INDIAN HERITAGE AND CULTURE
WRITTEN BY P.R.RAO
STERLING PUBLISHERS PRIVATE LIMITED, GREEN PARK
EXTENSION, NEW DELHI, 1988. PAGES: 95. PRICE: RS 40.
Dr. P. Raghunadha Rao was formerly Professor and Head- Department of
History, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati- Andhra Pradesh. Besides
Indian Heritage and Culture in English and Telugu edition he has also written
books such as History of Modern Andhra, History and Culture of Andhra
Pradesh-From the Earliest Times to the Present Day, Ancient and Medieval
History of Andhra Pradesh.
Beneath the manifold diversity of physical features, ethnic groups, languages
and dialects, and religions in India there has always been an underlying
uniformity of life.
Indian Heritage and Culture presents a brief, yet vivid account of Indian
cultural unity in diversity as it has evolved through the ages and of the
contributions made to it by the various movements, eastern and western, that
came to bear upon the country. It also traces the development of religio-
philosophical views.
The book is based on authoritative sources and works by eminent Indian and
foreign writers. It is of interest to students of Indian history as well as to the
general readers, although it is basically intended as a textbook for B.A. students
of Andhra universities.
Dr. P.R. Rao has done a commendable job in providing the readers a bird’s eye
view of the vast panorama of Indian heritage, leaving not a single aspect of the
contributing factors of the ancient religio- philosophical phenomenon. He has
dealt at length with the subject ranging from Harappan civilization and Vedic
culture to the impact of modern Western civilization which we are exposed to.
Dr. Rao has taken in his gamut Vedas, Jainism, Buddhism, Ramayana, the
influence under the rulers- the Satavahanas, the Pallavas, the Cholas, Sher Shah
and Akbar. Under some chapters the influence of Islam, the Bhakti and
Vaishnavaite movements and the cultural achievements of Vijayanagara rulers
have been dealt with by the writer with consummate skill in focusing on the
significant details.
The salient features of Jainism, Buddhism, the evolution of caste system, the
Aryan and Dravidian controversy, the Satavahanas, the Pallavas, the Cholas and
their municipalities “Tar Kurrams”, influence of Acharyas like Ramanuja,
Rama-nanda, Vallabhacharya, Chaitanya, Basava, under Bhakti movement, the
Hindu philosophy as divided under Nyaya, Samkhya, Vaiseshika, of a
Purvamimamsa and Uttaramimamsa under Dvaita philosophy, Advaita,
Visishtadvaita, and Dvaitaschools of philosophy and heterodox, Charvaka
Darshana are some of the highlights of the book, which every Indian should be
conversant with.
This book has an advantage of being very concise but it creates a disadvantage
to students who wants to get detailed information of a particular topic in which
this book lacks.
Expelling some notions about philosophy and culture which goes completely
out-of-focus from the topic, yet the objective study of the cultural facets of India
have been successfully made in this book, and handed over to the public.
ALIFA ALVARES
ROLL NO. 26,
DADA VAIDYA COLLEGE OF EDUCATION,
PONDA- GOA.