Specifically she is worried about recent remarks made by dr. Ancient indian social history by romila thapar at vedic books. The journey begins from the prehistoric era of the indus valley. A full account of indian history from the establishment of aryan culture to the coming of the mughals in 1526 a. The many voices of a history book online at best prices in india on. The use and abuse of history in conflicts conference in helsinki. Playing politics with history somnath, rajendra chola. A history of india, volume 2 percival spear, romila thapar, thomas george. Inverting remembered history, thapar dismisses notions of hindu trauma over islamic iconoclasm as a laterday fabrication.
Her entire narrative is based on an already builtup british theory. Romila thapar books list of books by author romila thapar. Thapar was also related distantly to the family of. According to some writers, it has been seminal to antagonistic hindumuslim relations over the last thousand years. Romila thapar a on nationalism polyamorous pdf ebook. It was established as a university in 1985 vide sec. This book discusses the period from bc to the end of the sixth century ad. What are the reasons that the historian romila thapar is. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. Early indian history romila thapar oxford university press. And as for the central dramatis persona, she does not even mention him.
Romila thapars version of the history of india is composed of many stories of the different parts of india which gradually came together to form one great country. Which book should i follow for ancient indian history. An extract from the past as present by romila thapar published on mar 31, 2014 an essential and necessary book at a time when sectarianism, bogus nationalism and the muddying of. She was appointed to a readership at delhi university and subsequently to the chair in ancient indian history at the jawaharlal nehru university, new delhi, where she is now. Romila thapar born 30 november 1931 is an indian historian whose principal area of study is.
The 16 stories in this collection of indian heroes and heroines, their adventures, misfortunes and triumphs, of gods and demons and of animals, have been told to generations of children over the years. The second and third parts give a detailed account of changes in society and economy and the evolution and transformation of the political. It was first depicted as a trauma for the hindu population not in india, but in the house of commons. Prof romila thapar on somnath temple and the story of. Past cultures as the heritage of the present romila. Hindutva, a 20th century invention, is being used to create a new paradigm to control and manipulate religion and to use it for the benefit of a set of people or forces, said prof. All material available on this site which is available for download is collected from various opensource platforms. Opinion they peddle myths and call it history the new york times. An extract from the past as present by romila thapar by. This superb book is not only the basic history of how india came to be and an introduction to how the writing of history takes shape, but also, not the least, a deconstruction of the historical myth and inventions on which is based the present intolerant and exclusivist hindu nationalism. Prof romila thapar the texts that come from ancient times are not historically accurate part 2 duration.
Romila thapar has 62 books on goodreads with 14694 ratings. Article information, pdf download for ideology and the interpretation of early indian history open epub for ideology and the interpretation of early indian history. See all books authored by romila thapar, including a history of india. While romila thapar cleverly claims to have disowned the ait long ago making a virtue of necessity fact is that she had not a murmur of protest when all these years the dubious theory was being taught in ncert history books. If you are studying for your undergraduate examinations, i would recommend upinder singh. Divided into five thematic sections, the first section discusses questions like perceptions, historical consciousness, and approaches to the study of ancient indian history. Romila thapar mahmuds raid on the temple of somanatha and the destruction of the idol has become an event of immense significance in the writing of indian history since the last couple of centuries. Romila thapar is the most eminent indian historian. The past as present romila thapar romila thapar, the past as present. Romila thapar s the penguin history of early india from the origins to ad 0 takes its readers on a journey. With concise and economical style of writing romila thapar manages to do just this and covers this in all of 384 pages in a pocket book. How romila thapar attempts to minimize mahmud ghaznis raid on somnath temple despite ample historical evide playing politics with history somnath, rajendra chola and romila thapars absurd.
Forging contemporary identities through history, aleph book company, new delhi, 2014, 326 pages, rs. Eminent historian romila thapar has an agenda and a central character in her authoritative monograph on the highprofile temple at somnath in gujarat. Review of romila thapars somanatha, the many voices of a. General pran nath thapar, sometime chief of army staff, was his paternal uncle fathers brother, and the journalist karan thapar is his paternal first cousin. It is an anthology of essays that cover a wide array of topics. Some powerful muslims did attack hindu temples, both to loot their riches and to direct.
Prominent historian romila thapar, who has recently come under attack for her antiindia views, reiterates yet again her reason for not giving into a rewriting of history on communal lines. Free shipping, cash on delivery at indias favourite online shop flipkart. A historian is objective and puts forward findings, discoveries and evidences based on facts. From the origins to ad 0 book online at best prices in india on. Romila thapars somanatha, the many voices of a history penguin 2004, represents one such attempt to reinvent the past. Mahmuds raid on the temple of somanatha and the destruction of the idol has become an event of immense significance in the writing of. By romila thapar romila thapar delivered the ali asghar engineer memorial lecture at jamia millia islamia on august 19, 2015.
A useful reference book for postgraduate students of history. In 1026, sultan mahmud of ghazni raided the hindu temple of somanatha somnath in. Ancient indian social history some interpretations romila. She is the author of several books including the popular volume, a history of india, and is currently professor emerita at jawaharlal nehru university jnu in new delhi.
The new temple will have its sanctum the presumed birthplace of rama in the area of the debris of the mosque. Romila thapar history books pdf download romila thapar. Perhaps this is because of her formidable teaching experience at t. Calling her writing a rational presentation bereft of fantasy, she feels that the representation of india is a. In 2008, the us library of congress named thapar a cowinner, with peter brown, of the kluge prize for the study of. Romila thapar was born in india in 1931 and comes from a punjabi family, spending her early years in various parts of india. Romila thapars most popular book is a history of india, vol. Romila thapar ancient indian social history some interpretations ancient indian social history some interpretations romila thapar orient longman contents preface acknowledgements ix 1. This work brings to life thousands of years of history, tracing indias evolution before contact with modern europe was established. Romila thapar in her own words romila thapar 22 jun 2017 15. Professor romila thapars keynote speech on 20 may at the historians without borders. Her scholarship was severely criticized in great detail by meenakshi jain, sita ram goel, koenraad elst and kalavai venkat. In 1026, sultan mahmud of ghazni raided the hindu temple of somanatha somnath in textbooks of the colonial period.
Check out the list of all romila thapar movies along with photos, videos, biography and birthday. This is a transcript of her speech, which can be accessed here in speaking about indian society and the secular, let me say at the outset, that secularism goes beyond just politics, although our political parties have attempted to reduce it to a political slogan. Thapar university tu was established on 8 october 1956 as an engineering college named thapar institute of engineering and technology. Romila thapars most popular book is the penguin history of early india.
As one can see this is a humungous epoch to cover and difficult to layout an abridged version to a layman. Romila thapar books store online buy romila thapar books. Ideology and the interpretation of early indian history romila. She took her first degree from punjab university and her doctorate from london university. Romila thapar is an indian historian and professor emeritus at the jawaharlal nehru university, new delhi a graduate from panjab university, dr thapar completed her phd in the school of oriental and african studies at the university of london.
She took her first degree in india from the punjab university and her doctorate at london university in. Society and law in the hindu and buddhist traditions. If you wish to start a new discussion or revive an old one, please do so on the current talk page about this edit. Romila thapar, corecipient of the 2008 kluge prize thapars textbooks were published in the late 1960s and quickly sparked controversy. The 27 october edition of hindu published a report titled academics must question more in which eminent historian romila thapar questioned why delhis intelligentsia were not opposing the changes about to be made in the education system. Her historical work portrays the origins of hinduism as an evolving interplay between social forces her recent work on somnath examines. Romila thapar was born in india in 1931 of a wellknown punjabi family and spent her childhood in various parts of the country, as her father was then in the army. A collection of papers that interprets afresh, known facts about the early period of indian history up to the end of the first millennium ad. Penguin history of early india from the origins to ad. Subramanian swamy about burning history books penned by eminent historians like her.
Romila thapar s version of the history of india is composed of many stories of the different parts of india which gradually came together to form one great country. Romila thapar has 35 books on goodreads with 4555 ratings. He was the brother of romila thapar, the marxist historian. Romila thapars the penguin history of early india from the origins to ad 0 takes its readers on a journey. The papers discuss several associated themes such as society and religion, social classification and mobility and the study of regional history. In 1969, members of the parliamentary consultative committee insisted that thapars textbook state categorically that aryans were indigenous to india. The story of the raid has reverberated in indian history, but largely during the raj. In 1983 she was elected general president of the indian history congress and in 1999 a corresponding fellow of the british academy. Thapar was born in lahore now in pakistan to a punjabi trading family of the khatri caste. The claim, often made, that indiauniquely among civilizationslacks historical writing distracts us from a more pertinent question, according to romila thapar. The hindu in the 1960s we were confident that the use of religion for political mobilisation would decline because nationalism, namely, the secular, allinclusive, anticolonialism nationalism that brought us independence, would. Romila thapar born 30 november 1931 is an indian historian whose principal area of study is ancient india.