Chaturvedis of India The Mathura Clan (A Historical and Socio-Cultural Study)

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About the Book The present study deals with the "Chaturvedi" community of India, right from its very beginning. In order to understand things in proper perspective it cites earlier works regarding the theories and phenomena of the 'Aryans'!

It also discusses their role as protectors and propagators of Vedic thought by citing how A.L. Basham has talked of the 'living' Vedic culture; how they had to face the heaviest odds against the Sultans of Delhi- Agra and the Mughal rulers; and, because of the defenders of their ancient faith took the British rule, too, head-on, as for various reasons mentioned herein, it became imperative for them to defend their 'faith' !

The work underlines the fact of their rising every time when the 'faith' was challenged from within and without is a big pointer of their being the earliest proponents of that 'faith'! And, despite the passage of time and through the ages they have maintained their distinct food-habits, customs, rituals, traditions and even salutation! The most important being dowry-less marriages still adhered too!

The book analyzes the impact of Indian Renaissance, the growth of Western education, women uplift, social reforms and the how this community of the "Chaturvedis" started gaining the academic attention of the Western scholars like F.S. Growse, A.W. Entwistle, Owen M. Lynch and C.A. Bayly, etc.

About the Author The author's native place is a remote village in Agra. He was born on December 31, 1955 at Indore (M.P) and brought up, educated and groomed at Allahabad.

He started teaching at the History Department, University of Allahabad, since January 1980 where, presently, he occupies the position of the Head of the Department.

He has published more than 50 Research Papers; 20 chapters in books; and more than 100 articles in magazines etc., journals and newspapers apart from 12 books.

Two of these books, Madhykaaleen Itihas ke Strot and Madhykaaleen Bharat mein Rajya aur Rajneeti, received the Acharaya Narendra Dev Award of the Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan, Lucknow, for the years 2003 and 2005 respectively.

Daastaan, Mughal Mahilaon ki was included by the B.B.C., London, in its list of Best Hindi Books published in 2013

Preface I am, also, a 'Chaturvedi' originally hailing from Mathura. This stock of "Chaturvedis" is, thus, styled as "Mathur- Chaturvedis", just as we have "Mathur-kayasthas" (with Surnames 'Mathur') and, "Mathur-Vaishyas". They got their sur-names, because of this association with Mathura from the ancient times. I became a teacher and that, too, a History teacher and dabbled in socio-cultural historical processes and their evolution. This, naturally, drew my attention to my own ancient past and the quest for searching my "own roots" as I found my community to be a closed endogamous one, where marriage outside the community or stock was considered worth ostracizing not only the concerned spouses, but also the family of the erring member of this close-knit community! This practice has continued as late as a few months ago-even in this fast changing social scenario of the twenty-first century!