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From:Edwin Bryant , Oxford University Press, USA ,
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User Rating: Amazon Sales Rank:#2303432 |
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2 of 2 customers found the following review helpful:
 A comprehensive review of the topic, 2008-07-21
I am not an academic in this specific area but very interested in the subject. With that in mind - I found the book fascinating. Wealth of information, very comprehensive and informative. The language is somewhat dry (which one would anyway expect from an academic publication) but still very readable for non-specialist in the field. If it is substance you are after, this book is excellent and very intellectually stimulating.
2 of 3 customers found the following review helpful:
 Excellent book for someone looking for a balanced view, 2008-05-11
This is indeed a good book that attempts to provide a much-needed acamedic update on this subject. Ever since India was left to deal with this subject based on findings from its colonial legacy, Indians in general have seen a lot of books from various authors which have questioned AIT strongly. I have myself read many such books, some cheap and some well explained("Gods, Sages..." by Frawley and "India - The cradle..." by Kak, Frawley, and "In Search of Mystical Krisna" by Rajaram). It is obvious that an academic perspective of old and recent theories has been a big gap and I am glad that Byrant filled up this gap very admirably.
The key question is - now what? Will this topic remain a perennial intellectual debate between academicians - this topic has become so controversial and it appears unlikely that both sides will ever change their positions. The Governments (who ultimately control educuational ministries) will possibly never amend the textbooks (if required) till all academecians will reach a consensus on the subject. Will this subject have a consensus position? Byrnt states that once Indus Script is deciphered, the discussion will be completely closed. Rajaram in his book on Krishna however states that Dr Jha has already deciphered the Script but I do not see any discussion on this topic in the circles. Unless of course, this decipherment is also like that of Kak (based on assumptions that will never be taken as proven evidence!!).
Unlike in the colonial period where opinions of few scholars were considered as a basis for defining history, today's nation states appear much weaker to propose changes to the subject of history. For example, China, has articulated the history of Japanese massacre very clearly in its history books and this has created a strong feeling of hatred amongst Chinese for Japanese. But Indian government treatment of British History or Muslim invasions is more lenient (and balanced) and in retrospect, this is probably preferable as fissures in society could needlessly widen on account of events that have happened hundreds of years back. Nevertheless, even if say, the Indus Script is deciphered justifying the fallacy of AIT, the caution will possibly result in any such truth remain in academic journals rather than history books. Even today, a view can be taken to amend the history books to reflect at least both versions (with their merits and demerits) and this may encourage at least a few young Indians to take up this subject as a career choice.
Be that as it may, Byrant's work is indeed a good start on this subject in the 21st century and if this leads to renewed interest amongst academicia to resolve the mystery, the book is indeed worth the effort.
1 of 2 customers found the following review helpful:
Exhaustive summary of Indo-Aryan problem, 2008-01-21
This is a primer to study the Indo-Aryan problem. You can learn all the sources and their arguments for their pet theories, and their opposition, their criticism etc. The author also writes about the Indian scholars and their viewpoint of an Indian homeland. This is a very good book to learn about the arguments of the various parties involved and get a good idea from where to start with. Of course this book assumes that the reader has some background on the topic though. Read my full review at http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=19780.
2 of 3 customers found the following review helpful:
Can You Be More Balanced?, 2008-01-18
Would it be possible to cover such a subject with more balance? I don't think so. Bryant does not "pit 19th century linguistics orthodoxy" against others. Of course he covers the 19th century ideas--and 18th, 20th, and 21st century ideas as well. For goodness sakes, the man cited works that had not even been published yet when he finished his book. Painstaking is indeed the word to describe this magnificent study. Not always easy to follow, but fascinating every page of the book.
As a college history instructor with a minor field in Chinese history but the bulk of my work in European, I have some interest in the rest of Asia's history, and had, of course, heard the Out of India Theory, and like many, dismissed it out of hand. I'd read Mallory's "In Search of the Indo-Europeans", knew Gamkrelidze and Ivanov's ideas, and thought them the last word on the subject. Bryant taught me better. Like Bryant, I tend to think that the weight of the evidence is on the side of the Aryan Invasion Theory, but as Bryant's detailed observations show, a little evidence the other way, and OIT might gain the upper hand. OIT certainly should not be ignored or belittled.
2 of 2 customers found the following review helpful:
A Monumental Effort by Mr. Bryant, 2007-05-24
It is not an easy task to summarize approximately two hundred years of research on the origins of Vedic Culture. It is an even more difficult task to dispassionately review the evidence on the history of the Indo-Aryans - given that participants in the debate have now degenerated to the level of squabbling school children. It is to Mr. Bryant's credit that he admirably succeeds in giving a comprehensive and balanced overview of the vast terrain. Archaeology, Linguistics, Astronomy - all these areas are covered, catering to the level of the general reader albeit without oversimplification. He terms his own position on the 'Origins Question' as 'agnostic'. He does however convince the (non-fanatic) reader that agnosticism is the rational position given the current state of knowledge. His position that only the 'final' decipherment of the Indus script will lead to progress in the debate is also well-supported by his analysis. Altogether, I think this book will remain the best entry point for this topic for at least the next 25-30 years.
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