Chhattisgarh : A Study in the Culture and Historical Geography (From Place Names in Inscriptions)

Contents: Preface. 1. Geographical and historical background. 2. Topography, elements and other features. 3. Flora. 4. Fauna. 5. Settlements. 6. Administrative divisions. 7. Social conditions. 8. Economic conditions. 9. Religious conditions. Resume. Bibliography. Index.

"The region of Chhattisgarh, geographically encompassed with hills and forests all sides, is a compact unit and is drained by many rivers. This peculiar natural set up seems to have helped in developing its culture and civilisation with its own distinct characteristics. In ancient times it seems to have been divided into two parts. While some of its northern areas along with adjacent portion of modern Orissa state formed the part of Kosala or Mahakosala and some portion of Bastar district was included in Dandakaranya or Mahakantara. We have sufficient evidence regarding its ancient culture when we come to the regime of Sarabhapuriya dynasty which was followed, successively and sometimes simultaneously, by the Panduvamsins of Mekala, Panduvamsins of Kosala, Somavamsins of Kosala, Kalachuris of Ratanpur and some other minor dynasties. The present work is based on the evidence gleaned from place names mentioned in the grants of these dynasties, which have been classified in this study on the basis of prefixes and suffixes and are arranged under different heads such as topography, flora, fauna, settlement, administrative divisions, social, economic and religious conditions chronologically.

"The present work is the first ever systematic attempt towards tracing the culture and historical geography of Chhattisgarh on the basis of place names corroborated and supplemented, wherever possible, with the archaeological, literary, sculptural and epigraphical data." (jacket)