Hi there !!
I'll be arriving to India in September and I'm trying to
read as much as possible about its history ... does anyone
know about a good web in internet where to get some good
info???
Ravi (the historian) has recommended the www.itihaas.com
page ... thanks Ravi, very helpful !!
thanks in advance
Tomßs Greene :)
PS: if anybody needs info about Chile (my country), please
feel free to write me
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Try www.kamat.com for a little of everything.
My Area of interest is medevial history (from the first
Muslim Invasions onwards). This is also the most charged
period of Indian history (and the one that most impacts
India as you will see it). So you'd have to choose
carefully what you read. As I said earlier, 2 sources can
have 2 entirely different versions of the same event. Here
are some decent essays:
1) http://www.stetson.edu/~psteeves/classes/bingham.html
2) http://www.stetson.edu/~psteeves/classes/ikram.html
3) http://www.stetson.edu/~psteeves/classes/ghazni.html
4) This is a good website giving the Hindu perspective on
these crucial years. (Read Chapter One: India through the
ages) Most of the events described here occured, except for
a few notable embellishments. Of course, the significance
of the event varies based on the historian. But reading
this website will give you an idea of the historical
animosity the present descendants of the Hindu and Muslim
communities must overcome.
http://www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/sudheer_history/conten
ts.html
I'll dig up more soon. Good you posted a seperate
topic. Ideally every person reading Indian history must
arrive at his or her own comfort level which can only
happen by really digging into volumes, since most topics
are charged at first glance. However hopefully you will be
able to grasp the outlines (and even the faultlines)
without too much pain.
...what would you recommend if I am more interested in
people's history of India rather than history of all the
wars and emporers and their animosities. I would like to
know more about the situation of the common people and how
it has changed (and changing) over time. Something like
'Peoples history of the United States' by Howard Zinn.
Thank you
Ram.
Hi Ram,
I'm not really good at studies of lifestyles of the
common people across the medevial and modern period, other
than what's mentioned in the various historical accounts.
There is a really good volume series:
"History and Culture of the Indian People" in 11 volumes.
That has a majority of each volume devoted to the way of
life of the common man, customs, economic conditions, etc.
It also divides India up by region - North, Bengal, Assam,
Deccan, etc. Since each volume deals with a specific
period, you should find the right volume for you fairly
easily. These books are standard fare in any university
library. (or through Intra-Library book loan). They should
also provide good references to other works. Hope this
helps.
Hi guys ... and thanks a lot for the info!!!
I fell like bothering you again with this question ... why
are some eastern states (nagaland, mizoram, meghalaya)
which have a majority of Christian population ?????
(the 40% of Goa is without doubt due to the Portugueses,
but I've no clue about Assam's)
thanks again
:)
Tomßs
It's a little more old-fashioned than a web-site, but I
consider the historical novel "Freedom at Midnight" by
Dominique LaPierre to be a classic. It deals with the
British Raj, Indian independence, and the partition of
Pakistan from India. I recommend it to all of my friends
who don't understand the current volatility of the political
situation between India and Pakistan. Great background
material!
you might want to check out the post currently second from
the bottom of the Indian Thorn Tree regarding recommended
reading. It has been posted for many months and has a huge
collection of titles suggested by travelers.
Assam does not have a very high christian population. It's
the rest of the N-E that does. This is also a rather
emotional topic in India today BTW, so expect some strong
responses to it.
Bascically there are a lot of tribes in the N-E and in
certain rural and hilly parts of India who are animists,
without actually worshipping any Hindu Gods. They worship
Trees, Rocks, etc. While these are included in the census
as Hindus, they are not truly so. Missionaries in the N-E
began converting these tribes from the last century. Now a
majority of the populance there is christian. The emotional
issue comes from the fact that the N-E has been largely
ignored by the central govt, since it contributes little in
the way of resources (except Assam) and has a small vote
bank. In the '60s there was an agitation in certain areas
for independence, where missionaries and other activists
were reputed to have played a major part. The unrest has
continued in the N-E with several major and minor
insurgency movements coming up in recent years. Bascically
there has been some alienation due to geography, physical
features, language, religion, etc, which now breeds
mistrust.
Hi,
you may want to get hold of an *ABRIDGED* version of both
the Mahabharata and Ramayana. The impact of both epics on
art and culture is so overwhelming that this well worth the
effort.
Then, as for the more recent past, I liked short stories by
Rudyard Kipling in general - these are no literary
masterpieces but give a rather compelling insight in what
life was like during the days of the Raj. And then there is
E. M. Forester's "A Passage to India" dealing with the clash
of cultures - the British and the Indian. The associated
film also is very good; try to get the vid before you leave.
Regards
Andreas
You'd enjoy India Discovered by John Keay, published by
William Collins and Sons even tho it only covers the past
200 years. It's a fascinating book and the title is a joke
as the Brits claimed they had discovered India when they
began exploring it.
:)
Empire of the Soul by Williams?
Fantastic insights of India
Gita Mehta's Snakes and Ladders is wonderful. She recounts
her personal experiences with major historical events.
Another one is "May you be the mother of a hundred sons"