Why read History? | Q&A #2

About this video

• Video Title: Why read History? | Q&A #2
• Channel: Jay Vardhan Singh
• Speakers: Jay Vardhan Singh
• Duration: 00:32:47

Overview

This video is the second Q&A session by Jay Vardhan Singh, addressing viewer questions on various historical topics. The discussion covers the purpose of reading history, historical interpretation, specific historical periods and figures in ancient and medieval India, military tactics, and book recommendations. The speaker also shares his current reading list.

Key takeaways

• Purpose of Reading History: History can be read for lessons and moral guidance from past events, or for its own sake without expecting definitive "historical truth."
• Ancient Indian Architecture: The lack of well-preserved palaces from ancient Indian empires like the Mauryas and Guptas is attributed to insufficient excavation, urban instability, and the use of perishable materials like wood and brick in a tropical climate.
• Indus Valley Civilization and Vedic Society: Understanding the relationship between these two is hindered by the undeciphered language of the IVC.
• Historical Figures: Existence of past figures is determined by their mention in literary and inscriptional sources, with corroboration across multiple sources increasing probability.
• Indian Powers and Arab Invasion: Indian powers like the Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas did not form alliances against the Arabs due to their own regional conflicts and priorities, a phenomenon also seen in European history.
• Book Recommendations: For beginners, "The Land of Seven Rivers" by Sanjeev Sanyal or "India: A History" by John Keay are recommended for an overview. For ancient Indian culture and religion, "The Wonder That Was India" by A.L. Basham is suggested, while "A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India" by Upinder Singh is recommended as a textbook.
• Source Usage: All available sources, including Vedic, Buddhist, and Jain texts, are utilized to understand ancient Indian history due to the scarcity of evidence.