Culture and Society in India

Contents: Preface. 1. Truth and culture. 2. Marriage customs in India. 3. Dress and ornaments. 4. Brahmanas and Upanishads. 5. Jainism and Buddhism. 6. Gupta empire and Hindu culture revival. 7. Hindu cultural expansion. 8. Contribution of South India to Indian culture. 9. The age of disintegration. Bibliography. Index.

From the preface: "Undoubtedly our culture developed after the most tedious and difficult struggle for several ages. Its norms, if assessed during the days of yore, were not of the standard which, later on, became a glaring phenomenon in the annals of ancient history. Naturally, it was the rich contribution by several saints and learned persons who laid the foundation of our heritage. One could say that this rich culture not only enlightened us in several ways, but it also greatly benefited the people of South East Asia in due course of time. Obviously the Indian culture became a pioneering factor in this regard.

"The book deals with several themes having deep hearing on our ancient culture which passed through numerous changes with the passage of time. The societal norms were adhered to strictly in accordance with the prevalent culture. Any kind of defiance by an individual or a section of society was taken up seriously and a proper action was taken. Thus we find a kind of rich harmony in our culture which moulded our ways of social life."