ranabir chakravarti exploring early india

The book questions the stereotypical narrative of early Indian trade as exchanges in small quantity, exotic, portable luxury items and strongly argues for the significance of trade in relatively inexpensive bulk commodities – including agrarian/floral products – at local and regional levels and also in long distance trade. ad 1300) in the overall agrarian material milieu of the subcontinent. Highlighting diverse types of market places and merchants, this book situates the commercial scenario of early India (up to c. Please note: Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in South Asia. In addition to an exhaustive bibliography that will encourage interested readers to further studies, the book offers several illustrations and maps.Highlighting diverse types of market places and merchants, this book situates the commercial scenario of early India (up to c. The book also tries to acquaint readers with diverse types of primary sources (field archaeological, epigraphic, numismatic, textual – both normative and descriptive – and art-historical materials) which offer multiple images and perspectives of the past under discussion. The author has attempted to familiarize its readers with the current issues, debates and trends on early Indian historiography. A major feature of this book is the author’s engagement in analyzing changes in socio-economic, political and cultural life (beyond dynastic shifts), which also experienced considerable regional diversities. The book traces the principal features in political, socio-economic and cultural history (including religious life and art activities) of the subcontinent by accommodating salient researches in early Indian history. In one of these kingdoms, Magadha, Mahavira and Gautama Buddha were born in the 6th or 5th century BCE and propagated their śramanic philosophies.Įxploring Early India presents an overview of the protracted past of the subcontinent from the earliest times to c. This Bronze Age civilization collapsed before the end of the second millennium BCE and was followed by the Iron Age Vedic Civilization, which extended over much of the Indo-Gangetic plain and which witnessed the rise of major polities known as the Mahajanapadas. A sophisticated and technologically advanced urban culture developed in the Mature Harappan period, from 2600 to 1900 BCE. 3300 to 1300 BCE, was the first major civilization in India.

The Indus Valley Civilization, which spread and flourished in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent from c. The history of India begins with evidence of human activity of Homo sapiens as long as 75,000 years ago, or with earlier hominids including Homo erectus from about 500,000 years ago.

Ranabir chakravarti exploring early india