winter Crops

Plough Lands: K_setra and Urvar

11. Drainage and Discord

Rains and Irrigation

River Action: Drainage and Soil Fertility

Overground and Underground Drainage

Lift Irrigation: Pulley and Suction

Drought and Discord

12. Language and Ethnicity

The Harappan Sign System

Variant Physical Types

The Linguistic Scenario

Primary Prkts, Vernacular Vedic and the Mantra Dialect

Dravidian and Indo-ryan

Elamite, Vedic and Old Persian

13. Ethnicity and Afterlife

Funerary Behaviour in the `Rgveda

Shifting Cremation Sites

Post-exposure Disposals

Full-burials

Grave Goods

South as the Domain of Death

The Archaeological Record

Kalibangan

Harappa

Cemetery H

Surkotada

Birds and Animals in the Afterlife

Bibliography

Index