From Harappa to Hastinapura

This book redefines the concepts of the city and civilization in the Harappan and early historic south Asia, using archaeological data and ancient Indian texts. In contrast to previous studies, it approaches texts not as sources of factual information, but as sources of abstract ideas that can be used in the analyses of archaeological data. The main themes discussed throughout the book are: the use of ancient texts in the analysis of archaeological data; the ideas of the city and a complex society in ancient Indian literature; and the ideas of the city and civilization in the Harappan and Gangetic south Asia. Important to all interested in ancient south Asia, this book revisits controversial issues, such as the historicity of ancient Indian literature, the idea of the ancient Indian civilization and the continuity between the Harappan and Ganges cultures. The book is illustrated with plans of ancient south Asian cities and photos of some archaeological sites.