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Kings, Farmers And Towns
Who was James Princep? How did his discovery give a new direction for studying early Indian history?
James Princep was an officer in the mint of the British East India Company during the 1830s.
It was his discovery that gave a new direction in studying the early History India because
1. He deciphered Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts, the scripts in which Ashoka's inscription are written. Thus making available large chunks of evidences.
2. It was his disovery of Piyamdasi being Ashoka that opened up the huge Mauryan empire and discovery of Ashoka the great.
3. Through his disocovery historians began to to shift their focus to the context of political history, investigating whether there were connections between political changes and economic and social developments.
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Describe the salient features of Mahajanapadas.
How do historians reconstruct the lives of ordinary people?
Compare and contrast the list of things given to the Pandyan chief (Source 3) with those produced in the village of Danguna (Source 8). Do you notice any similarities or differences?
List some of the problems faced by epigraphists.
Discuss the main features of Mauryan administration. Which of these elements are evident in the Asokan inscriptions that you have studied?
This is a statement made by one of the best-known epigraphists of the twentieth century, D.C. Sircar: “There is no aspect of life, culture and activities of the Indians that is not reflected in inscriptions”. Discuss.
Discuss the notions of kingship that developed in the post-Mauryan period.
To what extent were agricultural practices transformed in the period under consideration?
Compare Maps 1 and 2, and list the Mahajanapadas that may have been included in the Mauryan Empire. Are any Asokan inscriptions found in these areas?
Collect newspapers for one month. Cut and paste all the statements made by government officials about public works. Note what the reports say about the resources required for such projects, how the resources are mobilised and the objective of the project. Who issues these statements, and how and why are they communicated? Compare and contrast these with the evidence from inscriptions discussed in this chapter. What are the similarities and differences that you notice.
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