Latest news with #IndusValleyCivilisation
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Science
- The Hindu
ASI to host three-day international conclave in August on decoding Indus Valley script
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will host a three-day international brainstorming conference in August on ways to decipher the Indus Valley script. Invitations to the international conclave on 'Decipherment of the Indus Script: Current Status and the Way Forward', to be held from August 20 to 22 at the Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay Institute of Archaeology, Greater Noida, have been sent out to experts working on the Harappan civilisation and culture both in India and abroad. EDITORIAL | Script reading: On deciphering the script of the Indus Valley Civilisation Tamil Nadu CM's offer The ASI move comes months after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced a $1 million prize for experts or organisations that succeed in deciphering the scripts of the Indus Valley Civilisation. Sources in the ASI told The Hindu said there are also plans to announce a fellowship for research scholars who are interested in working dedicatedly towards deciphering the Indus script. The sources said the seminar will take place mainly through presentations, both offline and online. Thematic sessions shall be designed based on the current stage of research in this field. Discussions shall follow presentations at the end of each session. It is expected that the papers will be submitted prior to the date of the seminar. Anticipated results will include, but not be restricted to, a better understanding and documentation of the current state of research in this field, and the potential for further research. 'The proceedings of the seminar is anticipated to highlight the scope and quantum of current and future research in the field,' a senior ASI functionary said. The Indus Valley Civilisation was discovered more than a 100 years ago in 1921 at Harappa, and was formally announced to the world in 1924 by John Marshall, the then Director-General of the ASI. According to ASI records, the first official report on excavations at Mohenjo-daro, in 1931 had a section on the 'Indus Script'. It also listed different symbols and their variants. Also Read | Tamil Nadu CM Stalin announces $1 million prize for deciphering Indus Valley script A riddle since This script has attracted and fascinated a number of archaeologists, epigraphists, scientists, and many others who have made sincere attempts to solve its riddles, if not read it. Scholars have propounded several hypotheses about the nature and contents of this script. Most examples of this script have been found on Harappan seals and their impressions. Other objects that preserved this script are metal and terracotta tablets, copper objects, pottery, etc. The corpus of documented characters of the script suggests that they are predominantly pictorial. A rough estimation of the principal characters puts them at over 400. This has led some researchers to hypothesise that the Indus script is primarily 'logo-syllabic', the ASI official said. Also Read | When John Marshall revealed the Indus Valley civilisation to the world Major challenges The major limitations in deciphering the script are the absence of bilingual texts and the relatively short nature of recorded specimens. Computational linguistic analysis has added a new dimension to the study and decipherment of the Indus script. According to Bahata Ansumali Mukhopadhyay, who has been working on the Harappan script for more than a decade now and is one of the invitees to the conference, most of the Indus script signs were language-agnostic – meaning symbols that could be understood by people from different parts of the Indus civilisation. The script was largely used to record commercial administration such as taxation and licensing-related information, on seals and tablets. Ms. Mukhopadhyay says that her research indicates that though ancestral Dravidian languages were spoken by a significant population of the Indus civilisation, the one million square km area of the ancient civilisation must have had other groups of languages. In some of the Indus script signs, ancient Dravidian symbolism is found. She maintains that 'Sanskrit was most likely not the language that influenced the Indus script. However, the symbolism of Indus civilisation has certainly influenced Vedic texts and culture, and has remained alive in various forms across multiple languages and cultures across the Indian subcontinent.' However, according to archaeologist Ravi Korisettar, all claims till now are hypothetical as the symbols are not complete. 'So far, in the Indus Valley site, we haven't been able to find any bilingual records running into at least a couple of sentences. Hence, serious archaeologists refrain from making any claims on deciphering the script,' he said.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Today in Politics: Amid Keezhadi row, DMK to hold a major protest against Centre
The DMK-led Tamil Nadu government again finds itself at odds with the Centre, this time over the transfer of an archaeologist known for his excavation work in Keezhadi, an ancient settlement near Madurai in the southern state's Sivaganga district. On Wednesday, the DMK's youth wing is set to hold a protest in Madurai against the BJP-led Centre's move to 'sabotage' the archaeological findings at the site. The findings of K Amarnath Ramakrishna close the temporal gap between Keezhadi and the Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC) in the north to about a thousand years. This, coupled with a previous Tamil Nadu Archaeological Department study showing similarities between the signs and graffiti found in the Indus Valley and those discovered at dig sites in Tamil Nadu (including Keezhadi), has challenged the notions that historians and archaeologists previously held. As Adrija Roychowdhury explained in this article from 2023, 'Until very recently, the period of second urbanisation in India is known to have taken place between 600 to 500 BCE and concentrated in the middle of the Gangetic plains. It used to be argued that South India entered this historical phase much later in the third century BCE and that too with the intervention of the Mauryan king Ashoka who was known to have introduced writing in the region. This understanding of Indian history, argues Ramakrishna, was because most archaeological excavations in India were concentrated in the north.' As Ramakrishna told Adrija, 'We know that the first urbanisation in India happened during the Harappan civilisation. After the disintegration of the Harappans, they spread all over India and I am sure they came to the south also.' However, according to the DMK and proponents of Dravidian politics, the Keezhadi findings are an anathema to the BJP's Aryan-centric historical narrative that seeks to integrate South India into a pan-Indian Vedic cultural framework, portraying it as part of a unified Hindu civilisation. And that is why the ASI's Exploration and Excavation division asked Ramakrishna to revise his report, they allege. The ASI's letter to Ramakrishna said the proposed dating was 'very early' and suggested the earliest period should be revised to 'at the maximum, somewhere in pre-300 BCE'. Defending his work, the archaeologist rejected the demand. The DMK and its allies' response to his transfer was sharp, Arun Janardhanan reported. For the DMK, Dravidian pride is at the heart of its politics, and Ramakrishna's findings bolster it. However, the BJP government at the Centre has backed the doubts raised about the findings. Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said during a recent visit to Chennai that the report 'was not technically well-supported and established yet'. Following Shekhawat's comments, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin last week accused the BJP government of trying to 'erase' this history because it does not follow its 'script' and alleged that the BJP-RSS 'ecosystem recoils' when it comes to the Keezhadi and the 'enduring truth of Tamil heritage'. In 2023, when launching the archaeological department study on the signs and graffiti, Stalin had spelt out that his party's goal was to scientifically establish that the history of India must be rewritten from Tamil land. Earlier this year, after the authors of the study announced that their study showed similarities between the two sets of signs and graffiti — ones found at the IVC sites and those from the South — the CM announced a $1 million prize for anyone who deciphers the Indus Valley script. He also tied the study's findings to broader symbols of Tamil identity, particularly linking Indus Valley seals with the image of a bull to the Tamil tradition of a bull-taming sport such as Jallikattu. Coming at a time when there have been major differences between the DMK and the BJP over language, finances, and delimitation, this conflict over historical narratives adds another layer to the tensions in the run-up to next year's Assembly elections. Tamil identity politics is likely to be at the centre of the poll strategy of Stalin's party, and how the BJP counters this in the short run as well as the next few months will be something to watch out for. Suggested readings: Also happening today Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who also holds the tourism portfolio, will begin a two-day official visit to Jammu and Kashmir during which he is scheduled to meet CM Omar Abdullah. Shekhawat is also scheduled to visit many temples, including Kheer Bhawani Temple, Martand Surya Temple, as well as Pahalgam and Betaab Valley in Anantnag district. — With PTI inputs
The Hindu
09-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Interview with Audrey Truschke, author of India: 5000 Years of History
Ever since she wrote Aurangzeb: The Man and the Myth, scholars and lovers of history have looked forward to reading Audrey Truschke, the U.S.-based historian who often presents a fresh perspective on Indian history. Her latest book, India: 5000 Years of History on the Subcontinent, offers a panoramic view of subcontinental history, from early signs of life to the 21st century, documenting the most important political, social, religious, intellectual, and cultural events. Edited excerpts from an interview. Who were the early inhabitants of India? Did our history start with the Indus Valley Civilisation? The first human beings set foot on the Indian subcontinent around 120,000 years ago, and the first humans from whom any modern Indians are descended entered India roughly 65,000 years ago. We know precious little about these early Indians, except that they were migrants. The Indus Valley Civilisation marks the beginning of urban life in India, although only for a few. Even at the height of the Indus Civilisation, most of the subcontinent's inhabitants lived in rural areas. Wasn't the Indus Valley Civilisation a precursor to modern-day Hinduism? In a word: No. There are many ways of conceptualising the roots of Hinduism, and ultimately the religion has multiple origin points. But there is no compelling evidence that pitches the Indus Valley Civilisation as among the progenitor points for Hindu practices or beliefs. On the contrary, the earliest traces of anything we might call Hinduism today come with the Vedic migrants (also known as the 'Aryans,' although I shy away from this term in my book to avoid confusion). The Vedic migrants entered into the northwest of the subcontinent a few centuries after the Indus Civilisation declined, bringing with them a host of ideas about ritual and sacrifice as well as a language that developed into Sanskrit. Women were forbidden from listening to the Vedas in ancient India. They were denied formal education. Did this discrimination cut across barriers of caste and religion? Discrimination is rarely absolute, and we have many cases of women who gained an education, even fluency in Sanskrit, despite prohibitions articulated by upper-caste men. Also, those who revere the Vedas were not the only religious group that populated premodern India. For instance, I draw on women's voices to reconstruct the history of early Indian Buddhists, who did not participate in the gender restrictions of their Vedic counterparts. You have written about Xuanzang studying at Nalanda in the 7th century. We have read conflicting accounts of the destruction of Nalanda in later years. What was the reality? There is no clear evidence that Nalanda was targeted by the Delhi Sultanate raids, which definitely impacted other Buddhist monasteries in the region. If Nalanda was hit, it recovered. We have records of Buddhist monks residing and studying at Nalanda through the late 13th century. Historians have not always evaluated the important role played by the Panchatantra stories as an export of Indian culture. What made you appreciate its contribution? I have spent a significant portion of my adult life reading premodern Sanskrit texts, which has given me a robust appreciation for the tradition's literary and historical value. That includes the Panchatantra. Also, the Panchatantra stories proved notably popular, in various translations, in the premodern Persian-speaking world, which has come up in my prior research. Last, McComas Taylor's 2007 book, The Fall of the Indigo Jackal, on the Panchatantra is excellent, and I found it helpful for thinking about the story collection's cultural specificity. The Cholas conquered parts of Sri Lanka and exerted influence in Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. Why then are they denied their rightful place among the strongest rulers in the subcontinent's history? In my view, the Cholas get their due in most South Asian history books and certainly in mine (in contrast, I give the Guptas less attention for reasons I explain in the book). Still, I would urge those interested in thinking about questioning standard narratives of South Asian history to ask: Why are we so concerned with kings? Whose stories do we miss when we focus on the few who exercised political power? In my chapter on the Cholas, for instance, I also detail the influence of Tamil traders and the accomplishments of artisans of the period. Coming to medieval India, what is your reading of Shivaji? In my book, I present Shivaji as a Shudra king who wanted to be Kshatriya to claim a certain kind of Indian kingship. [There's a school which believes he was indeed a Kshatriya.] Notably, Shivaji was not the only Shudra king of his era, and I also discuss the Nayaka rulers of southern India who did not try to become a different caste but instead pursued other ways of articulating power as Shudra rulers. History, as you say, is full of sad stories. What were the silver linings you discovered about Indian history? Indian history is full of human striving that created a wide range of social, political, cultural, intellectual, and religious possibilities. These days, many people do not take pride in the exquisite diversity within the Indian past, and that is a real shame. Indian history is, indeed, full of sad stories, but it is full of other kinds of stories as well. I strive to value and honour them all through an unvarnished telling of the incredible range of humanity and human experiences that comprise Indian history. India: 5000 Years of History on the Subcontinent Audrey Truschke Princeton University Press ₹1,299
Time of India
29-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
India's golden paradox: High demand, low supply, and the path to self-sufficiency
Nilanjan Banik is a professor at Bennett University's School of Business. His work focuses on the application of time series econometrics in issues relating to international trade, market structure and development economics. He is also interested in the "rules" part of WTO; especially examining non-tariff barriers aspects of GATT/WTO agreements. He has project experience with Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia; Laffer Associates, USA; KPMG, India; Ministry of Commerce, Government of India; Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), New Delhi; Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), New Delhi; Center for Economic Policy Research, UK; Asian Development Bank Institute, Tokyo; Asian Development Bank, Manila; South Asia Network of Economic Research Institutes (SANEI); UNESCAP-ARTNeT, Thailand, Australia India Institute, University of Melbourne; and World Trade Organization, Geneva. LESS ... MORE For Indians the allure of the yellow metal both for its ornamental value and as an asset class, is as old as the country's civilisation dating back to the times of Indus Valley Civilisation or perhaps, even earlier. While that attraction for gold has not diminished over centuries, its supply side has failed to keep pace, resulting in the country's overwhelming dependence on imports. This mismatch of growing demand and reducing supply has become a major burden on the economy with its adverse impact on the balance of trade and a worsening current account deficit. To put things in perspective, India's gold import in 2024 surged to 802.8 tonnes—a 5% increase over the761 tonnes in 2023—with the import bill ballooning to $48.5 billion. In contrast, India's production was only around 1.6 tonnes of gold, meeting only 0.2% of its total demand. This great divide cuts into the country's precious foreign exchange reserves, makes the economy vulnerable to global price shocks and puts pressure on its exchange rate. Moreover, levying higher import duties has only fuelled greater smuggling thereby undermining formal trade and tax revenues losses. No lack of reserves The recent gold reserves data makes the paradox even more evident. In December 2024, the country's gold reserves increased to 876.20 tonnes, valued at $66.2 billion. This significant increase of 72.6 tonnes, the highest since 2021, is only the second highest since 2017, has put India's gold reserves among the top 10 countries globally, says Trading Economics, a mobile app that provides economic data of 196 countries. Similarly, the World Gold Council estimates that India has 2,191.53 metric tons of gold ore resources, but only a fraction of these resources have been explored and exploited. Hence, there is a huge potential that remains to be tapped. While the Hutti Gold Mine, located in the Raichur district of Karnataka, producing about 1.8 tonnes of gold per year, is the only current producer, there have been significant new discoveries in recent years. Some of these include the Sonakhan prospect in Chhattisgarh held by Vedanta, the Gurahar Pahar prospect of the Mahakoshal greenstone belt or the giant in Rajashtan – Bhukia-Jagpura gold mine with reserves estimated in excess of 100 tonnes. Then in the South, there is the newly- discovered Ganajur gold mine in Karnataka which Deccan Gold Mines Ltd has completed an international feasibility study and the Jonnagiri Gold Mine in Andhra Pradesh developed by Geomysore Services (India) Private Limited which is slated for production by the end of 2025 and will be India's first private gold mine since Independence. Despite significant geological potential and availability of sizable discoveries, India's gold mining industry has not reached its true potential due to various factors, including lack of exploration, frequent changes in the policy and absence of private exploration/mining companies who have the expertise and risk capital to develop these projects. Though the government brought in the Composite License (CL), not many international companies with the required experience have availed this opportunity. As a result, only a handful of companies eg., Vedanta, Deccan Gold Mines Limited, Geomysore Services (India) Private Limited etc are actively carrying out exploration in India. This is a far cry from Australia, Canada and many African countries where 100s of exploration companies spend millions of dollars developing this industry. The way ahead The Indian Gold Mining Policy requires regulatory reforms to enhance self-sufficiency by creating a more viable and attractive environment for exploration and mining operations. To overcome impediments, the government should prioritize ease of doing business through single-window clearances, offering attractive incentives and tax concessions to draw experienced private companies into the sector. Policy reforms must support the security of tenure and appropriately reward the high-risk capital expenditure associated with exploration activities. Streamlining the regulatory landscape, reducing bureaucratic delays, and ensuring transparent and predictable processes will encourage investment, boost domestic gold production, and ultimately decrease India's reliance on gold imports. For India, it is a time to take some robust measures because the cost of runaway gold imports is extremely high, impacting India's overall economy A slew of market-oriented reforms, mining reforms and global recognition of the refining sector can go a long way is pushing greater Atmanirbhartha, job creation, and overall development of the economy. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
The Wire
23-05-2025
- Science
- The Wire
Two Years After Submission of Report on Keezhadi Excavations, ASI Asks Archaeologist to Rewrite it
The presence of such an ancient civilisation in south could pit it against the narrative that the Indus Valley Civilisation had ushered in the Iron Age.
