Cultural History of Ancient India : Diversity, Syncretism, Synthesis

Contents: Foreword. Preface. Introduction. I. The question of India's Aryan origin: 1. The origin of the Aryan-speaking people. 2. The Harappan civilization. 3. The entry of the Aryans into India. 4. The occupation of the Gangetic plain. An interlude. II. The religious history of ancient India: 5. Vedism, Brahmanism and Upanishads. 6. Jainism and Buddhism. 7. Saivism, Vaisnavism and Saktaism. 8. Harappan and pre-Aryan beliefs and practices. Select bibliography. Index.

"It is being gradually realized today that the present civilization of India is not merely a development of the Aryan culture, as has so far been generally held. Indian culture is a composite product, resulting from the fusion of several cultures, in which the contribution of the Sindhu Valley Civilization has been significant.

The Harappan Civilization stood alongside the Egyptian and Mesopotamian Civilizations as the early, advanced civilizations of humankind, during the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods. Initial archaeological excavations that took place as late as between 1922-1927 in the region of the Indus Valley, have thrown up rich evidence of the existence of the Harappan Civilization, but much study still needs to be done to arrive at a clear and scientific understanding of this civilization. The Harappan script has still not been deciphered.

This book is a search for and a clarification of the various strands of diverse cultures that have contributed to the emergence of Indian culture." (jacket)