Abstract

Social Thought in Indic Civilization presents an interdisciplinary perspective on the pre-colonial social thought. It draws on the methodologies and research traditions of history, political science and sociology to look at major themes and social processes to provide a comprehensive understanding of the society in the historical setting contextualized in the social and political relations of the time. The arguments, facts, themes and interpretations presented in the book are usually not found in the mainstream academic narratives. This book explores a range of key themes such as non-violence in religious praxis; dharma in Indic social traditions; medicinal concepts and institutions; ideas and praxis of Shastrarth; knowledge traditions and institutions; music traditions; and Stritva in texts and praxis. This study highlights the impact of colonial rule on the 'construction of knowledge' from a Western (colonial) perspective and how it ignored the importance of Indian political thought of the pre-colonial period.