The History of Ancient India

Contents: Preface. Introduction-epochs and dates. I. Vedic period, B.C. 2000 to 1400: 1. Immigration of the Indo-Aryans--their literature. 2. Agriculture, pasture and commerce. 3. Food, clothing and the arts of peace. 4. Wars and dissensions. 5. Social and domestic life : the position of women. 6. Vedic religion. 7. Vedic risis. II. Epic period, B.C. 1400 to 1000: 1. Literature of the period. 2. Kurus and pancalas. 3. Videhas, Kosalas, and Kasis. 4. Belt of non-Aryan tribes. 5. Caste. 6. Position of women. 7. Law, astronomy and the progress of learning. 8. The sacrificial rites and legends of the Brahmanas. 9. The religious and philosophical speculations of the Upanisads. III. Rationalistic Period, B.C. 1000 to B.C. 242: 1. Literature of the period. 2. Expansion of the Hindus and the rise of Magadha. 3. Administration. 4. Laws. 5. Caste. 6. Agriculture and arts. 7. Woman the position of social life. 8. Domestic ceremonies and Grhya rites. 9. Geometry, grammar, and the progress of learning. 10. Agnostic Sankhya and the Theistic Yoga philosophy. 11. Nyaya or logic and Vaisesika or Atomic philosophy. 12. The two Mimamsa schools or orthodox philosophy. 13. Buddhist sacred literature. 14. Life of Gautama Buddha. 15. Doctrines of Gautama Buddha. 16. Moral precepts of Gautama Buddha. 17. Buddhist monastic order. 18. History of Buddhism. 19. Buddhism and Jainism. 20. Buddhism and Christianity. IV. Buddhist period, B.C. 242 to A.D. 500: 1. Asoka the great and his edicts. 2. Language and alphabet. 3. The kings of Magadha. 4. Kashmir and Gujrat. 5. Gupta Kings. 6. Fa Hian's account of India. 7. Houen Tsang's account of India. 8. Buddhist architecture and sculpture. 9. Social manners : caste. 10. Domestic life : the position of women. 11. Civil and military administration. 12. Laws. 13. Astronomy and the progress of learning. V. Pauranik period, A.D. 500 to A.D. 1194: 1. Vikramaditya the great and his successors. 2. The Valabhis and the Rajputs. 3. Bengal and Orissa. 4. Kashmir and Southern India. 5. Religion and religious literature. 6. Caste. 7. Domestic and social life : the position of women. 8. Hindu and Jaina sculpture. 9. Astronomy and mathematics. 10. Medicine chapter. 11. Drama. 12. Poetry. 13. Fiction. 14. Early Pauranik civilisation. 15. Later pauranik civilization. Index.

"The history of Ancient India is a history of thirty centuries of human culture and progress. It divides itself into several distinct periods, each of which, for length of years, will compare with the entire history of many modern people.

The method on which this work has been written is very simple. Every chapter in the present work deals with matters about which long researches have been made, and various opinions have been recorded." (jacket)