Source materials for understanding Indian history and culture

[josan420]

Mystery Of India
www.mysteryofindia.com

Website Intended to spotlight the facts that have been erased from History of India

 

[asingh10]

Talk on ancient Indian ethics and values by Michel Danino.


The other videos in this series are a worth watch as well to get an overview on early Indian archaeology, culture, ancient indian science & technology, architecture, impact of colonialism etc.

 

[asingh10]

Maasir-I-Alamgiri-A History Of Emporer Aurangzeb Alamgir by Saqi Mustad Khan

https://archive.org/details/Maasir_Alamgiri_History_Emporer_Aurangzeb_Alamgir_Saqi_Mustad_khan

The Babur-nama in English (Memoirs of Babur)

https://archive.org/details/baburnamainengli01babuuoft

History of Dharmashastras by PV Kane

https://archive.org/details/HistoryOfDharmasastraancientAndMediaevalReligiousAndCivilLawV.1

Sukraniti

https://archive.org/details/Sukra_Niti_Sara

The Construction of Religious Boundaries: Culture, Identity, and Diversity by Harjit Singh Oberoi.

https://books.google.com/books?id=dKl84EYFkTsC

 

[aliyah]

school history is for Congress n its vote bank only nothing eles. and if some pages remain then u can also read shivaji.

 

[asingh10]

The Amar Chitra Katha series is great for kids (or even adults) considering that our textbooks are in shambles. For all Anant Pai did, he was given ZERO recognition from the Indian government. No Bharat Ratna, no Padmashri, nothing.


http://www.amarchitrakatha.com/us/

 

[The Last Stand]

The Amar Chitra Katha series is great for kids (or even adults) considering that our textbooks are in shambles. For all Anant Pai did, he was given ZERO recognition from the Indian government. No Bharat Ratna, no Padmashri, nothing.


http://www.amarchitrakatha.com/us/

Growing up, their books on our medieval kings were my favourite.

For all their miniscule faults, the ACK books were very well illustrated and much more accurate than our textbooks.

 

[k murali]

1)Romil Thapar
2)Satish Chandra
3)A.L Basham
4)S.A Rizvi
5)Irfan Habib
6)K.A Neelakanta Shastry
7)M.N Srinivasan
8)Sumit Sarkar
9)Bipin Chandra

Read these authors to get a vague idea of Indian History based on facts .Rather than on conjecture

Add to the list Dr. Thanjai Naklankilli. He has written dozens of articles from a Southern perspective. search the internet. many are available

 

[asingh10]

Growing up, their books on our medieval kings were my favourite.

For all their miniscule faults, the ACK books were very well illustrated and much more accurate than our textbooks.

They released one on param veer chakra recently. Beautiful art.



http://www.amarchitrakatha.com/us/uc-param-vir-chakra

 

[Panjab47]

They released one on param veer chakra recently. Beautiful art.



http://www.amarchitrakatha.com/us/uc-param-vir-chakra

 The art is actually better than even multi million western studios. Look at banner saga then look at ACK. This is sad that this treasure is not pushed.

I think coming Internet revolution in India should be something they take advantage of. Videos like this can reach a very broad audience & ad revenue is no small amount.

Hope there will be big desi twitter, facebook, whatsapp, youtube etc soon.

 

[k murali]



Hope there will be big desi twitter, facebook, whatsapp, youtube etc soon.

Iam happy with the current facebook, twitter and youtube. No need for dosi fb, tw, yt. Why can't you be part of the world? why this devisive mentality?

 

[asingh10]

PROTO WELFARE STATE IN MAHABHARATA


Wiping tears of distressed, the helpless, & the old, & inspiring them with joy, constitute the duty of the king. - Mahabharata 12.91, p200


A king should protect his subjects just as a pregnant mother nurtures the foetus in her womb. - MBH 12.56, p116

He should always maintain and protect the helpless, the masterless, and the old, and women that are widows. The king should always honour the ascetics and make unto them gifts, at proper seasons of cloths and vessels and food. - MBH 12.86, p188

King shouldn't levy oppressive taxes, follow eg. of flowerman & not coal miner. - Bheeshma, MBH12.70, p158

No tax should be levied without ascertaining output & amount of labour put in. - Bheeshma, MBH 12.87, p190

Even in times of calamity, subject must not be taxed beyond capacity.King returns what he takes after danger passes. - MBH 12.87, p190

The poor should be exempted from taxes and instead be provided with financial assistance. - MBH 12.87, p190

Wealth of dishonest & wicked can be forcibly confiscated by the king - MBH 12.69, page 152

Taxes should be collected in small doses so that subjects do not feel adverse effects. - MBH 12.88, p192

Corrupt tax officers who take more than what is due from subjects should be punished and replaced. - MBH 12.88, p193

 

[asingh10]

PROTO WELFARE STATE IN MAHABHARATA (CONTINUED)


Agriculturalists & Traders should not be burdened with undue taxes. - MBH 12.89, page196

King must be charitable to those who beg. Let there be no beggars or robbers in the kingdom - MBH 12.88, p193

King should honor the rich & enjoin them to assist him in advancing the welfare of his subjects. - MBH 12.88,p193

Don't put financial matters in hands of greedy & foolish officials lest they oppress the subjects. - MBH 12.71, p157

King must protect wealth of poor,old,minors,widows,disabled. Should not tax his subjects during drought-MBH 13.61,p67

Fines and forfeitures are intended for striking alarm, and not for filling the king's treasury. - MBH 12.122, p267


Do not, O sire, while in enjoyment of Power, take wealth from those that are Weak. Take care that that the eyes of the Weak do not burn thee like a blazing fire. The tears shed by weeping men afflicted with falsehood slay the children and animals of those that have uttered those falsehoods. - MBH 12.91, p199

Quotes taken from Kisari Mohan Ganguli translation of Mahabharata, mostly from Shanti Parva where Bheeshma expounds raj dharma to Yudhishthira.

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m12/index.htm

 

[The Last Stand]

Iam happy with the current facebook, twitter and youtube. No need for dosi fb, tw, yt. Why can't you be part of the world? why this devisive mentality?

I am happy with the way India and TN are at this point. No need for separate TN, Eelam and assorted regional pride nonsense. Why can't YOU be part of the country? Why this divisive mentality?

 

[asingh10]

King should feed those who have not been fed, take wealth from the unrighteous and give it to the righteous.


"He should feed those that have not been fed, and enquire after those that have been fed. Possessed of sweet speech, he could speak with a smiling (and not with a sour) countenance. He should always wait upon those that are old in years and repress procrastination. He should never covet what belongs to others. He should firmly follow the behaviour of the righteous and, therefore, observe that behaviour carefully. He should never take wealth from those that are righteous. Taking the wealth of those that are not righteous he should give it unto them that are righteous. " - MBH 12.57, p 118

 

[asingh10]

Milind Panaha, the questions of King Milinda (Menander I) to Buddhist monk Nagasena

https://archive.org/details/MilindaPanha-TheQuestionsOfKingMilinda-Part-1

 

[thethinker]

These two Twitter accounts are highly informative and show the history left out of 'secular' textbooks.
Do follow them.

https://twitter.com/TrueIndology

https://twitter.com/IndianInterest

 

[asingh10]

The Life and Letters of St. Francis Xavier
https://books.google.com/books?id=scqvFyvxwr0C

Travels in India, Volume 1
By Jean-Baptiste Tavernier
https://books.google.com/books?id=JFcdAAAAMAAJ

 

[Ashish9612]

I found this good book which has summarized Architecture & Culture of India: http://www.rajras.in/index.php/architecture-culture-india-pdf/

 

[josan420]

www.themysteriousindia.net
A Website dedicated to ancient India.

 

[asingh10]

Ramdhari Singh Dinkar's "Sanskriti k 4 adhyaya" is a good read.