Book Review

Book Review

Book: Understanding Early Bihar Archaeology, History and Culture.

Author: Rajiva Kumar Sinha.

Publisher: 

Year: 2022

Page:

Language: English

Price:

 

The author mentions his purpose of writing the book in the following words," The book is an attempt towards understanding issues related to archaeology, history and culture of early Bihar by adopting a multidisciplinary approach." This book is divided into 14 chapters namely 1. Preliminaries 2. Theoretical postulates on Cultural Change 3. Early Farming Cultures and Urban Beginnings in Ancient Bihar 4. From Exchange Network to Developed Trade Routes 5. Archaeology, Ecology and Social Formations in Early Bihar 6. Migration, Settlements and Gender Issues in Early Bihar 7. Early Cultures of North Bihar Ganga Plain 8. Emergence of States in Bihar 9. The Making of the Mauryan Empire 10. Historiographical Dimension of Oral Tradition 11. Mother Goddess Worship in Early Bihar 12. Folk- Art and the Study of Past Cultures 13. Towards Understanding Nalanda Mahavihara 14. Ego.

The aim of the author in this book is not merely to present its subject matter before his reader in a separate form but also to examine and discover its connection with the larger history of India. In this way the author establishes it beyond doubt that local or regional history of a particular area is not separate from the comprehensive history of the nation as a whole. By describing frontiers of Bihar the author very aptly remarks," The above geographical description clearly suggests that in no way Bihar could be separated from the rest of India by physical or cultural barriers."

In the second chapter the author underlines the transition from hunting gathering to food production in South Bihar plains. He says the tribes of this area takes the meat of wild animals found in this area for food and it is supplemented by fishing. Some tribes practice shifting cultivation They grow mainly maize, millet, bean, arhar, and sutri. They sow seeds in summer and harvest the crops in winter. 

In the third chapter of the book the author discusses the topic of urbanization of ancient Bihar. During the 3rd millennium B.C.E we see the emergence of full-fledged agricultural and pre- metallic villages in the river banks of Bihar.  

In Chapter 4 of the book the author tells us that the ancient Anga Magadha region in the. south Bihar Ganga plains was the place where archaeological research began as early as the second half of the eighteenth century which started with the identification of Pataliputra. This success was followed by further research which resulted in the discovery of enormous materials. 

In chapter5 the author says that it is believed that the climatic condition of Bihar has remained unchanged over the last 11000 years or so. The heavy rainfall of 1000 to 1600 mm has resulted in the growth of thick vegetation. Various social groups came there in three stages and a new society emerged. 

In Chapter 6 the author discusses about the Aryan migration in middle Ganga valley. In Chapter 7 we find a discussion on the early cultures of north Bihar Ganga plain from an archaeological perspective. In this chapter a description of the landscape is presented by the author. The area is rich in early alluvial deposit accumulated by the rivers like Ghagra or Sarayu, Gandak and Buri Gandak, Kamala, Baghmati, and Koshi. 

Chapter 8 of the books surveys the emergence of states in early Bihar. Till date many theories regarding this matter have formed and many theories have been discarded. In Bihar we find that two factors of state formation and social stratification are blended. Chapter 9  of the book deals with the emergence of Mauryan empire in Bihar. Agriculture was the key factor in the origin of Maurya empire. The Mauryan emperors very sincerely tried for the development of agriculture. However, the transformation from non-state to Magadha empire was very curious. 

Chapter 10 of the book presents a case study of the coastal trade of ancient Champa with South East Asia and Sri Lanka. From folklores of Bhagalpur region, we find an idea about this trade. These folklores and songs were in angika language which is the local dialect of Bhagalpur. The word angika may have evolved from ''anga' or part if the body.

Chapter 11 of the book discusses mother goddess worship in early Bihar from the perspective of Bihar. This topic has posed great difficulty among scholars because of its ubiquitous nature. In India the worship of mother goddess is rooted deep into the religious and cultural beliefs of the country. Mother earth is supposed to be the guardian of the dead and she is connected both with the corpse and the core beneath the earth. It was also believed that the Neolithic god is not the life producing mother, she was also like a woman who can be influenced by requests and spells.

Chapter 12 of the book discusses about the Manjusa art of the ancient Anga Janapada. In recent years historians are trying to identify the manifestations of art in terms of social backgrounds and functions. Material remains of art objects are not silent. They always tell us something and we should try to understand them. In its earliest form Manjusha was a simple decorated open basket of offering to the goddess Bishahari who was the foster daughter of Shiva and was known as Jhapoli. 

In Chapter 13 of the book the author writes about the university of Nalanda. From archaeological evidence the scholars have come to the conclusion that the mahavihara existed between the fifth and twelfth century of the common era. In Chapter 14 of the book the author says that  in the book he has made an attempt to understand the archaeology, history and culture of early Bihar by adopting a multidisciplinary approach for the benefit of students and scholars in perspectivation early Bihar.

In short, the book 'Understanding Early Bihar' is very interesting and it gives valuable information about the subject. The style of the author is very engaging and it captivates the reader's heart. So it can be said without any doubt that the author is successful in his aim which is"... to examine issues related to them (the archaeology, history, and culture of early Bihar) and place them in the wider context of mainstream national history."

Sumanapal Bhikkhu

Editor: Nalanda, Guest lecturer, Department of Pali  University of Calcutta.