When Lutfullah; member of a distinguished Sufi family of Malwa; and a master of languages; visited England in 1844 in the company of Mir Jarar Ali Khan; son-in-law of the Nawab of Surat; he recorded his observations on various matters connected with the British government; culture; and society in what has come to be regarded as the first; and best; autobiography in English by an Indian. The volume will have a substantial introduction and annotations by Mushirul Hasan.
#14069431 in Books 2003-05-22Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.50 x .39 x 5.47l; .46 #File Name: 0195630858180 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Too abbreviatedBy HHIn this volume A. L. Basham offers a lucid and informed summary of Hindu religious life. However; Basham's summary is very brief. This book considers material only through the time the great Indian epics the Mahahharata and the Ramayana were codified in roughly the 5th century A.D. Various chapters present the reader with clear summaries and articulate; if brief; analyses of Vedic thought and practice; the rise of philosophical speculation and the origin of the idea of transmigration (= reincarnation); mystical and ascetic contemplative traditions (including short discussions of the Jain; Ajivika; and Buddhist traditions); Hindu orthodoxy and the Indian epics; the teachings of the Gita and what Basham calls the "triumph of theism". These chapters are clearly written; accessible; wide in scope; yet succinct in presentation.The book's brevity means; however; that there is little sustained comment from Basham on such important topics as the flowering of sectarian theologies; the rise of the temple and domestic worship (puja); or the widespread solidification of emotional devotionalism (bhakti). To be sure; precursors to these developments find mention throughout Basham's work. But they are not given the attention that early Brahmanic Hinduism receives. This is partially rectified by an additional chapter by the editor Kenneth Zysk on these and related developments.This book would make an excellent introductory text for the undergraduate with no familiarity with this material; as well as for specialists in regions or traditions other than India or Hinduism who would like a concise presentation. The book includes nearly 50 BW photographs of sculpted and painted images and of Vedic ritual performances.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy CustomerThank You0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A wonderfully informative bookBy Devsaday DuttThis is the best book on the origins and development of Hinduism. It is a book I will treasure having in my library
