Knowledges in Humanities
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Chandragupta Maurya
Chandragupta Maurya is the one who started the Gupta dynasty.The Gupta period in ancient india is known as the "GOLDEN AGE ".
Devigasri Chandrasekaran
K Kamaraj
Breif note on K Kamaraj
Karthick Sundar
Teja K S
The origins of Pallavas
Various theories on the origins of Pallvas
Shruthi Vijayaraghavan
C N Annadurai
A brief note on Annadurai
Harrishma Palani
Caves
Indian civilization begins with the Indus civilization that dates back about 4000 years. Aryans from the west settled in India and developed "Vedic" literature as part of the Brahman religion. These became the Holy Books of the religion, which later came to be known as Hinduism. During the 5th-6th centuries BC, Gautama Siddharta became Buddha and started Buddhism and Vardhamana became Mahavira and started Jainism. Buddhism had the support of the royal class and was adopted by the masses. As Buddhism spread across the country, so did its monasteries and temples. As Hinduism re-established itself strongly, the Buddhist presence disappeared from India in the 13th century. Cave temples typically represent the architecture of Ancient Times. Naturally there must have been castles, palaces and houses during that time, but none of those remain, because buildings constructed of wood, rotted or burned easily. Temples were built of bricks, but when Buddhism died out, these were destroyed or pulled down due to a lack of protectors. However, cave temples and monasteries still exist today because they were carved out of rock - a much stronger material. There are around 1,200 such cave temples and monasteries left and 75 per cent of them belong to Buddhism. As they were not satisfied with cave temples, entire sculpted rock temples were built during the Middle Ages. A few still exist unto the present day. In contrast to the rock temples that imitated wooden temples of ancient times, the stone temples, built by laying cut stones one on top of another, came to be the model of sculpted stone construction. But since these developed together, there is no line dividing the ages in terms of centuries. Construction of stone temples commenced in the 5th century, during the Gupta dynasty, but was standardized only during the 8th century. Many stone temples were built between the 7th and 9th centuries, but the temples carved out of rocks were constructed up till the 12th century. Hence according to the history of architecture, the transition from ancient times to the Middle Ages took many centuries. Buddhism took the lead in construction during ancient times and in contrast, Hinduism took the lead during the Middle Ages followed by Jainism. The method of stone construction improved by leaps and bounds in north and south India. The style caught on and very soon the whole of India was filled with stone structures. The Chandella dynasty in the north and the Chola dynasty in the south showed remarkable developments in architecture, by building magnificent temples, using stone. Islam entered India during the 11th century and established power in Delhi during the 13th century. Till the 16th century, the Turkish and Afghan dynasties continued to rule Delhi during a period referred to as the "Delhi Sultanate". Western styles of architecture, including techniques like domes were brought to India during this age and had a strong influence on building styles. This period called the Middle Ages, and the advent of the Mughals who conquered most of India, signalled the beginning of the Modern Age. The 600-odd buildings in the book, are grouped together according to their similarities. To enable the traveller to decide which place to visit, the buildings are given a star rating, from 0 to 3. This is done as a subjective measure to help the traveller use this as a yardstick while planning his journey.
Rupam sharma
RIP project
The analysing life cycle of people in villages and the possible ways to increase their income
vishal joshi
Mughal History -Babur The Founder of Mughal Empire
Babur - Founder of the Mughal Empire When Babur swept down out of the valleys of Central Asia to conquer India, he was only one of a long line of such conquerors through history. However, his descendants, the Mughal emperors, built a long-lasting empire that ruled much of the subcontinent until 1868, and that continues to impact the culture of India to this day. It seems appropriate that the founder of such a mighty dynasty would himself be descended from great bloodlines. Babur's pedigree seems to have been specifically designed for the job. On his father's side, he was a Timurid, a Persianized Turk descended from Timur the Lame. On his mother's side, Babur was descended from Genghis Khan. Childhood of Babur Zahir-ud-din Muhammad, nicknamed "Babur" or "Lion," was born into the Timurid royal family in Andijan, now in Uzbekistan, on February 23, 1483. His father, Umar Sheikh Mirza, was the Emir of Ferghana; his mother, Qutlaq Nigar Khanum, was the Moghuli king Yunus Khan's daughter. By the time of Babur's birth, the remaining Mongol descendants in western Central Asia had intermarried with Turkic and Persian peoples, and assimilated into local culture. They were strongly influenced by Persia (using Farsi as their official court language), and they had converted to Islam. Most favored the mystic Sufism-infused style of Sunni Islam. Babur Takes the Throne In 1494, the Emir of Ferghana died suddenly, and 11-year-old Babur ascended his father's throne. His seat was anything but secure, however, with numerous uncles and cousins plotting to replace him. Evidently aware that a good offense is the best defense, the young emir set out to expand his holdings. By 1497, he had conquered the famous Silk Road oasis city of Samarkand. While he was thus engaged, however, his uncles and other nobles rose in rebellion back in Andijan. When Babur turned to defend his base, he once again lost control of Samarkand. The determined young emir had regained both cities by 1501, but the Uzbek ruler Shaibani Khan challenged him over Samarkand, and dealt Babur's forces a crushing defeat. This marked the end of Babur's rule in what is now Uzbekistan. Exile in Afghanistan For three years, the homeless prince wandered Central Asia, trying to attract followers to help him retake his father's throne. Finally, in 1504, he and his small army looked to the southeast instead, marching over the snow-bound Hindu Kush mountains into Afghanistan. Babur, now 21 years old, besieged and conquered Kabul, creating a base for his new kingdom. Ever optimistic, Babur would ally himself with the rulers of Herat and Persia, and try to take back Fergana in 1510-1511. Once more, however, the Uzbeks utterly defeated the Moghul army, driving them back to Afghanistan. Thwarted, Babur began to look south once more. Invitation to Replace Lodi In 1521, a perfect opportunity for southern expansion presented itself to Babur. The sultan of the Delhi Sultanate, Ibrahim Lodi, was hated and reviled by his ordinary citizens and the nobility alike. He had shaken up the military and court ranks, installing his own followers in place of the old guard, and ruled the lower classes with an arbitrary and tyrannical style. After just four years of Lodi's rule, the Afghan nobility were so fed up with him that they invited the Timurid Babur to come to the Delhi Sultanate and depose Ibrahim Lodi. Naturally, Babur was quite happy to comply. He gathered an army and launched a siege on Kandahar. The Kandahar Citadel, however, held out for much longer than Babur had anticipated. As the siege dragged on, however, important nobles and military men from the Delhi Sultanate such as Ibrahim Lodi's uncle, Alam Khan, and the governor of Punjab allied themselves with Babur. First Battle of Panipat Five years after his initial invitation into the subcontinent, Babur finally launched an all-out assault on the Delhi Sultanate and Ibrahim Lodi in April of 1526. On the plains of Punjab, Babur's army of 24,000, mostly horse cavalry, rode out against Sultan Ibrahim, who had 100,000 men and 1,000 war-elephants. Although Babur appeared to be terribly outmatched, he had a far more cohesive command - and guns. Ibrahim Lodi had none. The battle that followed, now called the First Battle of Panipat, marked the fall of the Delhi Sultanate. With superior tactics and firepower, Babur crushed Lodi's army, killing the sultan and 20,000 of his men. Lodi's fall signaled the beginning of the Mughal Empire (also known as the Timurid Empire) in India. Rajput Wars Babur had overcome his fellow Muslims in the Delhi Sultanate (and of course, most were happy to acknowledge his rule), but the mainly-Hindu Rajput princes were not so easily conquered. Unlike his ancestor, Timur, Babur was dedicated to the idea of building a permanent empire in India - he was no mere raider. He decided to build his capital at Agra. The Rajputs, however, put up a spirited defense against this new, Muslim, would-be overlord from the north. Knowing that the Mughal army was weakened after the Battle of Panipat, the princes of Rajputana gathered an army even larger than Lodi's had been and went to war behind Rana Sangam of Mewar. In March of 1527, at the Battle of Khanwa, Babur's army managed to deal the Rajputs a huge defeat. The Rajputs were undaunted, however, and battles and skirmishes continued all over the northern and eastern sections of Babur's empire for the next several years. Death of Babur In the autumn of 1530, Babur fell ill. His brother-in-law conspired with some of the Mughal court nobles to seize the throne after Babur's death, by-passing Humayun, Babur's eldest son and appointed heir. Humayun hurried to Agra to defend his claim to the throne but soon fell gravely ill himself. According to legend, Babur cried out to God to spare Humayun's life, offering his own in return. Soon, the emperor once more grew weak. On January 5, 1531, Babur died at the age of just 47. Humayun, 22 years old, inherited a rickety empire, beset by internal and external enemies. Like his father, Humayun would lose power and be forced into exile, only to return and stake his claim to India. By the end of his life, he had consolidated and expanded the empire, which would reach its height under his son, Akbar the Great. Babur lived a difficult life, always battling to make a place for himself. In the end, however, he planted the seed on one of the world's great empires. Himself a devotee of poetry and gardens, Babur's descendants would raise all kinds of arts to their apogee during their long reign. The Mughal Empire lasted until 1868, when it fell to the colonial British Raj.
Nitish Khanna
The Mauryan Legend - Ashoka
Ashoka - The Mauryan Legend c.268 - c. 232 BCE In the history of the world there were many Kings who referred themselves as ‘The Greatest’ but their reign shone only for a very little time but Ashoka’s legend is widely known by many people even in the modern era,so were his good deeds and practical qualities as a king. Ashoka was born in Pataliputra to Bindusara,the second mauryan emperor and Subhadrangi also known as Dharma,a mere consort in the courts of Bindusara, she was considered a lowly ranked queen and so was her predecessors.Ashoka had many elder half brothers and sisters and just one younger brother,Vitthashoka who was also born to Dharma and Bindusara. The Rivalry between the brothers for the throne was said to be significant but Ashoka has seemed to excel in administration,academics and all the disciplines that were tutored to the princes.One of the noted Rivalry to Ashoka was his elder brother,Susima who was an equivalent to Ashoka ,both as an administrator and a warrior. Takshashila -The First Rule and Exile of Ashoka Ashoka grew up to be a abled warrior and a shrewd commander,his name was spoke across the country,increasing his chances of inheriting his father’s place.This fueled the feud between Susima,the traditional heir to the throne and Ashoka, Susima persuaded Bindusara to send Ashoka to quell the volatile city of Takshashila in the northern province.Ashoka complied to the emperor’s orders,the news of Ashoka’s visit trickled an unrest among the citizens,he was welcomed to the province by the unmanaged revolting militants but due to his practical qualities and warriorship the revolt ended without a fight.Ashoka’s success made the situation even worse,Susima incitements made Bindusara to Exile Ashoka Exile of Ashoka In Kalinga Ashoka was exiled and stayed at Kalinga as a fugitive,complying to his father’s orders.Even though there was not much information on what he did there,Recently found inscriptions state that Ashoka fell in love with a fisherwoman named ,Kaurwaki who later became his second or third queen. Ujjain- The Teachings of Buddha Ashoka was summoned by Bindusara after two years of exile since there was a violent uprising in Ujjain and the emperor needed more commanders in order to control any further revolting of the militants.Unfortunately,Ashoka was injured in the ensuing battle of Ujjain ,in order to keep him safe from the loyalists in Susima’s camp he was treated in hiding by the monks and the nuns -This is were he first learned about the teachings of Buddha.After recovering completely he married Devi,the daughter of a merchant who was also his personal nurse while he was injured. Ashoka - The Chand (Murderer) After a year later, Bindusara,the emperor was terminally sick.The throne was to be inherited by any of his sons,Bindusara preferred Susima but this was greatly opposed by the clique of ministers who called themselves The Radhagupt,they summoned Ashoka to take the crown.Angered by his father’s choices Ashoka attacked Pataliputra and killed all his brothers including Susima and ascended the throne as the Third Emperor of Maurya.At this point of time many called him Chand which means murderer.There are also many historical paintings of the Buddhist that depicts the sadisticall and goriest form of Ashoka. The Battle Of Kalinga Ashoka as the Emperor of Maurya started extending his rule by conquering land after land,executing and deporting men after men.His last conquest was Kalinga-Present day Orrisa.Kalinga was a prosperous land and uniquely followed the system of democracy with monarchial parliment.The pretext of the war remains uncertain but it’s said to be around 265 BC or 263 BC .Ashoka send a diktat asking the Kalinga’s royalty to submit to him ,when they defied it ,he was greatly humiliated ,therefore he send one of his generals to Kalinga to make them submit to his supremacy but he failed miserably.Ashoka was baffled by this,he gathered a huge army and approached Kalinga with the greatest Invasion.He succeeded and so did he lose many generals.A rough estimate states that 10,000 mauryan warriors and 100,000 Kalinga warriors were killed. The Legend of A Change of Heart There were many legends which claimed as to why Ashoka changed his way of living but by far,the most realistic one was - Ashoka was taking a stroll in the Eastern City and all he could see was burnt houses and corpses and wails and cries of the people.The blood of the innocent people were in his hands and all he could ask himself was,” What have I done ?” The brutality that he done so far made him change his way of living to Buddhism with the help of Sage Radhaswami and Manjushri.He gave up war and violence,released prisoners and declared in his edicts and started preaching Buddhism as far as Egypt and Rome. Dharmashoka-The Real Mauryan Legend Though the goriest of wars was associated with Ashoka he is widely known for his peace and preaching of Buddhism.He propagated the Vibhajjavada School Of Buddhism in 250 BC.Silver punch mark coins bear the symbol of Buddhism- Dharmacakra and Elephant and also the tree where Buddha received enlightment- Bodhgaya .Ashoka was one of the noted rulers who preached Buddhism in the early 3rd century, where only war and swords were considered bravery. From his edicts and teachings we may always see him as Ashoka - The Greatest. Textual Reference: The Outline Of History by H.G.Wells The Mauryan : The Legend Of Ashoka by Bhanver Komal Ashoka the Great by Wytze Keuning
Deepika Priscila
Library of Alexandria
The loss of the ancient world's single greatest archive of knowledge, the Library of Alexandria, has been lamented for ages. But how and why it was lost is still a mystery. The mystery exists not for lack of suspects but from an excess of them. Alexandria was founded in Egypt by Alexander the Great. His successor as Pharaoh, Ptolomy II Soter, founded the Museum or Royal Library of Alexandria in 283 BC. The Museum was a shrine of the Muses modeled after the Lyceum of Aristotle in Athens. The Museum was a place of study which included lecture areas, gardens, a zoo, and shrines for each of the nine muses as well as the Library itself. It has been estimated that at one time the Library of Alexandria held over half a million documents from Assyria, Greece, Persia, Egypt, India and many other nations. Over 100 scholars lived at the Museum full time to perform research, write, lecture or translate and copy documents. The library was so large it actually had another branch or "daughter" library at the Temple of Serapis. The first person blamed for the destruction of the Library is none other than Julius Caesar himself. In 48 BC, Caesar was pursuing Pompey into Egypt when he was suddenly cut off by an Egyptian fleet at Alexandria. Greatly outnumbered and in enemy territory, Caesar ordered the ships in the harbor to be set on fire. The fire spread and destroyed the Egyptian fleet. Unfortunately, it also burned down part of the city - the area where the great Library stood. Caesar wrote of starting the fire in the harbor but neglected to mention the burning of the Library. Such an omission proves little since he was not in the habit of including unflattering facts while writing his own history. But Caesar was not without public detractors. If he was solely to blame for the disappearance of the Library it is very likely significant documentation on the affair would exist today. The second story of the Library's destruction is more popular, thanks primarily to Edward Gibbon's "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire". But the story is also a tad more complex. Theophilus was Patriarch of Alexandria from 385 to 412 AD. During his reign the Temple of Serapis was converted into a Christian Church (probably around 391 AD) and it is likely that many documents were destroyed then. The Temple of Serapis was estimated to hold about ten percent of the overall Library of Alexandria's holdings. After his death, his nephew Cyril became Patriarch. Shortly after that, riots broke out when Hierax, a Christian monk, was publicly killed by order of Orestes the city Prefect. Orestes was said to be under the influence of Hypatia, a female philosopher and daughter of the "last member of the Library of Alexandria". Although it should be noted that some count Hypatia herself as the last Head Librarian. Alexandria had long been known for it's violent and volatile politics. Christians, Jews and Pagans all lived together in the city. One ancient writer claimed that there were no people who loved a fight more than those of Alexandria. Immediately after the death of Hierax a group of Jews who had helped instigate his killing lured more Christians into the street at night by proclaiming that the Church was on fire. When the Christians rushed out the largely Jewish mob slew many of them. After this there was mass havoc as Christians retaliated against both the Jews and the Pagans - one of which was Hypatia. The story varies slightly depending upon who tells it but she was taken by the Christians, dragged through the streets and murdered. Some regard the death of Hypatia as the final destruction of the Library. Others blame Theophilus for destroying the last of the scrolls when he razed the Temple of Serapis prior to making it a Christian church Still others have confused both incidents and blamed Theophilus for simultaneously murdering Hypatia and destroying the Library though it is obvious Theophilus died sometime prior to Hypatia. The final individual to get blamed for the destruction is the Moslem Caliph Omar. In 640 AD the Moslems took the city of Alexandria. Upon learning of "a great library containing all the knowledge of the world" the conquering general supposedly asked Caliph Omar for instructions. The Caliph has been quoted as saying of the Library's holdings, "they will either contradict the Koran, in which case they are heresy, or they will agree with it, so they are superfluous." So, allegedly, all the texts were destroyed by using them as tinder for the bathhouses of the city. Even then it was said to have taken six months to burn all the documents. But these details, from the Caliph's quote to the incredulous six months it supposedly took to burn all the books, weren't written down until 300 years after the fact. These facts condemning Omar were written by Bishop Gregory Bar Hebræus, a Christian who spent a great deal of time writing about Moslem atrocities without much historical documentation. So who did burn the Library of Alexandria? Unfortunately most of the writers from Plutarch (who apparently blamed Caesar) to Edward Gibbons (a staunch atheist or deist who liked very much to blame Christians and blamed Theophilus) to Bishop Gregory (who was particularly anti-Moslem, blamed Omar) all had an axe to grind and consequently must be seen as biased. Probably everyone mentioned above had some hand in destroying some part of the Library's holdings. The collection may have ebbed and flowed as some documents were destroyed and others were added. For instance, Mark Antony was supposed to have given Cleopatra over 200,000 scrolls for the Library long after Julius Caesar is accused of burning it. It is also quite likely that even if the Museum was destroyed with the main library the outlying "daughter" library at the Temple of Serapis continued on. Many writers seem to equate the Library of Alexandria with the Library of Serapis although technically they were in two different parts of the city. The real tragedy of course is not the uncertainty of knowing who to blame for the Library's destruction but that so much of ancient history, literature and learning was lost forever.
sankalp dwivedi
MPPO course overview
Managing people and performance in organization course overview
Nikhil Kumar
Tina Dua