Dr. Aradhana Singh | University of Allahabad (original) (raw)

Papers by Dr. Aradhana Singh

Samvedna , 2024

History students and enthusiasts know it quite well that monuments are not mere structures of sto... more History students and enthusiasts know it quite well that monuments are not mere structures of stone and rubble, but great storytellers. They all offer a unique narrative and a glimpse into the life of their patrons and audiences. The present day region of Delhi-National Capital Region is infused with innumerable such masterpieces, some much celebrated and enjoying the limelight, while others still waiting to be "discovered". The present article in the series, ‘Women in Indian History’, traces the story of a few such monuments in the region, commissioned by Mughal women.

Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, 2019

• Identify the characteristics of an urban society The question of civilization has been a subjec... more • Identify the characteristics of an urban society The question of civilization has been a subject of intense debate and discussion among scholars for a very long period of time. Here we intend to go into the depths of their reasoning and arrive at a consensus on the question of civilization and its definition. Since city life time and again appears as an important indicator of a civilized society, we also go on to identify and account for the characteristics of a city. There are no two similar opinions among scholars on the question of what constitutes a civilization and what are its main characteristics? A vast scholarly literature surrounds this complex subject. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, "to civilize" is "to bring out of a state of barbarism, to instruct in the arts of life; to enlighten and refine". The root of the English word can be traced to the 16th century French term 'civilisé', meaning "civilized". While the Latin civilis, civis, and civitas convey the meaning of "living in a city". Civilizations are therefore strongly connected with the characteristics of city life, which will be discussed in detail below. The complexity associated with a civilized society is generally defined or portrayed in opposition to a simple, primitive one. First used in the Romance languages during the Renaissance period, the term imparted meanings like improvement, refined manners and urbanization, all seen as diametrically opposite to savagery. In this regard, anthropologist Lewis Henry Morgan (1878) was one of the first to classify modern non-Western cultures into savagery, barbarism and civilization, based upon the increasing levels of social complexity. The same logic was applied by the early evolutionists to ancient societies. A particular society is categorised as 'complex' when it accommodates individuals living in groups of settled communities, in a city and engaging in specialized activities. A complex society is further believed to deeply imbibe the following elements within its structure, a surplus production of food to sustain the increasing population; advanced technological improvements to increase production and communication between different groups; some form of legal and moral authority; a governing body to protect individual rights and render justice; and cultural developments. The term civilization was in vogue during the French Revolution, where it was used in the singular and referred to the progress of humanity. In his 1923 book, The Philosophy of Civilization, Albert Schweitzer defines civilization as "the sum total of all progress made by man in every sphere of action and from every point of view in so far as the progress helps towards the spiritual perfecting of individuals as the progress of all progress." Lamenting upon the idea of humanity losing the ethical aspirations of civilization, he combines the material and ethical in this definition of the term. In the traditional sense, civilization is a set

Kalākalpa IGNCA Journal of Arts, 2021

Historical scholarship all over the world is witnessing what has been termed as an 'emotional tur... more Historical scholarship all over the world is witnessing what has been termed as an 'emotional turn' (Lewis, 2020, p. 121) in the last few decades, wherein instead of inaccurately classifying emotions as 'irrational and unscientific', scholars are trying to engage with feelings and emotions to make better sense of how past societies experienced and communicated these, and the tools and strategies employed by them for the same. In the context of early India, the rasa theory, on which the entire edifice of Indian dramatic and performance art is based, is a preeminent theoretical construct to understand emotional experience and expression. The present paper investigates the historical and cultural matrix in which emotions in the form of rasa laid the foundation of Classical Indian dramatic art 1 , with particular reference to the earliest extant treatise on the subject, i.e., Bharata's Nāṭyaśātra. The representation and experience of emotions enjoyed a prominent place in Indian drama right from the very beginning. Exploring the shift from production to reception aesthetics and accounting for the centrality of emotions in drama and poetry, this article also comments on the manner in which emotions further went on to enrich early Indian dramatic tradition. Focused reading of a single but the most authoritative text offers some fresh insights on the understanding and expression of emotions at a particular juncture in India's past.

Sanglap: Journal of Literary and Cultural Inquiry, 2021

Social Scientist, 2021

Understanding how a particular society comprehends, construes and represents love is significant ... more Understanding how a particular society comprehends, construes and represents love is significant from the point of view of cultural, emotional and literary history.' Love has been a prominent theme in Sanskrit literature from the earliest times. Often referred to as the 'interior" emotion, its effect has been considered the most widespread, impacting old and young, rich and poor, married and unmarried, and a range of other people and social categories. De states that although we come across only a few episodes of love in Vedic and Buddhist literature, love runs as a motif through Indian epic poetry. And, it is with the beginning of the classical period of Sanskrit literature that erotic poetry blooms to its fulness,' and appears to be overshadowing every other sentiment in Sanskrit k vya and connected literary criticism. This study attempts to understand the conventions surrounding literary representations of love in early India, and the implications those conventions had (and continue to have, to a certain extent) on the gendered expression of emotions. The sources for this analysis include the earliest extant treatise dealing with the conventions of Sanskrit k vyas,* Bharata's N tya[ stra (NS.), composed around c. second century CE. Alongside this I will study the portrayal of the theme in a few Sanskrit k vyas, chosen from the vast expanse of this literary production, namely, Vararuci's Ubhayäbhis rika (Ubh.), Bh sa's Avim raka (Avi.), Rtusamh ra (Rtu.) and Malavik gnimitra (M lAg.) ascribed to Kälid sa, and Bhavabhkti's Malatim dhava (M l.), to elaborate upon the variety of ways in which the kavis or poets engaged with these conventions. The study therefore intends to cover a large span of time, from around the second century BCE to the seventh century CE. What unites this rather long period, and even centuries after, is the introduction into the public domain and consumption of a new literary genre, i.e. the k vyas. The composition of k vyas is closely connected with processes of urbanisation signified by the growth and development of city life.' New cultural, social, economic and political patterns emerged, and with them the representation of emotions came to occupy a prominent place in the literary production of the times. The k vyas therefore emerged as a crucial source to make sense of the changing scenario and new developments early Indian society witnessed in the field of emotional experience and literary representations.

Samvedana Vol. II Issue-2, 2020

Samvedna Vol. V Issue 1, 2023

You must be familiar with the Battle of Haldighati fought between Maharana Pratap and the Mughals... more You must be familiar with the Battle of Haldighati fought between Maharana Pratap and the Mughals. But have you ever heard the story of a brave Rajput-Gond queen who chose suicide over surrender before the enemies? No? Probably because history has always been more inclined towards tracing the bravery and valour of their male counterparts. So much so that these strong, inspirational women remain hidden between the lines, or in a few vague references at best. In this article we will trace the life details of one such braveheart, Rani Durgavati. Born in 1524 in the Banda district of Uttar Pradesh, she was the daughter of Keerat Rai, a descendant of the Chandella Rajputs. Most famous for the building of the

Samvedna Vol. III Issue-1, 2021

Our history textbooks are replete with tales of powerful and brave Kings (read men), fighting har... more Our history textbooks are replete with tales of powerful and brave Kings (read men), fighting hard in the battlefield to save their realm from threats within and outside the dominion. However, women are conspicuously missing from this 'valorous' narrative, where we rarely hear of female rulers and queens. Does this mean that not a single woman in history occupied the throne or ruled even one of the innumerable regional and nationwide kingdoms we hear of? Or even when historical sources highlight a few instances where women actually navigated through powerful positions, historians and writers of history chose to look the other way and subdue such narratives? Unfortunately, here, the latter seems to be the case. In this article I am going to introduce to you one such exemplary female who effectively ruled a kingdom in thirteenth century India and bravely fought a two-sided battle, the threat of territorial conquest from the outside and on account of being a woman, patriarchal oppositions from within her realm. She is Queen Rudramadevi, the fourth independent ruler of the Kakatiya Dynasty of Andhra. One of the most prominent rulers of the Kakatiya Dynasty, Rudrama-devi ruled the kingdom for a long period, roughly from 1262 to 1295 CE. The sway of the Kakatiya Dynasty (c. 1150 to 1323 CE) was spread over present-day Telangana region, with Orugallu (later Warangal) as its capital. We do not have much information on the early history of the Kakatiyas. Historians generally agree that they were the feudatories of

Samvedanã e-Research Magazine , 2022

Sultan Razia was a great sovereign, sagacious, just, beneficent, the patron of the learned, a dis... more Sultan Razia was a great sovereign, sagacious, just, beneficent, the patron of the learned, a dispenser of justice, the cherisher of her subjects and of warlike talent, and was endowed with all the admirable attributes and qualifications necessary for kings. She was endowed with all the qualities befitting a king, but she was not born of the

Books by Dr. Aradhana Singh

Department of Distance and Continuing Education, University of Delhi, 2022