Bazaar India

Bazaar India
Author: Anand A. Yang
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 332
Release: 1999-02-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780520919969

The role of markets in linking local communities to larger networks of commerce, culture, and political power is the central element in Anand A. Yang's provocative and original study. Yang uses bazaars in the northeast Indian state of Bihar during the colonial period as the site of his investigation. The bazaar provides a distinctive locale for posing fundamental questions regarding indigenous societies under colonialism and for highlighting less familiar aspects of colonial India. At one level, Yang reconstructs Bihar's marketing system, from its central place in the city of Patna down to the lowest rung of the periodic markets. But he also concentrates on the dynamics of exchanges and negotiations between different groups and on what can be learned through the "voices" of people in the bazaar: landholders, peasants, traders, and merchants. Along the way, Yang uncovers a wealth of details on the functioning of rural trade, markets, fairs, and pilgrimages in Bihar. A key contribution of Bazaar India is its many-stranded narrative history of some of South Asia's primary actors over the past two centuries. But Yang's approach is not that of a detached observer; rather, his own voice is engaged with the voices of the past and with present-day historians. By focusing on the world beyond the mud walls of the village, he widens the imaginative geography of South Asian history. Readers with an interest in markets, social history, culture, colonialism, British India, and historiographic methods will welcome his book.

Bihar and Mithila

Bihar and Mithila
Author: J. Albert Rorabacher
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 310
Release: 2016-09-13
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1351997572

The world has become obsessed with the Western notions of progress, development, and globalization, the latter a form of human and economic homogenization. These processes, through the aegis of the United Nations, are comparatively monitored. Those nations deemed to be ‘lagging behind’ are then provided with foreign aid and developmental assistance. For nearly seventy years, India has sought its place in this global endeavour; yet, even today, abject poverty and backwardness can be observed in districts in almost every state; with the highest concentration of such districts found in the state of Bihar and a cultural enclave, known as Mithila. Development in India has been elusive because it is difficult to define; and because the Western concepts of development and progress have no absolute equivalents within many non-Western settings. As a consequence, development programmes often fail because they are unable to ask the right questions, but equally important is the political economy derived from foreign aid. For politicians, there is no long-term benefit to be derived from successful development. In general, foreign aid only serves to corrupt governments and politicians and, in the end, does very little for those who need help. The struggling states of Bihar and Mithila serve as extreme examples of India‘s problems. Development here has been thwarted by a hereditary landed aristocracy supported by religion, casteism, custom, social stratification, tradition, and patterns of behaviour that can be traced back millennia. In turn, all these have been masterfully manipulated by co-opted politicians, who have turned politics into a veritable art form as this volume comprehensively demonstrates.

THE INDIAN SOCIETY: Thoughts on our Past, Present and Future from Advaita Vedanta

THE INDIAN SOCIETY: Thoughts on our Past, Present and Future from Advaita Vedanta
Author: Subhash Chandra Gahlawat
Publisher: MyARSu
Total Pages: 348
Release: 2020-07-13
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1649514298

From the time of 19th century, British employed people passing out from Oxford and Cambridge University to study the thousands of year old Sanskrit texts of India and interpret them in a way that the Indian people never become one. Inspired by the new set of values and might of British Empire these people, also considered as Orientalist, started the work of reading Sanskrit texts and present them in a way which makes people feel that British ways are better than those scriptures. While the prime aim of these interpretations was to hide the robbery of Indian resources, some considered it as reality and helped the British. This help became so vital for the British that a nation which was considered as the golden bird (सोने की चिड़िया) on earth and even after centuries of invasions and loot still contributing 20-24% of world GDP became one of the poorest nations of the world contributing 1-2% of world GDP with frequent incidents of riots, famine etc. Somewhere one orientalist identified it and in his old age realized that he wasted all his life and knowledge in just showing that the 3,000 year-old Indian Scriptures (as per his idea on the date though they are even older) are inferior to present British knowledge system. The name of this orientalist was Max Muller and he tried to reverse the damage by sharing the need of Indian Knowledge system in those texts to make our inner life perfect, more comprehensive and universal. But the damage was already done and in the last 150 years, many Muller’s of a young age are produced by our education system instead of Muller’s who turned wise. Therefore, to throw better light on Indian Society which was missed by Orientalist and present-day young Muller’s, this book is developed by using the philosophy of Jagadguru Adi Shankracharya, i.e. philosophy of Advaita Vedanta, which forces us to look for knowledge which is inside human rather than what knowledge a man possesses. It is considered as the true form of Vidya and under present circumstances, it is the most vital need of Indian Society, especially our Administrators who are supposed to serve the people of India as an Iron Pillar. It is vital that they know about the past, present and future of Indian Society and serves it with excellence, as Krishna said, “योगः कर्मसु कौशलम्”, i.e. Unity (or Yoga) is excellence in Action. Based on it, the book contains relevant information on the topics under Society portion of GS Paper-I such as- Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India; Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies; Effects of globalization on Indian society; Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism along with approach and solutions on previous year Questions.

Yoga

Yoga
Author: Daren Callahan
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 365
Release: 2015-01-28
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1476607028

Millions of people practice some form of yoga, but they often do so without a clear understanding of its history, traditions, and purposes. This comprehensive bibliography, designed to assist researchers, practitioners, and general readers in navigating the extensive yoga literature, lists and comments upon English-language yoga texts published since 1981. It includes entries for more than 2,400 scholarly as well as popular works, manuals, original Sanskrit source text translations, conference proceedings, doctoral dissertations, and master's theses. Entries are arranged alphabetically by author for easy access, while thorough author, title, and subject indexes will help readers find books of interest.

Migration, Food Security and Development

Migration, Food Security and Development
Author: Chetan Choithani
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 357
Release: 2023-02-28
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 110884037X

This book examines the role of migration as a livelihood strategy in influencing food access among rural households. Migration forms a key component of livelihoods for an increasing number of rural households in many developing countries. Importantly, there is now a growing consensus among academics and policymakers on the potential positive effects of migration in promoting human development. Concurrently, the significance of food security as an important development objective has grown tremendously, and the Sustainable Development Goals agenda envisages eliminating all forms of malnutrition. However, the academic and policy discussions on these two issues have largely proceeded in silos, with little attention devoted to the relationship they bear with each other. Using the conceptual frameworks of 'entitlements' and 'sustainable livelihoods', this book seeks to fill this gap in the context of India - country with the most food-insecure people in the world and where migration is integral to rural livelihoods.

Banaras

Banaras
Author: Santosh Singh
Publisher: Penguin Random House India Private Limited
Total Pages: 348
Release: 2024-05-30
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9357087761

Karpoori Thakur often called Jannayak was a legendary leader from Bihar who had a significant impact on India’s politics. In early 2024 he was posthumously honoured with the Bharat Ratna in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to society. Commemorating his birth centenary this gripping biography brings to light the life legacy and enduring relevance of Thakur. It focuses on Karpoori Thakur’s politics which introduced ‘quota within quota’ and opens a window to his role in bifurcating reservation among the backward classes and women in 1978. Deeply researched anecdotal and unputdownable The Jannayak promises to be a beacon for readers seeking to understand the complex landscape of Indian politics and society.