CULTURAL HISTORY OF ANCIENT INDIA: Diversity, Syncretism, Synthesis

It is being gradually realized today that the present civilization of India is not merely a development of the Aryan culture, as has so far been generally held. Indian culture is a composite product, resulting from the fusion of several cultures, in which the contribution of the Sindhu valley civilization has been significant.

The Harappan civilization stood alongside the Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations as the early, advanced civilizations of humankind, during the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods. Initial archeological excavations that took place as late as between 1922-1927 in the region of the Indus valley, have thrown up rich evidence of the existence of the Harappan civilization, but much study still needs to be done to arrive at a clear and scientific understanding of this civilization. The Harappan script has still not been deciphered.

This book is a search for and a clarification of the various strands of diverse cultures that have contributed to the emergence of Indian culture.

Leela D’Souza is Faculty at the Institute of Indian Culture, Mumbai. Her area of specialization is the Sociology of Religion, with special interest in the social history of religions and religious movements. She has contributed several articles to religious and sociological journals and edited books. Her book, The Sociology of Religion: A Historical Review (2005), has been published recently.