Around 6th century BC, people of India were speaking and writing languages that were much simpler than classical Sanskrit. These vernacular forms, of which there were several, are called the Prakrits. The word Prakrit stands for a group of languages and does not refer to any individual language. Marathi (with all varieties), Bengali, Orisa, Assamese, … Continue reading The Emergence and Importance of ‘Prakrit’ in Ancient India →

Throughout history, the region between Krishna and Tungabhadra (Raichur Doab) remained a bone of contention between the major kingdoms of the south. Of the various empires that ruled the Deccan such as the Chalukyas, Mauryas, Bahamanis, Vijayanagara, Chola etc. Raichur has been part of them all. There are three primary reasons for the fight over … Continue reading Raichur Doab: A Major Bone of Contention →

It is a well known fact that the main civilisations of the ancient world of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India (Indus Valley), and China were possible only because of the great river systems around which they grew up. The rivers made these civilisations possible, not simply human invention or any special ethnic type that migrated there. Agricultural … Continue reading Importance of Rivers and Waterways – A Historical Perspective →