The present book offers an exhaustive treatment of the political, social, economi-cal and cultural history of Malwa from the earliest times to 1305 A.D. Herein, for the very first time, the author has arranged systematically and discussed the relevant historical material in the form of archaeo-logical antiquities, inscriptions, coins and literature.
The book is divided into sixteen chapters. Chs I-IX discuss the ancient history of Malwa from the earliest times to 700 A.D.; Chs X-XVI deal with the Early Medieval Period from 701 to 1305 A.D. The principal contents of the chapters are as follows :
(1) Origin, movement and settlements of the Malavas; (2 ) Geographical Back-ground; (3) Sources; (4) Malwa Stone Age Cultures; (5) Malwa's Chalcolithic Cultures; (6) Legendary and traditional History of Ancient Malwa; (7) Pradyota Maurya Period; (8) gutiga-Satavahana-Saka Period; (9) Gupta---Aulikara Period; (10 )Paramara Period; (11 )Administration; (12 ) Religion; (13 ) Art and Architecture; (14) Education and Literature; (15) So-cial Condition; (16) Economic condition.
This study, written in a lucid and expressive style, documented with Biblio-graphy, General Index, Maps and one hundred photographs will be found very useful to the students of the early Indian history and culture.
Born on 21st April 1930, at Maroth in Nagaur District of Rajasthan, Professor K. C. Jain got a merit scholarship at the graduate level in the Maharaja's College, Jaipur (1947-51). He completed his post-graduate studies at the Patna University (1953), got Ph.D. and 1). Litt. in 1956, 1963 respectively from the Rajasthan Uni-versity. He has been a recipient of the highest merit pay awarded for research by the government of Rajasthan. He is a Reader, at . present, in Ancient Indian History, Culture & Archaeology, Vikram University, Ujjain.
India's history is characterized by unity in diversity. There were different regions in India which possessed sepa-rate races, religions, languages, customs and manners. Each region possessed certain characteristics and peculiarities which distinguished it from the other. People of all these regions enriched Indian culture by their contributions. It is desirable to know in what respects, the culture of these regions was different from Indian culture, and how it was one with the whole of India. There do not seem to be provincial or lin-guistic cultures, as such, quite separate and different from Indian culture, but at the same time, the contributions of these regions can be distinctly marked and traced.
In order to evaluate the contributions made to Indian culture, scholars have written regional histories. R. D. BANERJI, R. C. MAJUMDAR, R. R. DIWAKAR, and DASHARATHA SHARMA have written comprehensive and connected accounts of Orissa, Bengal, Bihar and Rajasthan respectively. In an-cient times, Malwa also dominated the history of India, but it is surprising that so far, no comprehensive history of this region has been written. Thus, a history of Malwa is a great desideratum, and I am hopeful that this work will give initiative to others for a detailed study of its different aspects.
In this monogram, I have consulted a long range of scattered material in the form of archaeological antiquities, inscriptions, coins and literature published by several scho-lars. The material of the neighbouring regions has also been utilised because it either directly or indirectly influenced the history of Malwa. I have sifted and examined this material with a critical eye, and have drawn new conclusions, not only because new facts have been discovered, but also be-cause new aspects have come to light. H. DE TERRA, T. T. PATERSON, H. D. SANKALIA, A. P. KHATRI, S. G. SUPE• KAR, and V. S. WAKANKAR, surveyed and explored the river valleys and collected tools and fossils etc., which are valuable for the study of Stone Age Cultures. A.P.KHATRI has written a thesis on the Stone Age Cultures of Malwa. The reports of these scholars about their survey work have been published from time to time, in the Indian Archaeology—A Review. H. D. SANKALIA, H.V.TRIVEDI, N. R. BANER JI, K. D. BAJPAI and V.S.WAKANKAR have also conducted excavations at the chalcolithic sites of Malwa.
M. B. GARDE carried out archaeological excavations at the historical sites of Pawaya, Mandsor and Ujjain; D. R. BHANDARKAR undertook excavations at Besanagar and D. B. DISKALKAR at Ka:rawad. The antiquities discovered in these excavations have been critically studied and utilised in this thesis.
J. F. FLEET, F. KIELHORN, J. BUHLER, E. HULTZSCH, D. R. BHANDARKAR, D. B. DISKALKAR, H. V. TRIVEDI, V. V. MIRASHI and D. C. SIRCAR have edited the inscriptions in the Indian Antiquary and Epigraphia Indica. H. V. TRIVEDI published a number of articles on the ancient coins of Malwa in the Journal of the Numismatic Society, and his work on the Naga coins is also important.
A. CUNNINGHAM, the great pioneer of archaeological exploration in India, and his assistant, J. D. BEGLAR visited some places of Malwa region between the year 1862 and 1863, and their notes appeared in the Archaeological Survey Reports, Vols. II, VII, X and XX. His work, named Bhilsa Topes, is also noteworthy. JAMES FERGUSSON in 'History of Indian and Eastern Architecture', first published in 1876, reviewed the temples and palaces of the Gwalior fort, the temples at Uda-yapura and Gyaraspur, and the caves at Bagh. JOHN MAR-SHALL has written a voluminous work 'Monuments of Sanchi'.
**Contents and Sample Pages**
For privacy concerns, please view our Privacy Policy
Send as free online greeting card
Email a Friend
Manage Wishlist