Locating and Identifying Indian Civilisation in its Knowledge Traditions (original) (raw)
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The idea of archaeological and historical research, in the contemporary sense, was introduced to India mainly due to the colonial system. Apart from archaeology, various other academic disciplines too had their beginnings during the colonial period. Many of these disciplines began working on the history and culture of India, since the colonial system felt that generation of knowledge about India could be useful in its project of subjugating India, although some of the individuals associated with the colonial system would have developed interest in the culture and history of India, simply out of curiosity. Most of the interpretations that are offered on the history of India have been based on the ideas of Aryans, Dravidians and civilizations that were developed during the colonial period. The composition and transformation of population groups in India from the prehistoric to early historical period are very crucial for understanding the developments in Indian history and the processes involved in the development appear to be much more complex than what is conceived or imagined by historians, archaeologists and historical linguists. This paper argues that a major section of the populations of South India perhaps moved into this region from a much earlier period. It also highlights the need for decolonizing the practice of archaeology.
SUBCONTINENT OF INDIA: A PART OF THE EARLIEST AND MOST ADVANCED CIVILISATION OF THE WORLD
2019
This paper examines the subcontinent of India from the point of view that it was partially home to the earliest and most advanced civilisation in the world. By examining this case, the paper clarifies the hold that the myths that have been around since centuries all over the world are not mere stories but in fact, they tell us a greater truth about the civilisation that existed at the end of the Ice Age. The topic studied in this paper includes the myths and folklores from around the world juxtaposed with each other in order to highlight the similarities. Each statement made in the paper is backed by scientific and archeological proof and thus the paper is divided into three major portions to prove the claim: (1) Mythical Parallels with History (2) Technological Brilliance in Ancient Scriptures (3) Archeological Proof. Data has been collected from documentary archives, interviews, books, newspaper archives, published reports and folklores. This paper challenges the argument that myths are inconsequential and are mere stories passed down since generations. It holds the view that a more technologically advanced civilisation existed before the time line that history gives us and if examined minutely, the proofs of its existence can be easily visible. This paper attempts to bring to light the existence of the mythical cities citied in ancient Indian texts and various other mythologies and how the Indian subcontinent was an integral part of it all.
Revisiting Indic Civilization and its Dharma Traditions
Indic civilization is one of the oldest civilizations of the world. The remarkable thing about this civilization is that where many other ancient civilizations have become extinct due to the ravages of time, this civilization is still alive today. Thus, its uniqueness lies in its antiquity and continuity. The primary relation of this civilization is with the geographical region of South Asia which is called India. Although due to historical upheavals, the political boundaries of this region have been changing but its centuries-old geo-cultural identity still remains. This ancient and vibrant civilization of India first emerged in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent, which is referred to as 'Sapta-Sindhu' in Rigveda, the most ancient knowledge text of India. Sapta Sindhu is the umbrella term for the seven great rivers that flow in this region, which include the Indus and the Saraswati, as well as five other major rivers in the region. Apart from undivided Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Afghanistan also come in this geographical area of Sapt-Sindhu. This light of Indic Civilization later spread over the entire expanse of the subcontinent. According to recent archaeological findings, this civilization is about ten thousand years old. That is why India is sometimes called the cradle of human