Indian history is said to be a bit clear only from the time
of Gautama Buddha. Buddha is the oldest personality of India about whose
existence and life events there is universal agreement among historians, most
strikingly and precisely the fact that Buddha lived from 544 BC till 461 BC.
However there is dispute about the dates of Mahavira who preceded Buddha. And
there is not much authentic and exhaustive information of other great kings and
personalities before Buddha.
Among other great civilizations of the world, the Egyptians
know even the dynastic lineage of the Pharaohs who ruled them from 3100 BC, so
do the Chinese about the lineage of the Xia dynasty which ruled from 2100 to
1600 BC. Similarly the Greek, Roman and Persian history is well preserved since
very ancient times. Emperor Alexander’s conquests and his life in 4th century
BC are well recorded. It is very surprising that ancient India which excelled
in most branches of learning like philosophies, mathematics, medicine,
astronomy, architecture, physics, chemistry, sculpture, grammar, dances, music,
marital bliss and many other subjects neglected history.
Ancient History of India or the world has no role to play
neither in our daily life nor in our future. We read so much, fiction and
non-fiction just because we love to read and perhaps gain some knowledge. I
wish to express that reading history is equally thrilling and perhaps much more
satisfying. Here in the attached pictures you can see me and my granddaughter,
Sudhiksha being introduced to History books at a very young age. You can see me
holding an epic “The Story of Mankind – by Hendrik Van Loon” and Sudhiksha with
“History of the World, Earliest Times to the Present Day – John Whitney Hall,
General Editor”.
Hope I have conveyed my intention well; on reading and
enjoying history books.
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