Central India comprising of modern Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and adjoining regions strategically forming the heartland of our country has played a key-role in the development of historical and cultural traditions of the nation. It has been the playground of interacting political and cultural forces passing from north to south, east to west and vice versa in all ages of Indian history. Interaction led to experimentation in diverse spheres of cultural life and in this process, the tribal population migrating to this part of the country in different phases of its history as well as those inhabiting the region from the earliest times had an invaluable contribution. It may be admitted that the study of the history and culture of a nation is never complete without having a thorough knowledge of the history and cultural growth of its tribes. Keeping this in view, an attempt has been made in this work to present an exhaustive and careful study of the tribal history of Central India from the earliest times till date, and their cultural contributions and growth. The tribal culture of India has always been interpreted as something alien from the main stream of Indian culture and thought, whereas the historical truth is otherwise. These and other allied problems have been raised in the present study in an effort to remove prevailing misconceptions about the culture of tribal communities of India in general and Central India in particular. This book in three volumes is an attempt to provide a historical background to trace cultural roots of the nation in a truly scientific spirit. The work thus fulfils a long-felt need of the scholars interested in getting a first hand, authoritative and up-to-date account of the tribal heritage of Central India at one place.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR R.K. Sharma
Dr. R.K. Sharma, (born 1932) Professor and Head of the Department of Ancient Indian History Culture and Archaeology and Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Jabalpur retired in 1992. Subsequently he was Visiting Professor in the University of Sagar for one academic session and Senior Research Fellow of the Indian Council of Historical Research for three years. Dr. Sharma’s contributions to the cause of Indian Archaeology in general and Archaeology of Madhya Pradesh in particular are widely acclaimed. On account of this he was felicitated by a Volume (in two parts) entitled “Heritage of Indian-Past and Present†which was brought out in his honour and presented to him in 1994. The credit of directing the archaeological excavations of Gilaulikhera, Kakrehta and Patan goes to him. A large number of research papers have been published by him in journals of national and international repute. His prestigious publications include : Madhya Pradesh Ke Puratattva Ka Sandarbha Granth (Bhopal, 1974), The Temple of Chaunsatha Yogini at Bheraghat (Delhi, 1978), Art of the Paramaras of Malwa (Ed.) (Delhi, 1979), The Kalachuris and Their Times (Delhi, 1980), Indian Archaeology-New Perspectives (Ed.) (Delhi, 1982), Archaeology of Bhopal Region (Delhi, 1980), Rock-Art of India (Ed.) (Delhi, 1983), Vajapeya – Essays on Evolution of Indian Art and Culture (Prof. K.D. Bajpai Fel. Vol.) (Ed.) (Delhi, 1987), Studies in Shell Script (Ed.) (Delhi, 1990), Art of the Kalachuris (Ed.) (Bhopal, 1991), Excavations at Kakrehta (Delhi, 1992), Krsna Smrti (Prof. K.D. Bajpai Comm. Vol.) (Ed.) (Delhi, 1995), and Prehistoric Art in India (Dr. S.K. Pandey Fel. Vol.) (Ed.) (Delhi, 1996). A series of other publications are in process.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shiv Kumar Tiwari
Dr. Shiv Kumar Tiwari (1941) took his B.A. (1962) and M.A. (1964) degrees in First Division. He is the first Ph.D. recipient in Geography from Jabalpur University and the first Indian geographer to successfully complete a doctorate research in Biogeography. He has worked in Government Post-Graduate Colleges of Madhya Pradesh since 1964 as Lecturer, Assistant Professor and Professor. He now holds the post of Head of the Department of Tribal Studies in Rani Durgavati University, Jabalpur. Dr. Tiwari has so far authored more than a dozen books in diverse academic fields. His books Readings in Indian Zoogeography Zoogeography of India and South East Asia and Zoogeography of Indian Amphibians are widely recognized works in the field of Zoogeography. He has four times been assigned to write books for collegiate education by the Government of Madhya Pradesh.The Rajgond his fifth book in this field, was also published by Agam Kal Prakasan (1992). Dr. Tiwari has written many research papers, general articles and monographs. He has so far directed six research Projects funded by UGC, ICSSR and Madhya Pradesh Council of Science and Technology. His works have been acknowledged by National and International Research Institutes like RMRC (Indian Council of Medical Research, AIU (Association of Indian Universities), Smithsonian Institute of Woodrow Wilson Centre, USA and University College, London, UK.
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