Indians | Ep 3: The Mauryans and Megasthenes | A Brief History of a Civilization
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- čas přidán 18. 01. 2024
- Research, Script and Narration by Namit Arora;
Producer: The Wire;
Director: Natasha Badhwar;
Camera: Ajmal Jami;
Video Editor: Anam Sheikh.
Made possible by a grant from The Raza Foundation and contributions to The Wire by viewers like you. Join The Wire's CZcams membership program and help fund many such initiatives.
The story of India is one of profound and continuous change. It has been shaped by the dynamic of migration, conflict, mixing, coexistence, and cooperation. In this ten-part web series, Namit Arora tells the story of Indians and our civilization by exploring some of our greatest historical sites, most of which were lost to memory and were dug out by archaeologists. He will also focus on ancient and medieval foreign travellers whose idiosyncratic accounts conceal surprising insights about us Indians. All along, Arora surveys India’s long and exciting churn of cultural ideas, beliefs, and values-some that still shape us today, and others that have been lost forever. The series mostly mirrors-and often extends-the contents of his book, Indians: A Brief History of a Civilization. Bibliography appears below.
EPISODE 3: THE MAURYANS AND MEGASTHENES
In 327 BCE, the Greek warrior Alexander of Macedon invaded the Punjab. He was forced to turn back after his army suffered heavy losses in fighting Porus. Soon after, the Greek-ruled Seleucid Empire arose west of the Punjab, and the Mauryan Empire to its east, with its capital in Pataliputra. This produced a freer flow of ideas between India and Greece, as in science, art, and philosophy-and a fascinating account of India by Megasthenes, the Greek ambassador to the Mauryan court. Megasthenes described the huge city of Pataliputra, its wooden homes, walls, and watchtowers; its bureaucracy, taxation and laws; its giant army; urban lifestyles, elite fashions and social norms. He noticed the emergence of endogamy and early castes in the Aryanized groups around him, and he saw Brahminism as more patriarchal than Buddhism.
Two generations later came Ashoka who presided over an expanding agricultural state, often at the expense of the forest peoples. Still, his public embrace of non-violence in midlife was significant and likely unique among the world’s emperors. He converted to Buddhism and sent missions to spread it far and wide. His public edicts can be seen as the earliest expressions of Indian secularism, in which the state attempts to fairly patronize all major religions. From the Mauryan period, we get monumental stone art and stunning sculpture, such as of Sanchi and Bharhut stupas, some with clear continuities with pre-Aryan forms and aesthetics.
PARTIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY / FURTHER READING
Anthony, David W, The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World, Princeton, 2010
Allen, Charles, Ashoka: The Search for India's Lost Emperor, Abacus, 2013
Dahlaquist, Allan, Megasthenes and Indian Religion: A Study in Motives and Types, Motilal Banarsidass, 1996
Evans, James, The History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy, OUP, 1998
Keay, John, India: A History, Harper Collins Publishers, 2000
Kulke, Hermann, Dietmar Rothermund, A History of India, Psychology Press, 2004
McCrindle, J.W. (Translator), ‘Ancient India as Described by Megasthenes and Arrian: A Translation of Fragments of Indika of Megasthenes Collected by Dr. Schwanbeck, and of the First Part of Indika of Arrian’, Trubner and Co., 1877
Muhlberger, Steve, ‘Democracy in Ancient India,’ 1988
Olivelle, Patrick and M. McClish (Eds.), The Arthaśāstra: Selections from the Classic Indian Work on Statecraft, Hackett Publishing, 2012
Sen, Amartya, The Argumentative Indian, Penguin, 2006
Sen, Sudipta, Ganga: The Many Pasts of a River, Gurgaon, Viking, 2019
Singh, Upinder, Ancient India: Culture of Contradictions, Aleph Book Company, 2021
Singh, Upinder, Political Violence in Ancient India, Harvard University Press, 2017
Thapar, Romila, Early India, Penguin Books, 2002
Thapar, Romila, The Past as Present, Aleph Book Company, 2013
Join The Wire's CZcams Membership and get exclusive content, member-only emojis, live interaction with The Wire's founders, editors and reporters and much more. Memberships to The Wire Crew start at Rs 89/month. / @thewirenews
I SO appreciate your attention to women's history, to tribal histories, and to (politically) non dominant religious histories! I am SO grateful to have found your work; thank you for sharing it with us in this accessible, inspirational and educational format!
Please add subtitles in other vernacular languages. And if possible provide the dubbed version for some more Indian languages. The episodes are excellent and beautifully narrated. Thanks for sharing.
Peaceful narration of pure and real history.....
This series is a gift. Information delivered clearly with brevity is appreciated by many.
As a history teacher , I find it extremely helpful for the students . The way it has been delivered , is making the topics more interesting and helping to trigger student’s interest in their own heritage Culture and definitely for history
Excellent initiative to provide a fact based narration of the history that is often a matter of controversy due to political overlays
Just wondering how it could be called fact based narration?
@@youvideozz meaning all that is narrated is backed up by facts
@shaz131 yes and I see some problems with calling it fact based:
1. No sources have been quoted or mentioned in the description
2. Sources would mostly be either historical accounts by Indians or foreign travellers, analysis by writers/researchers, historians etc.
3. It would or might include the bias of the creator of this video.
So when we say it's fact based, I was wondering on what basis are we calling it fact based.
@@youvideozz I agree with your 1st point
Again this is something you might able to cross check by yourself.
Accounts by historians and writers presented as it is is what the video does so then we are contemplating a bias with the writer of those time which again is a longshot and debatable.
History as such isn't a 100% scientific discipline ... it only relies on what is written or orally transmitted and then crosschecked several times over by other sources. This is how it is different from archaeology which relies on scientific evidence to arrive at estimates.
Much needed clarity on these matters. I would suggest to include more scientific and archaeological evidence as you narrate our history.
The BJP should learn from Ashoka , regarding secularism. Respecting diversity will bring prosperity.
ohhhh you mean giving threats to tribals to behave or be killed😂😂
@@jerry-ms1bzhe didn’t not mentioned tribals ,,,instead he mentioned people living in forest in Kalinga,,,during that time,,,one cannot say them as tribal,,as most polpulation leaves in forests even major cities were just surrounded by forests
@@jerry-ms1bznarrator has associated what Ashoka wrote as people living in forest with current version of tribals
यक्षिणी भी हिंदू धर्म में ही वर्णित हैं। लेकिन ये व्यक्ति इतने गहरे प्रोपेगंडा को फैला रहा है, खुद ही कहता है कि ब्राह्मण ग्रंथों से संबंधित हैं, फिर यह भी कहता है कि आर्यों से संबंधित नहीं है।
@@priyanshukushwaha6408 who are people living in forests // europeans or americans ??
Namit Arora is a "Walking Encyclopedia of Indian History". Thanks sir
Thanks for sharing actual history
Our history textbooks shud have had a chapter on chronology like this man is explaining.
there are chapters and same writings but there are no background music and animation so you dont feel that way bro
Most of you pass without reading textbooks in schools. 😂
Amazing way of expressing the history. Hats off sir
It's almost like Namit is saying In History peoples' problems, struggles and solutions remain the same since ages..🤔😉
Fascinating, I imagine how it must be living in those times, I wish someone invents a time machine so I can experience it all
Excellent series! Thanks to Namit and the series producers for this very helpful and objective historical account of the sub-continent’s history. I just returned from my hometown of Lahore and in the Lahore Museum saw some great works of Gandhara Buddhist art like “The Fasting Buddha”. I have been to both Harappa and Takshila. This series is helping me fully appreciate the history of North and Northwest India including regions that are now in Pakistan
amazing series! Keep posting them !! love it :)
Great work Namit Arora. I have become a fan of yours.
Keep up the good work.
Amazing narration with facts and no drama
Appreciated, a beautiful presentation of Indian history. Secularism is not just the product of Independent India, its rooted way back in Indian history. Once again thanks for this episode.
@@anantkris6350 wow you got quite a list from watsapp University why don't you include masacre of Buddhist monks and occupation of their monastries. Only members of RSS hate the word secular because this word is an hindrance for them to bring caste hierarchy, but with the help of this word they occupied the ministries in every aristocratic rule till Britishers and now talking about patriotism.
secularism is hharram in iislamb.
Brilliant episode.
So grateful to have stumbled across Mr Arora’s series. Superbly done and a service for all Indians, including the diaspora scattered across the US
This whole series should run on coursera as a course…. Loved it
Very captivating production, indeed. Many thanks.
Great research, superbly delivered.
A great series after Discovery of India.
Kudos to The Wire and Namit Arora.Hopefully,he would increase it frequency to twice a week.Thanks.Pawan Mittal
@@anantkris6350 if you just read RSS literature everything will seem like a bunch of lies. That's how wahabism almost replaced islam. That's how Christ's real teachings were misinterpreted by the roman catholics. Develop a scientific mind that can discern truth rather than calling facts as lies.
@@kvishnup Wahabism is a wrong word. The correct word is Salafiyyah/Ahl al-Hadith. And its Sufism which borrowed cultural practices from Hinduism that replaced Islam in the Indian subcontinent, not Wahhabism. For example: 1) Kaala tika to remove buri nazar, 2) Baraat in Weddings, 3) Dowry 4) Red dress of bride, 5) Joint Family System 6) Not giving property to daughters 7) Divine power of Saints 8) Both Hindus and Muslims visiting Dargah such as Ajmer. Sufism almost replaced Islam. *Salaf/Ahle-Hadees* are bringing back the real Islam practiced during the times of Prophet Muhammad and his companions.
This historian is pouting a narrative that is not grounded in facts. He talks of brahminism as a religion at 16:35. Patently false. Brahmins were just one varna of the 4 or 5 that were prevalent and revered for their texts and teachings. The words "Brahminism or Brahminical" are used interchangeably with Hinduism or a Ancient Vedic religion by these leftist historians to suit their agenda and ideology.
Was eagerly waiting for it
Nicely presented..thanks
Marvelous series on Indian history ❤
Brilliant series. Can’t wait for the remaining episodes. BTW…where has the background music with credits been sourced from?? Love the background score when the credits come up.
Love this... Please make more!
Well researched and presented! Exceptional video series! Fills the void of unbiased and academic Indian history on youtube.
This series is simply brilliant!
Astounding series. Short and Crisp.
Simply brilliant in text, and description par excellence . Thanks to Namit and The WIRE.
Mostly feels like an unbiased encounter of that era based on current evidence. Keep it up!!
@@anantkris6350if you had checked facts then you wouldn't be asking him. For once use the real brain in your head rather than BJP-RSS IT cell's
@@anantkris6350he is paying 💰 wire what can u expect ? That he himself is unbiased 🤣🤣🤣
@@anantkris6350 you seem to be in denial😂...are you seriously arguing that there never was Brahmin patriarchy? You probably see yourself as a direct descendant and are unable to accept it like Sanghi brahmins😃. Please read "Early Indians" by Tony Joseph which is a very detailed account of how India came to be through thousands of years of migration right from out of Africa. Whether it is aryans or harappans or any other groups which migrated to or invaded India, all have been absorbed by this land. Today everyone is Indian. Brahmins especially have contributed tremendously and positively at various times to what India is today though some contributions were also negative. The idea is we lose the prejudices at least in this modern age and live harmoniously without trying to encroach upon other's freedom of choice be it in food, worship, choice of partner etc. Pls read that book and share with your fellow sanghis.
@@kvishnupEarly Indians is based on Macaulay school of thought that arised before discovery of Harappan civilization. The West could never fathom that such an advanced civilization with philosophy, mythology, architecture, laws could exist in India. So they started with AIT and every proof was retrofitted to it. That's why horses are termed donkeys, chariots become carts for tiny bulls, Ashura/Iranians were changed to 'indigenous', Buddhism becomes a separate religion separate from Dharma, and Out of India became a reverse Invasion Theory. British used this colonization of thought to rule. The Marxist and Congress just inherited this to keep ruling.
@@james432ful Pls read the complete book first. It is for people like you and right wingers that evidence from genetic sequencing has been included in the book.
Loved it ❤
Really loving this series.. very informative 👍
Please narrate in vernacular language too. So I can share it to my family members. English is hardly understood by our elders. Even we, the new generation, like it in our mother tongue.
Amazing 3 episodes till not btw.
Fascinating presentation!
बहुत बढ़िया
21:22 Ajivika is not a sect of any religion, it is a religion and philosophy on its own.
The narrator simply says the Ajivikas were a small religious sect. Literally, he says “Even for a small sect like the Ajivikas, [Ashoka] built the Barabar Hill Caves.” Where does he say Ajivika is a sect of another religion? Don’t make things up please.
@@thevoid7460 Being a sect itself means of a religion. That is the meaning of 'sect'.
Isn't ajivaka part of the sramana tradition of early non-vedic religions, of which Buddhism is also one philosophy /tradition /movement /sect?
What an amazing series and initiative!
What an extraordinary narrative available for free .
Informative work and very well articulated
i really believe that these episodes should be dubbed
I really enjoy your narrative and its objective tone.
Loved this series.i am a proud subscriber
Of all episodes this was more extensive, elaborate and seems to be enjoyed even by our respected narrator!
Good explanation for mauryans Empire
Very Detailed !!!
Wonderful!
This is going to be an epic series… of epics
I love this type of detailed contents
Appreciated ~ The Wire Team
How many episodes have you guys released? I think I am unable to find episodes after the 4th.
This is very informative, Wonderful research and changes a lot of preconceived beliefs I had. Thanks Mr Arora. Thanks The Wire.
A Brilliant narration sir. Awesome
Very much insightful 👏
Excellent work Sir! Waiting for more!
Excellent exposition
as always - an eye opener
Thanks for this beautiful content!! Just one request, to add year or century when respective incidences are described... (Possibly in chronology)
पिछले एपिसोड भी देखना चाहूंगा
Excellent narration.
Amazing series
Excellent!
I eagerly wait for every new episode
Thanksa lot sir for your informative vedioes.
Thank you Wire for bringing it to us. ❤🙏🌹
Just loved the series, please do large episodes on kindom like Nandas ,their administration as army ,social economic conditions of society in descriptive n lucid manner
I think we should take into our classrooms. This is what our quintessential culture is all about. Thank you sir for such a wonderful, unpretentious and real presentation of our history and heritage. What we stand for and what has lasted and what we should really be proud about. Thank you is completely inadequate but let us say it is all we have to offer you . ❤ 🌹🙏
Great episodes in the time of fake CZcams era
Thanks for making it in english... ❤
Truly enjoying this independent narration
Dear Arora Shb - lovely and great program - being a history buff , I love it - just one small thing about this episode- according to my information, Alexander came through Nawa Pass , and not through Khyber pass - plse correct me if I’m wrong ! Great work ! Rgds
So informative 👍🏻
Excellent.🙏🙏
Great episode
Cud u throw this up on your Apple podcast page? Thx
good seriees... keeep it up
Excellent sir.
I m enjoying this history episode.
Great work
कुछ समझ में नही आया, पर आप सच बोल रहे है, ❤
Thank you
please keep a permenent timeline on the screen so we can reference back to which era you are describing. Would be great to have that,
Very good ! Bing watching 😅
Wire should translate this video in Hindi ❤❤
No tribes in India can trace their geneology all the way to Krishna or Rama. Weird.. There's a huge silence between the kurushetra war and the mauryans
Very informative
Just wow
Thanks
Sir you have talked of works of the ambassador Magasthenese. But is the book Indica available or some understanding was developed by historians through cross reference of the book in their writings. You have spoken at length on what Magasthenese had to say about india. Would you be kind enough to share your source data. I would be interested to go through it
Thank you very much for imp information 🙏💐
Wonderful
You said that in Mauryan Empire Buddhist monks were exempted from tax, that is because they were not earning anything, they were not owning any property. A very simple reason.
images at 25:45 should be on coverpages
Excellent way of presentation and explanation..need Hindi version also for all Indians..but archeological evidence should be discussed
Like earlier two videos this one also excellent narration with facts. In 1st or 2nd video there was a mention of some script which is yet to deciphered and you said perhaps they wanted to say - Save water, it gave a hearty laugh. Sir, pl. make a video on your another book The Lottery of Birth. Thanks. With good wishes🙏
interesting
Please translate and if possible... dub this in Hindi and other languages... it will help a lot of people to re-learn with clarity!
The talk is quite informative even though it is general in Nature. The talk has directly jumped from Vedic period to Mauryas. The talk ought to have thrown light to Gautam Budha and Mahaveera ( Budhism and Jainism). Then only the episode about Asoka, the Great will have more glory. Same is with the upoming talk about Shatavahanas of South India. You are congratulated for having shown our glorious past in the correct perspective when attempts are made to create hatred and division in our Society by projecting our past history and also by distorting it....