EVEN THE PAST SPEAKS: Fragments of Ancient Indian History and Culture

Even the Past Speaks: Fragments of Ancient Indian History and Culture brings together a diverse collection of writings that explore India’s historical, cultural, intellectual and social traditions. The volume is presented in two parts, combining personal memoirs and tributes with scholarly essays on significant aspects of Indian history and culture.

The first part pays tribute to the life and legacy of Prof. S.N. Agnihotri, an educator, scholar and institution-builder whose commitment to education, Gandhian values, social sciences and the humanities left a lasting impression on his colleagues and students. The memoirs offer personal reflections on his character, intellectual interests, dedication to his institution, and his vision of research grounded in ethics, values and social responsibility.

The second part brings together essays by scholars on a wide range of themes, including tolerance in Indian culture, historical writing and plagiarism, land grants to Brahmanas in early India, concepts of time in early Indian thought, Acheulian culture, the slave trade in India, rock art, social hierarchy and justice, and the socio-cultural ethos of Buddhism. Together, these studies illuminate different dimensions of India’s past, from prehistoric cultures and ancient social institutions to intellectual traditions and cultural practices.

Rather than presenting history as a static record of the past, the volume demonstrates how historical experiences, ideas and cultural traditions continue to speak to questions of identity, ethics, social justice and human values in the present. The book will be of interest to students and researchers of Indian history, archaeology, culture, philosophy, Buddhism and the social sciences, as well as readers interested in the diverse intellectual and cultural heritage of India.