Thankful to Romila Thapar for her History of Early India book even if my view of such history is different; List of my posts triggered by browse-reading of her book

Last updated on 1st Oct. 2022

I finished my browse-reading (more reading than browsing) of Prof. Romila Thapar's "The Penguin History of Early India; From the origins to AD 1300" book, https://www.amazon.in/Penguin-History-Early-India-Origins/dp/0143029894 . Thapar is a famous (academic) historian of ancient India, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romila_Thapar . 

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I had bought the book in 2014 but got down to browse-reading it only in 2022! In previous years I had attempted to read it but it was a detailed tome for which I was not able to devote required dedication and time. Many times, there is a gap of some years between my purchase of a book and my reading of it. I buy it even if I cannot read it immediately as I know that, usually, the presence of the book in my home eventually drives me to read or browse-read it.

In what seems to be my first post about Thapar's book: King Bimbisara (543 - 492 BCE) - one of the important kings of early Indian kingdoms as per historians, https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2022/06/king-bimbisara-543-492-bce-one-of.html , 22nd June 2022, I wrote:

I am browse-reading Romila Thapar's "The Penguin History of Early India; From the origins to AD 1300". I am doing this to get the historian view of Early India. Note that historians do not view Lord Rama as an (established) historical figure nor do they view Mahabharata kings as (established) historical figrues. Of course, based on revelations and other statements of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, I believe Lord Rama and Lord Krishna to have been historical figures (real persons and not mythical persons).

--- end extract from my previous post ---

I think my browse-reading has achieved its goal of getting a good idea of the (academic) historian view of early India. The book is detailed and covers a lot of ground. Perhaps some of the study of literature on the topic and perhaps some research on the topic was done as part of her academic historian work prior to writing the book. That coupled with the additional work of writing the book, along with any further study of literature on the topic and perhaps some research on the topic, would have taken a huge amount of effort. So I think it is a significant scholarly achievement of Prof. Romila Thapar and a significant contribution to the field of (academic) history of ancient India.

As a resident and citizen of India who also was born and brought up in India, I am very thankful to Prof. Romila Thapar for this contribution of hers, even if I do not accept some of her ancient history views (like viewing Rama and Krishna as mythological and not historical figures).

List of my other posts related to my browse-reading of this book including posts that do not refer to the book but were triggered by my browse-reading of this book:

1) (Mentioned earlier in this post) King Bimbisara (543 - 492 BCE) - one of the important kings of early Indian kingdoms as per historians, https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2022/06/king-bimbisara-543-492-bce-one-of.html , posted on 22nd June 2022

2) Alexander the Great's invasion of North-West India in 327/326 BCE; King Porus and Nanda empire then, https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2022/06/alexander-greats-invasion-of-north-west.html , posted on 28th June 2022

3) Romila Thapar seems to view Chandragupta Maurya (350-295 BCE) as first Indian emperor but Wikipedia seems to differ, https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2022/06/romila-thapar-views-chandragupta-maurya.html , posted on 28th June 2022

4) Misc. notes about history of ancient India, https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2022/06/misc-notes-about-history-of-ancient.html , posted on 30th June 2022, last updated on 6th July 2022

5) Instructions to love parents and elders, be kind and speak the truth, in rock edicts of Emperor Ashoka (3rd century BCE) which are earliest deciphered inscriptions found in India; Jonnagiri, AP rock edicts, https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2022/07/instructions-to-love-parents-and-elders.html , posted on 1st July 2022

6) Emperor Ashoka's Major Rock Edict XIII about Kalinga war and conquest (ended 261 BC), and great human suffering involved claiming to transform Ashoka to peace-loving Buddhist and promoter of Buddhism, https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2022/07/emperor-ashokas-major-rock-edict-xiii.html , posted on 2nd July 2022

7) Sanchi Great Stupa having relics of the Buddha was originally commissioned by Emperor Ashoka in 3rd century BCE and is one of oldest stone structures in India, https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2022/07/sanchi-great-stupa-having-relics-of.html , posted on 7th July 2022

8) Lion Capital pillar of Emperor Ashoka (3rd century BCE) at Sarnath, https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2022/07/lion-capital-pillar-of-emperor-ashoka.html , 7th July 2022

9) Dhamek Stupa in Sarnath where Buddha gave his first sermon, first commissioned by Emperor Ashoka (3rd century BCE), https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2022/07/dhamek-stupa-first-commissioned-by.html , 8th July 2022

10) Oldest inscriptions referring to Hindu deities, in this case, Samkarshana and Vāsudeva (Balarama and Krishna) in 2nd/1st century BCE, https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2022/07/oldest-inscriptions-referring-to-hindu.html , posted on 11th July 2022

11) 1 BCE (2000 years ago) Roman trade in India through Sopara & Kalyan ports, Naneghat pass and then to Junnar, Nasik & Paithan in today's Maharashtra - Part 1, https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2022/07/1-bce-2000-years-ago-roman-trade-in.html , posted on 17th July 2022

12) 1 BCE (2000 years ago) Roman trade in India through Sopara & Kalyan ports, Naneghat pass and then to Junnar, Nasik & Paithan in today's Maharashtra - Part 2, https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2022/07/1-bce-2000-years-ago-roman-trade-in_27.html , posted on 27th July 2022

13) Gupta empire, 319 - 467 CE, viewed by historians as golden age of India; Many Hindu epics and Puranas claimed to have been 'canonized' or committed to written texts then, https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2022/08/gupta-empire-319-467-ce-viewed-by.html , posted on 30th August 2022

14) When did Hindu temples start getting built? Which is the oldest functional Hindu temple?, https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2022/09/when-did-hindu-temples-start-getting.html , posted on 4th Sept. 2022

15) When did Hindu mathas (monasteries) start? , https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2022/09/when-did-hindu-mathas-monasteries-start.html , posted on 6th Sept. 2022

16) Chronological list of (kingdom/empire) rulers of Penukonda area (and so Puttaparthi for most part) from 1121 CE (Western Chalukya dynasty days) based on Wikipedia , https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2022/09/chronological-list-of-rulers-of.html , posted on 12th Sept. 2022

17) 14th century Jain temples in Penukonda which is very close to Puttaparthi , https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2022/09/14th-century-jain-temples-in-penukonda.html , posted on 13th Sept. 2022

18) Some info. about (kingdom/empire) rulers of Puttaparthi area from 250 BCE (Mauryan empire?) till 1121 CE (Western Chalukya empire) based on Wikipedia, https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2022/09/some-info-about-kingdomempire-rulers-of.html , posted on 17th Sept. 2022

19) 500 year old church (ruins) in SEEPZ, Mumbai, built by Portuguese Jesuits; Planned post on chronological list of dynasty/empire rulers of Mumbai area over past 2000 years, https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2022/09/500-year-old-church-ruins-in-seepz.html , 18th Sept. 2022

20) 1500 to 2000 year old Buddhist monastery (monument) near SEEPZ, Andheri, Mumbai - Mahakali / Kondivita Caves, https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2022/09/1500-to-2000-year-old-buddhist.html , 20th Sept. 2022

21) [Short post giving links to related wiki pages:] History of Mumbai wiki page has detailed information on Mumbai history going back to Mauryan rule from 3rd century BCE,  https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2022/10/history-of-mumbai-wiki-page-has.html , 1st Oct. 2022