Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan (In 2 Volumes)

Spread over an endless expanse of rocks and ravines, Rajasthan is rich in scenic splendours and age old cultural traditions. Starting right from Stone Age Rajasthan has witnessed various historical and cultural upheavals. The region became much more important when indigenous ruling houses from different parts of India began to be threatened by foreign onslaughts, masses of uprooted people started taking shelter over this area under different compulsions. James Tod’s eighteen years the last five years being spent as the Political Agent in Mewar, Marwar, Jaisalmer , Kotah, Bundi and Sirohi, long and intimate association with the Rajputs and their country largely enabled him to become well acquainted with their history, folk traditions and society. The Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, after its publication brought to entire world not only the resounding echoes of drums and cavalcades from the remote highlands of Rajasthan, awakening people to a blazing trial of imagination about the traditions of courage, chivalry, romance and sacrifice but also its geographical background, economic resources, social system, political organization and religion. This book has been considered by scholars as an indispensable storehouse of material dealing with various facets which usually find no place in any historical account and has thus rightly been called ‘an encyclopaedia on the land including some parts of central and western India in general and Rajasthan and the Rajputs in particular. The collection of material as a vital precondition to the writing of history was never lost sight of by Tod. During his connection with Rajputana he showed an untiring zeal in the search for the historical data which is very well reflected in this book. Despite it’s shortcomings, as this being the first historical work of its kind the book serves as one of the original contributions on Rajasthan which had laid the foundation of the systematic study of the history of the land.