History of Ancient India (A Relook at the Facts)

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A linguist and a vedantin, Ramakrishnan Srinivasan has worn many hats as a chemical engineer, industrialist, management consultant and author of books on philosophy and religion and has been doing research during the past decade on ancient civilization and cultures. He has been lecturing on these subjects in India and elsewhere. He relaxes by playing tenis and Bridge.

There have been a number of books penned by scholars on ancient Indian history but most of them have been Harappa-Mohenjo-Daro centric with no significant treatment of the history of South India probably because it was considered as not very important or relevant. For the first time Ramakrishnan Srinivasan has made a bold attempt to draw the attention of historians and researchers to the importance and relevance of South Indian History dating back to the pre-dawn era of the last glacial period.

The ancient civilization of India developed in a sharply demarcated Sub-continent bounded on the north by the world’s largest mountain range- the Himalayan chain. This divides Indian from the rest of Asia and the world. The ancient history of India cannot be compressed into a volume of about three hundred pages. At best, only general observations can be made on the diverse aspects her cultural and society at large with suitable references. This is because of linguistic and cultural divisions within this large country that has a basic unity amidst enormous diversity. Srinivasan’s erudite interpretation of available data based on higher intellectual and idealistic plane for correcting errors caused by the influence of the British during its reign for about three hundred years shows he is breaking new ground.

The initial chapters depict the historical perspectives on the Aryan and Dravidian groups supported with chronological, linguistic, paleontological and archaeological evidences some of which were introduced by Prof. R.Sathianathier earlier. The author’s account of the sources in tracing the genesis of different groups of people including the Aryan and Dravidian impels admiration. That India had only Dravidians al over and the coming of the Vedic people from the north helped in the assimilation of cultural elements in the Rig Vedic literature on a massive scale was deftly examined by the author with comparative studies of other ancient civilizations, which can be considered as a pioneering attempt.

The author has offered an insight into the evolution of man over millions of years since the beginning of creation. He has pointed out how ancient the Tamils are by showing the Pandyan lineage and discussing in detail the submergence of the Kumari continent (now known as lemuria) in the Indian Ocean over a nine thousand year period. References from ancient Tamil literature have been quoted along with the reference to the Kumari in Bhavishya Purana, one of the eighteen Puranas, in support of his submissions.

An interesting discussion on the Tamil Sangam Age has been introduced by the author, like the Age of Kushanas in the earlier works of great historians, on Tamils and their culture with linguistic evidences. He has forcefully argued that the Tamils pre-dated the Vedic people and that the Tamil language influenced other languages including Sanskrit to a large extent. The harmonious life led by the Tamils irrespective o caste or religion is explained with strong evidence from ancient literary sources .5

Particular mention should be made about the study of diverse chronological data to arrive at a consensual series of dates including the start of the Sapta Rishi Era. The chronology of Solar and Lunar dynasties and the dates of Kali Yuga, the Bharata war and other events deserve praise.

The comprehensive treatment of the relationship of Indian and western cultures based on archaeological sources reinforces the historical and religious significance of great epics- the Ramayana and the Mahabharata- and the origin of Vedic hyms and Tamil music with it types bespeak of the writer’s scholarship in Sanskrit and Carnatic music.

Srinivasan’s suggestions to the historians and other experts in the field besides to the government to make an attempt to correct the ancient Indian history texts, especially in respect of the Aryan Invasion Theory, deserve serious consideration. While showcasting the contributions of our ancients in varied fields of science, astronomy and other fields, the scholar has shown that the wrap and woof of Indian culture lied in its unity in the midst of diversity.