Vasudhaiva Kutumkam : Cultural Reciprocation, between India and the World

Contents: Preface. I. Introduction: 1. Indus Valley civilisation. 2. India the land and the peoples. 3. Sanskrit language and literature. A. Pure literature: i). Vedic literature. ii). Epic literature. iii). Puranic literature. iv). Classical literature. 4. Historical writings in Sanskrit. B. Technical literature. 5. Poetics and prosody. 6. Politics and statecraft. 7. Grammar. 8. Lexicography. 9. Legal literature. 10. Philosophy. 11. Middle Indo-Aryan languages and literatures. 12. Languages of India to-day. 13. Arts: a). Music and dance. b). Painting. c). Sculpture. 14. Science: i. Medical science. ii. Astronomy, astrology. iii. Architecture. iv. Botany. v. Chemistry. vi. Life science. vii. Mathematics. viii. Metallurgy. ix. Physics. 15. Indian epigraphy. 16. Buddha and Buddhism. 17. Footnotes. II. Links between India and Foreign Countries: 1. Trade and commerce. 2. Envoy. 3. Invasion. 4. Foreign travellers. 5. Colonisation. 6. Religion. 7. Accounts of India. 8. Various cultural media. 9. Romanies. 10. Indian labourers in foreign countries. 11. Footnotes.

III. Nature of India's Contact with Particular Countries: Asiatic Countries: 1. India and Nepal. 2. India and Tibet. 3. India and Burma. 4. India and Ceylon. 5. India and Afghanistan. 6. India and Persia. 7. India, Babylon, Chaldea. 8. India and Mongolia. 9. India and Mesopotamia. 10. India and Bactria. 11. India and Asia minor. 12. India, Arabia, Baghdad. 13. India and Syria. 14. India C. Asia, T.B. Siberia. 15. India and S.E. Asia. 16. India and China. 17. India and Japan. 18. India and Korea. Europe 19. India and England. 20. India and France. 21. India and Portugal. 22. India and Holland. 23. India and Italy. 24. India, Greece and other Hellenic regions. 25. Armenia and India. 26. India and Hungary. 27. India and Russia. 28. India and America. Africa. 29. India Egypt and other African countries. Footnotes. V. Influence of India in Foreign Countries: 1. Science and technology. 2. Scripture, literature and philosophy. 3. Religion. 4. Architecture, sculpture, painting. 5. Script. 6. Language and grammar. 7. Cultural influence. 8. Music and dance. 9. Law, politics and state craft. 10. Geographical names. 11. Games and amusements. 12. Inscriptions and coins. 13. Miscellaneous. 14. Footnotes. V. Foreign Influence in India: 1. World of ideas etc. 2. Science and technology. 3. Music and dance. 4. Sculpture. 5. Architecture. 6. Painting. 7. Coins and inscriptions. 8. Politics and state craft. 9. Miscellaneous. 10. Footnotes. Appendices: 1. Notes on important persons. 2. Notes on important works. 3. Important places. 4. Races and dynasties. 5. Languages. 6. Important dates. 7. A note of gypsies. Select bibliography. Index.

From the Preface: "The plan of the work is briefly this. In the introduction, we have tried to give an outline of Indian literature and culture. This is followed by a general description of the different ways in which contact was established between India and different parts of the world. In the next chapter, the specific modes of India's contact with the particular foreign countries have been dealt with. In the chapter that follows, we have given an account of India's influence abroad in various spheres of intellectual, cultural and religious life. The concluding chapter contains a description of the multifaceted foreign influence on India."

"The book is designed to find out the foundations on which the global cultural edifice has been built. A perusal of the book will convince the reader that the world civilisation is like a mighty old tree that ramified through centuries. In different facets of culture, architecture, sculpture, music, astronomy, mathematics, medical science, literature, etc. India played the roles of both the lender and the borrower. The readers will feel that the homo sapiens belong to one big family which is oblivious of its common heritage." (jacket)

[S.C. Banerji's books include A Brief History of Dharmasastra, Historical Survey of Ancient Indian Grammars and Studies in the Mahapuranas.]