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The History and Culture of the Indian People #3
The Classical Age
In the early chapters of this Volume the authors have taken as their focal point the political history of India, the rise, decline and fall of the Gupta Empire and have brought the history of the subsequent period into perspective. Special emphasis has been laid on the work of the Chalukyas and the Pallavas in the South who took up the thread left by the Guptas in the North and achieved political unit in the Deccan and South India, thereby, envisaging the political ideal of a federation of the three regional units. The cultural movements which accompanied these events have also been traced. During this period there were established those rock like foundations which were to culminate in the highest peak of Hinduism; of these we may cite the Ramayana and Mahabharata among the epics, the vast Puranic lore, and Vishnavism and Saivism in the field of religion. Then, Sanskrit as the lingua franca of educated India cut across all disunity; but more than this, we find the cultural hands of India, stretching across her natural boundaries even as far as Central and Eastern Asia, thus establishing “Greater India”. The contributors to this Volume are: Dr. R.C.Majumdar, Prof. R. Sathianathaier, Prof. K.A. Nilakanta Sastri, Dr. M. A. Mehendale, Dr. G.V. Devasthali, Dr.K.R. Srinivasa Iyengar, Prof. H.D. Velankar, Dr. Nalinaksha Dutt, Dr. U.N. Ghoshal, Dr. A. D. Pusalkar, Dr. J.N. Banerjea, Dr. T.M.P. Mahadevan, Dr. A.M.Ghatage, Prof.U.C.Bhattacharjee,Prof. H.D. Bhattacharyya, Dr. Nihar Ranjan Ray, Prof. S.K. Saraswati, Dr. D.C.Sircar. 39 plates adequately illustrate the best specimens of the unique artistic achievements of this period.
758 pages, Hardcover
About the author
R.C. Majumdar
86 books189 followersRamesh Chandra Majumdar (known as R. C. Majumdar; 4 December 1888 – 11 February 1980) was a historian and professor of Indian history.
Born at Khandarpara, in Faridpur District (now in Bangladesh) on 4 December 1888, to Haladhar Majumdar and Bidhumukhi, Majumdar passed his childhood in poverty. In 1905, he passed his Entrance Examination from Ravenshaw College, Cuttack. In 1907, he passed F.A. with first class scholarship from Ripon College (now Surendranath College) and joined Presidency College, Calcutta. Graduating in B.A.(Honours) in 1909 and MA from Calcutta University in 1911, he won the Premchand Roychand scholarship from the University of Calcutta for his research work in 1913.
Majumdar started his teaching career as a lecturer at Dacca Government Training College. Since 1914, he spent seven years as a professor of history at the University of Calcutta. He got his doctorate for his thesis "Corporate Life in Ancient India".[3] In 1921 he joined the newly established University of Dacca as a professor of history. He also served, until he became its vice chancellor, as the head of the Department of History as well as the dean of the Faculty of Arts. Between 1924 and 1936 he was Provost of Jagannath Hall. Then he became the vice chancellor of that University, for five years from 1937 to 1942. From 1950, he was Principal of the College of Indology, Benares Hindu University. He was elected the general president of the Indian History Congress and also became the vice president of the International Commission set up by the UNESCO for the history of mankind.
Majumdar started his research on ancient India. After extensive travels to Southeast Asia and research, he wrote detailed histories of Champa (1927), Suvarnadvipa (1929) and Kambuja Desa. On the initiative of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, he took up the mantle of editing a multi-volume tome on Indian history. Starting in 1951, he toiled for twenty six long years to describe the history of the Indian people from the Vedic Period to the present day in eleven volumes. In 1955, Majumdar became the founder-principal of the College of Indology of Nagpur University. In 1958-59, he taught Indian history in the University of Chicago and University of Pennsylvania. He was also the president of the Asiatic Society (1966–68) and the Bangiya Sahitya Parishad (1968–69). For some time he was also the Sheriff of Calcutta (1967–68).
When the final volume of "The History and Culture of the Indian People" was published in 1977, he had turned eighty-eight. He also edited the three-volume history of Bengal published by Dacca University. His last book was "Jivaner Smritidvipe".
When the Government of India set up an editorial Committee to author a history of the freedom struggle of India, he was its principal member. But, following a conflict with the then Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad on the Sepoy Mutiny, he left the government job and published his own book. The Sepoy Mutiny & Revolt of 1857. According to him the origins of India's freedom struggle lie in the English-educated Indian middle-class and the freedom struggle started with the Banga Bhanga movement in 1905. His views on the freedom struggle are found in his book History of the Freedom Movement in India. He was an admirer of Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.
Born at Khandarpara, in Faridpur District (now in Bangladesh) on 4 December 1888, to Haladhar Majumdar and Bidhumukhi, Majumdar passed his childhood in poverty. In 1905, he passed his Entrance Examination from Ravenshaw College, Cuttack. In 1907, he passed F.A. with first class scholarship from Ripon College (now Surendranath College) and joined Presidency College, Calcutta. Graduating in B.A.(Honours) in 1909 and MA from Calcutta University in 1911, he won the Premchand Roychand scholarship from the University of Calcutta for his research work in 1913.
Majumdar started his teaching career as a lecturer at Dacca Government Training College. Since 1914, he spent seven years as a professor of history at the University of Calcutta. He got his doctorate for his thesis "Corporate Life in Ancient India".[3] In 1921 he joined the newly established University of Dacca as a professor of history. He also served, until he became its vice chancellor, as the head of the Department of History as well as the dean of the Faculty of Arts. Between 1924 and 1936 he was Provost of Jagannath Hall. Then he became the vice chancellor of that University, for five years from 1937 to 1942. From 1950, he was Principal of the College of Indology, Benares Hindu University. He was elected the general president of the Indian History Congress and also became the vice president of the International Commission set up by the UNESCO for the history of mankind.
Majumdar started his research on ancient India. After extensive travels to Southeast Asia and research, he wrote detailed histories of Champa (1927), Suvarnadvipa (1929) and Kambuja Desa. On the initiative of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, he took up the mantle of editing a multi-volume tome on Indian history. Starting in 1951, he toiled for twenty six long years to describe the history of the Indian people from the Vedic Period to the present day in eleven volumes. In 1955, Majumdar became the founder-principal of the College of Indology of Nagpur University. In 1958-59, he taught Indian history in the University of Chicago and University of Pennsylvania. He was also the president of the Asiatic Society (1966–68) and the Bangiya Sahitya Parishad (1968–69). For some time he was also the Sheriff of Calcutta (1967–68).
When the final volume of "The History and Culture of the Indian People" was published in 1977, he had turned eighty-eight. He also edited the three-volume history of Bengal published by Dacca University. His last book was "Jivaner Smritidvipe".
When the Government of India set up an editorial Committee to author a history of the freedom struggle of India, he was its principal member. But, following a conflict with the then Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad on the Sepoy Mutiny, he left the government job and published his own book. The Sepoy Mutiny & Revolt of 1857. According to him the origins of India's freedom struggle lie in the English-educated Indian middle-class and the freedom struggle started with the Banga Bhanga movement in 1905. His views on the freedom struggle are found in his book History of the Freedom Movement in India. He was an admirer of Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 14, 2019
Excellent book that deals with the history of India from the 4th century CE to mid 8th century CE. The book covers the history of the Guptas, the Kadambas, the Chalukyas of Badami, the Pallavas, and other major kingdoms of the period. Every aspect of history is dealt brilliantly by well accomplished scholars in this masterpiece. My personal favourite is dealing with India's links with other parts of the world, especially the influence of India on the South East Asian countries. Out of the three books that I have read in this series so far, this is by far my most favourite.
March 24, 2019
"This Volume covers the period of Indian History from 320 Common Era (CE), when the Gupta Empire was founded, to about 740 CE, when Yasovarman of Kanauj died." The entire period is called 'Classical Age of India'.
This volume says about Golden Gupta empire of Gupta dyansty which attained its pinnacle in the era of Samudragupta. After Gupta, major kingdom was established by Harshavardhana. Not only that this volume gives description about perhaps all major minor dynasties throughout India for e.g.
Sakas, Kushanas, Vakatakas etc. of North
Gurjaras, Bhojas, Rashtrakutas etc. of West
Chalukyas, Pallavas etc. of South and
Pal, Shashanka etc. dynasty of East
Thrilling incident of invasion by Arabs has been given. It shatters the misconception of Mughal was superior to Hindus and Hindu kings could not able to resist Muslim invasion. It is proven by providing fantastic reference that whild entire Europe, Rome and even upto France were captured by Arab within couple of years, whereas Bharat, The Land of Hindus, resisted barbaric invasion for at least 500 years. However, there are reference that few Buddhist monks who were in dagger with Hinduism sabotaged Indian kings to hasten the invasion.
This volume describes about lavish lifestyle of Indians spreads over economy, trade, culture, literature, music, textile, medicines etc. areas. India had a flourishing trade from west of Earth to east of Earth i.e. from Rome, Middle East, Persia to China, Japan, Java, Borneo etc. India maintained supportive relation with her peer civilization China.
The reading of R. C.Majumadar series obviously a thrilling experience. It gives unbiased view of true history of land of Bharat.
This volume says about Golden Gupta empire of Gupta dyansty which attained its pinnacle in the era of Samudragupta. After Gupta, major kingdom was established by Harshavardhana. Not only that this volume gives description about perhaps all major minor dynasties throughout India for e.g.
Sakas, Kushanas, Vakatakas etc. of North
Gurjaras, Bhojas, Rashtrakutas etc. of West
Chalukyas, Pallavas etc. of South and
Pal, Shashanka etc. dynasty of East
Thrilling incident of invasion by Arabs has been given. It shatters the misconception of Mughal was superior to Hindus and Hindu kings could not able to resist Muslim invasion. It is proven by providing fantastic reference that whild entire Europe, Rome and even upto France were captured by Arab within couple of years, whereas Bharat, The Land of Hindus, resisted barbaric invasion for at least 500 years. However, there are reference that few Buddhist monks who were in dagger with Hinduism sabotaged Indian kings to hasten the invasion.
This volume describes about lavish lifestyle of Indians spreads over economy, trade, culture, literature, music, textile, medicines etc. areas. India had a flourishing trade from west of Earth to east of Earth i.e. from Rome, Middle East, Persia to China, Japan, Java, Borneo etc. India maintained supportive relation with her peer civilization China.
The reading of R. C.Majumadar series obviously a thrilling experience. It gives unbiased view of true history of land of Bharat.
April 2, 2021
Good
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews