description
To identify the Aryan is to search for that which remains elusive. There have been many definitions based on multiple and diverse factors and there are therefore inevitable disagreements about both the identification and the meaning of the concept. It is probably the most complex question in early Indian history and it requires considerable expertise in the interpretation of the evidence which ranges from ecology to philology.
This collection of essays, written over some years, explores these aspects of the theme in a way that furthers our understanding of an early period of Indian history. The constituents that went into the concept have changed from race, ethnicity and elements of nationality to language, status and culture. This has involved recasting the constructs and has inevitably been controversial. The essays explain how the constructs came to be formulated, why they changed and what might be more meaningful interrogations of this history.
Contents:
Preface
Introduction
1. The Historiography of the Concept of ‘Aryan’
2. Some Appropriations of the Theory of Aryan Race and the Beginnings of Indian History
3. Exploring Societies of the Early Past
4. The Ṛgveda: Encapsulating Social Change
5. The Archaeological Background to the Agnicayana Ritual
Includes bibliography, index and map.
about the author
Romila Thapar is Emeritus Professor of History, Jawaharlal Nehru University. A selection of her publications would include: 'Aśoka and the Decline of the Mauryas'; 'Early India'; 'Ancient Indian Social History: Some Interpretations'; 'From Lineage to State'; 'History and Beyond'; 'Cultural Pasts: Essays in Early Indian History'; 'Śakuntalā: Texts, Readings, Histories' and 'Somanātha: the Many Voices of a History'.
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