History Straight From The Horse's Mouth

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About the Book The life, in and around the traditional houses of Travancore, built according to the principles that were passed from generation to generation using tralatitious techniques, represented a culture that had its roots in the traditional, matriarchal, and distinctly Hindu past, had moulded the life of a people in the past. Calling these look-alike houses now almost abandoned and reduced to the status of an effigy of the bygone era, as the gateways to posterity, may provoke some to question the authenticity of such a claim. The examination of the life style, rituals and various other aspects of the house undoubtedly takes one to such a conclusion only. The present book discusses the houses where the plough culture made its debut and its companion volume speaks about the ploughing ceremonies around the world, deals with the story of its onward journey beyond Indian borders.

Foreword The historiography of agriculture, especially paddy cultivation, like that of several human activities is closely interwoven with the socio-cultural life of a community in the spatiotemporal dimension across the world involving an array of technological innovations. Which country in the world first started paddy cultivation? There are diverse opinions. It may be China, Bali, Thailand, Laos, North Vietnam or India. In many countries the commencement of paddy cultivation is immersed in myth whereas in India it is seen as a phase of agricultural evolution. Agriculture began in natural wet lands. The advent of the plough motivated men to indulge in paddy cultivation. In the beginning humans pulled the yoke. Later the adoption of bullocks in ploughing fields made tremendous progress in the agricultural sector. It renewed the whole pattern of man's life.

The geographic basis of life is the agricultural village. Kerala's cultural growth is ingrained in rice cultivation. It is the rice related economic powers that determined the human bonds and the life system of the people of Kerala in ancient times. The analysis of these relationships will lead to the historicity of a region where the changes initially took place. Paddy cultivation sustains in the midst of the several socio-cultural changes that occurred in Kerala. Rice and the social relations become a harmonious whole and a biological system emerges in this environment. Rice which is an indispensable factor in the Kerala community has deeply influenced language, rituals, myths, folkloristics, arts and science. Dr Sankara Nair attempts a hair- splitting analysis on these multifaceted phenomena. The impact of rice cultivation among the tribal people across the globe is a significant subject of enquiry which deserves appreciation. The author provides numerous examples to convince his contention that urban civilization has developed along with the growth of agricultural produce. This is a cogent contribution to the study of the cultural history of our country.

Preface The evolution of human society is closely related to the invention of agriculture. The food gathering and hunting man wandered from one place to another in search of food. The animal instinct dominated the gentle human behavior in that stage. But agriculture transformed the human society tremendously. It is from agriculture that the concept of culture originated. In short culture evolved from agriculture.

The development of agriculture necessitated the making of tools which are different from those required for the food gathering community. The improvement of agriculture necessitated the refinement of tools also. Making of tools made man more wise and this led to the making of tools for further refined tools. In fact culture emanated from tool making and cultivation of crops. Really man is a tool making animal.

The cultivation of rice is quite different from other types of crops being cultivated by mankind. It required constant vigil and attention. This prompted man to observe the rhythm of nature such as the blowing wind, flowing water, chirping birds, whistling bamboo reeds etc. Thus culture enriched itself.

The book 'History: Straight from The Horse's Mouth' by Dr. V. Sankaran Nair is revealing the intricacies of rice cultivation in Kerala. It is analyzed in such a manner as to how the astrological calculations decided the course of paddy cultivation. The various festivals and rituals associated with this crop are also perused.

Introduction one of the many wild marsh grasses, rice, the single species sativa of the genus Oryza, cultivated extensively in warm climates for its starchy grain, slowly but steadily began to feed more people over a longer period than any other crop. With this longest history of cultivation, it attained the status of the worlds most productive and dependable agricultural system humans had devised. Today, rice has become the most important basic staple food for 2.5 billion people around the world and provides over 20 percent of the global calorie intake for a population whose lives and well-being depend primarily on this staple. Rice-based countries like China, India and Indonesia depend on rice as their staple food. Consumed from within a few miles of where it is produced, rice feeds more than half of the world population.

The ancient cultures started to settle using agriculture as a primary food source, and these anthropogenic activities have caused massive demographic growth, followed by geographic population expansion of rice farming. It featured in the agriculture of South and East Asia since prehistoric times. It supported early urban cultures in the Ganges valley (India) and the Yangtze valley (China). Today, while China and India together produce more than half of the world's rice crop, Asia produces about 330 million tons."

One of the most important economic/political commodities on earth, rice plays a crucial role in the economy of developing countries. The rural populations find in a bowl of rice their main source of food, income and employment. This sensitive commodity, the basis of social order and livelihood, occupies a primordial place in civilization.

**Contents and Sample Pages**