References to historical events and traditions are scattered in many ancient Indian texts, even in the mythological Ramayana and Mahabharata, the Hindu epics believed to be of divine origin. We have to even consider unlikely resources of grammar books of Panini and Patanjali for hidden historical references and events. Some biographies are available. However glorifying is the language, they do provide deep insights into the great historical persons they illustrate. Primary resources available to students of indology and Indian history come from three sources: literature, archeology, and foreigner's accounts. Rudiments of ancient Indian history have indeed been available to Indians for thousands of years, but it is impossible to arrange them in a chronological order or to differentiate history from mythology and traditions from imaginations. The sculptures and the inscriptions that are passed on to us tend to glorify the kings or the donors and it is hard to cross check the validity of some of the claims found in them. Much of the foreign sources on India, namely the travelogues of explorers have been assembled through second hand information and it is difficult to differentiate realities from hearsay. The book is an attempt by authors to understand the factors and forces that proved catalyst in the march of history in the subcontinent.
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