Witty transcultural fiction by a prize-winning author who focuses on the impact of western (especially American) values in traditional India and the tribulations of traditional Indians when transplanted to the West.
LAND OF THE MARATHAS, WESTERN INDIA, 17TH CENTURY For the first time in over three centuries, the Maratha homeland has seen one of its own sons crowned as a sovereign King. The coronation of Maharaj Shivaji Raje Bhosale as the first Maratha Chhatrapati, has added a new political power in the Deccan, and changed the course of Indian history. Chhatrapati Shivaji expands his holdings, first along the west coast, and later along the east coast of the Indian peninsula, in systematically planned and brilliantly executed military campaigns that leave both the Adilshahi and the Mughal Empire dumbfounded. In a year-long campaign into the Adilshahi Karnatak, the Chhatrapati first befriends the Qutubshah, then annexes an entire district, as well as his father’s former estates, subduing his rebellious half-brother. He returns victorious, having changed the political, social and economic future of the South. The true impact of this phenomenal campaign will be felt years after his death, when Aurangzeb launches his final war against the Marathas, and these southern lands provide a safe haven for the Chhatrapati’s younger son. Following his return from this whirlwind campaign, the Chhatrapati struggles to come to terms with his own health, and family strife. Troubled by the growing discord between his eldest son, Sambhaji, and his chief wife, Soyarabai, as also the widening chasm between Sambhaji and his ministers, he loses hope that his beloved Swarajya will hold its own after his demise. Finally, with no solution to the domestic crisis in view, Chhatrapati Shivaji, the extraordinary man, who inspired millions to rebel against bigoted foreign rulers, and established a free state for his people, breathes his last and passes into Legend.
Tara and Sandy: Slow Dance of Infinite Stars, is an irreverent novel that revives both letter writing and intelligent conversation in a compelling narrative. Catching up with well-lived lives after school days reminiscences, the words kindle a suggestive slow burn that soon crackles with sexual chemistry. Two lonely adults seeking a connection that could ripen with possibilities. - MAITHILI RAO, author of Smita Patil: A Brief Incandescence This epistolary novel touches on the highs and lows of time, space, and consciousness; the ideas are made up of many circuits and networks. Tara and Sandy: Slow Dance of Infinite Stars is a series of letters written in a stream of consciousness as if running through a serrated jungle. Sandy writes to Tara as if in search of an anchor. Tara replies in a comparatively calmer and poised manner. - BUSINESS WORLD
LAND OF THE MARATHAS, WESTERN INDIA, 17TH CENTURY For the first time in over three centuries, the Maratha homeland has seen one of its own sons crowned as a sovereign King. The coronation of Maharaj Shivaji Raje Bhosale as the first Maratha Chhatrapati, has added a new political power in the Deccan, and changed the course of Indian history. Chhatrapati Shivaji expands his holdings, first along the west coast, and later along the east coast of the Indian peninsula, in systematically planned and brilliantly executed military campaigns that leave both the Adilshahi and the Mughal Empire dumbfounded. In a year-long campaign into the Adilshahi Karnatak, the Chhatrapati first befriends the Qutubshah, then annexes an entire district, as well as his father’s former estates, subduing his rebellious half-brother. He returns victorious, having changed the political, social and economic future of the South. The true impact of this phenomenal campaign will be felt years after his death, when Aurangzeb launches his final war against the Marathas, and these southern lands provide a safe haven for the Chhatrapati’s younger son. Following his return from this whirlwind campaign, the Chhatrapati struggles to come to terms with his own health, and family strife. Troubled by the growing discord between his eldest son, Sambhaji, and his chief wife, Soyarabai, as also the widening chasm between Sambhaji and his ministers, he loses hope that his beloved Swarajya will hold its own after his demise. Finally, with no solution to the domestic crisis in view, Chhatrapati Shivaji, the extraordinary man, who inspired millions to rebel against bigoted foreign rulers, and established a free state for his people, breathes his last and passes into Legend.
This book looks at the first eight Sanskrit law codes written in India, between 600 BCE and 570 ACE. It focuses on the legal, religious and ethical customs which were codified in this period and their impact on the social and political life of women. The volume analyzes texts such as the Dharma Sūtras, the Arthaśāstra, the Manu Smŗiti, the Yājňyavalkya Smŗiti, and Nārada Smŗiti, amongst others. It studies discourses on justice, conduct, virtues and duties, and how early laws were used to systematize patriarchy and the varna caste system in South Asia. It examines how patrimonial laws and male property rights highlighted social anxieties about female chastity and varna lineage, which led to the subordination of women and the lower varnas. These anxieties are most evident in codes from the late Vedic and early classical eras when diverse new settlers arrived upon the subcontinent. At this time, kings decentralized governance and allowed local groups to practice communal laws, while they meted out court justice with a specific law code. As the state became prosperous from trade conducted by merchants of diverse castes, sects, and classes, and social peace was ensured by officials from disparate backgrounds, kings began to rely upon a law code that aspired for equity above intolerance. These chapters examine heterodox Therāvada Buddhism and Jainism, their origins in the oligarchic state, their impact on the royal Sanskritic state, as seen in canonical literature. They especially focus on women’s roles in heterodox sects, and the emergence of new spaces for women, as such changes were adopted in disparate ways and degrees by other South Asian communities. The volume will be a useful resource for students and researchers of history, women and gender studies, social anthropology, sociology, and law. It will also serve as an information guide for readers who are interested in the political, and social life of women in early India
Are Indian women powerful mother goddesses, or domestic handmaidens trailing behind men in literacy, wages, opportunities, and rights? Have they been agents of their own destinies, or voiceless victims of patriarchy? Behind these colorful over-simplifications lies the reality of many feminine personas belonging to various classes, ethnicities, religions, and castes. This two-volume set looks at Indian history from ancient to modern times, revealing precisely why ideas of gender rights were not static across eras or regions. Raman's work is a reflection on the various ways in which women in a non-Western culture have developed and expressed their own feminist agenda. Are Indian women powerful mother goddesses, or domestic handmaidens trailing behind men in literacy, wages, opportunities, and rights? Have they been agents of their own destinies, or voiceless victims of patriarchy? Behind these coloful over-simplifications lies the reality of many feminine personas belonging to various classes, ethnicities, religions, and castes. This two-volume set looks at Indian history from ancient to modern times, revealing precisely why ideas of gender rights were not static across eras or regions. Raman's work is a reflection on the various ways in which women in a non-western culture have developed and expressed their own feminist agenda. Individual chapters highlight the enduring legacies of many important male and female figures, illustrating how each played a key role in modifying the substance of women's lives. Political movements are examined as well, such as the nationalist reform movement of 1947 in which the ideal of Indian womanhood became central to the nation and the push for independence. Also included is a survey of women in contemporary India and the role they played in the resurgence of militant Hindu nationalism. Aside from being an engaging and readable narrative of Indian history, this set integrates women's issues, roles, and achievements into the general study of the times, providing a clear presentation of the social, cultural, religious, political, and economic realities that have helped shape the identity of Indian women.
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