How was Indian civilization seen as a distinct type in comparison to other cultures. India is one of the oldest societies in the world and
home to half a billion people. It’s known for its artistic diversity and
plurality. It's beyond the compass of one discipline to capture all the
diversity as they're in every dimension of life, in the population, in the
terrain, terrain, modes of livelihood and over all in its societies. There are
four broad approaches to study Indian civilization. The first section of the
unit focuses on these approaches. How was Indian civilization seen as a distinct type in comparison to other cultures.
How was Indian civilization seen as a distinct type in comparison to other cultures. Indian population represents a variety of literal migrations that has redounded in ethnical, ethnical, and religious diversity. The populations concentrated in different regions, speak different languages and have a distinct way of life that sets them piecemeal from each other. The ecological and physiographic variations of different regions of India explain its uproariousness and diversity. How was Indian civilization seen as a distinct type in comparison to other cultures.
The social structure and artistic diversity of Indian
civilization is examined. The religious and socio-political literal history are
significant to understand the elaboration of Indian society. It highlights the
fact that no society can be duly understood without reference to its history.
Section1.5 reflects on the significant rudiments that contribute to the
concinnity of Indian civilization. It highlights that regionalism was noway a
significant trouble to Indian civilization’s unified identity in malignancy of
internal conflicts and nearly nonstop warfare.
APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF INDIAN CIVILIZATION
The term civilisation comes from the Latin word civis, meaning “ citizen” or “ citizen.” Therefore a semblance of complexity is apparent in the description of civilisation. The term assumes some agrarian practices, trade, some substantiation of planned residences, multiple societies, art, religion and some executive and political structures. Civilization is a complex of mortal grouping/ society with artistic- material and non- material/ theoretical traits and a defined polity.
How was Indian civilization seen as a distinct type in comparison to other cultures. Therefore the Indus
Valley Civilization whose society is revealed to us through its artefacts and
monuments is considered a civilisation. India is considered one of oldest
continuing societies because its origin is traced back to the Harappan
civilization. How was Indian civilization seen as a distinct type in comparison to other cultures.
There have been innumerous scholarly accounts fastening
on the Indian civilization devoted to understanding of the nature of Indian
society and culture. How was Indian civilization seen as a distinct type in comparison to other cultures. In doing so, these accounts illuminate diversity and
uproariousness of India as a civilization and give multiple abstract tools/ methodology
used to study it. How was Indian civilization seen as a distinct type in comparison to other cultures.
How was Indian civilization seen as a distinct type in comparison to other cultures. Cohn (1971) points out that four broad approaches/
directions to understand Indian civilization can be deduced from these
accounts. They are : How was Indian civilization seen as a distinct type in comparison to other cultures.
• Catalogue
Approach
• Cultural
Essence Approach
• Cultural
Communication Approach
• Approaching
India as a Type
The precedingsub-sections give their elaborate account.
The
Cataloguing of Traits
This approach entails recording of traits, institutions
and rates that are assumed to be basically Indian. The variations and diversions
that India may represent are examined in terms of statistical measures of mean
or mode. India and its population reflect diversity which may be soluble in
terms of geographical, ecological, indigenous, class or religious differences.
How was Indian civilization seen as a distinct type in comparison to other cultures. Still, the emphasis of the approach is to list out traits or rates that are
distinctly Indian or contribute to Indianness. This, of course, is primarily
grounded on assuming the notion of what it means to be Indian and these may
vary from scholar to scholar. How was Indian civilization seen as a distinct type in comparison to other cultures.
The
Reading of Cultural Essence
This approach entails discovery of essential style and process — the artistic essenceas truly representative of Indian civilization since its commencement, but not particularity or content. The artistic substance reflects India in its true spirit, which it has imbibed over the times in the wake of literal and colorful other extremities.
How was Indian civilization seen as a distinct type in comparison to other cultures. It indicates India
isn't statistically measurable. Rather, its substance may be understood in
terms of generalities like‘ concinnity in diversity’, forbearance and
brotherhood, respect for the spiritual and godly. The conception of morality is
basically abstract and deducible in nature. It again is largely private as a
conception. How was Indian civilization seen as a distinct type in comparison to other cultures.
The
Study of Cultural Communication
The artistic communication approach entails fastening
on the ways and processes through which the content of the civilizational
system are transmitted and communicated through different situations of
society. It draws attention towards the structural integration of the Indian
civilization. How was Indian civilization seen as a distinct type in comparison to other cultures.
How was Indian civilization seen as a distinct type in comparison to other cultures. The workshop of social anthropologists, McKim Marriott
(1955) and Robert Redfield (1956) give a significant base to understand the
concinnity and interdependence of colorful corridor of a civilizational
reality. Marriott highlights artistic conflation and commerce between‘ Great
Tradition’and‘ Little Tradition’while fastening on carnivals celebrated in a
small north Indian vill.
UNDERSTANDING THE Terrain OF INDIA
Indian civilization has complex and deeply embedded
literal traditions, with a wide variation in custom and geste regionally and
with the social structure of a particular region (Cohn 19717). Important of the
diversity and indigenous variations in India may be explained on the grounds of
variations in her terrain. Further, it's the introductory physiography of India
that has handed a broad frame for a patient literal, artistic and political
pattern. It thus, becomes significant to take an account of its ( literal)
terrain. How was Indian civilization seen as a distinct type in comparison to other cultures.
Cohn lists out three zones into which India may be
divided in a broad geographical way. These are
• The
Imperishable or Nuclear Zones
• The Route
Zones
• The Zones of Relative Insulation
The
Imperishable/ Nuclear Zones
The imperishable zones are the rich swash basins,
plains and delta. Historically, they've been centres/ nexus of mortal
agreement, high population viscosity, political exertion and a stable state
system. They've settled husbandry practices. They're known for being trade
centres of agrarian and craft goods. Colorfulpre-modern and ultramodern
metropolises have surfaced in nuclear zones. India is marked by similar zones
both in north and southIndia.Historically, the swash basins and plains around
Peshawar led to the emergence of first nuclear zone in northern India which is
Gandhara, a city that's now in Pakistan. This region played a vital part in
spreading the influences from western and central Asia to India.
The Sutlej-Jamuna doab and the GangeseJamuna doab
formed the major nuclear zones of north. These comprised of metropolises like
Kurukshetra-Panchala, Kanauj, Panipat, Delhi, Agra, which have had a vibrant
politico-literal history. Kosala, the present day Central Uttar Pradesh, Bengal
and Saurahastra, the contemporary Gujarat are other exemplifications of nuclear
zones of north. Each of these zones have distinct verbal traditions and owing
to topographical and climatic variations have evolved a distinctive cropping
pattern.
There are five major nuclear zones in south India.
These are – Andhra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra and Mysore. Andhra is the
home of Telugu speaking people. It's constituted by the rich agrarian delta
areas of Godavari and Krishna swash. Tamil Nadu is the point of the Chola and
Pandyan area, and inhabits Tamil speaking people. It comprises of rich plains
of Pennar swash and Kaveri delta and is densely peopled. Maharashtra is the
Marathi speaking area. It bears similarity with Mysore, the home of Kannada
speaking population in agrarian practices. Both the zones are known for dry
husbandry with millet, sludge and gram being prominent crops.
Also, unlike Tamil Nadu the two zones display a dispersed agreement pattern. Kerala/ Malabar forms the south western part of India. It stands distinct from other zones in the south owing to its height due to the Niligiri ranges and the rain it receives.
How was Indian civilization seen as a distinct type in comparison to other cultures. The Western Ghats insulate it
from other zones in south and render it a distinct culture and social
structure, visible in the practice of matriliny by the Nayar community. Still,
analogous to Andhra and Tamil Nadu, Kerala displays husbandry grounded on wet
rice civilization.
The
Route Zones
Malwa provides a typical illustration of a route zone.
It connects north India with the western seacoast and Deccan. It acts as a
passage for raiders and dealers to reach nuclear zones of magnet. It's a
distinct artistic region, lying towards south of Aravali ranges. It's
asemi-arid region.
The route zones have no unified and patient political
tradition. Socially and culturally, they're mosaics rather than having
distinctive culture and social structure (Cohn 1971 26). They're areas of agreement
of migratory population.
The
Zones of Relative Insulation
The zones of relative insulation are fairly
inapproachable and geographically lower conducive areas for mortal agreement.
Ladakh for case isn't only icy deep freeze but fairly cut off due to high
mountains ranges. And thus has meager agreements.
The northern part of the country is hilly and
mountainous and represents several zones of relative insulation like
a) The area in the northern bow. This is constituted by
the regions adjoining the borders of Baluchistan and Afghanistan. It's
inhabited by approximately organised lines who have been Islamised.
b) The areas around Gilgit and Jammu and Kashmir having
a unique artistic tradition, assimilating Hindus from the plains.
c) The areas along the Himalayas in the plains
extending through Nepal border, Bhutan and Sikkim and place where the
Brahmaputra River enters Assam plains. These represent binary artistic influence
that of Tibetan-Buddhism and Hindu beliefs transmitted from the plains. How was Indian civilization seen as a distinct type in comparison to other cultures.
d) In the hilly and forested tracts of north east, the
area between Burma and India. The area is home to colorful lines reflecting
south-eastern influence.
e) The Rajuptana/ Marwar is a region of relative
insulation in the north west India. Since, the 10th century it's inhabited by
the Rajputs and other deportees from Muslim raiders who established their
culture over the haphazard lines of the region. How was Indian civilization seen as a distinct type in comparison to other cultures.
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