Scribd
Upload
130 views1 page

Purpose of Studying History: Astrology, Metaphysics, Etc. Comes To Us From The Bank of Ganges"

Ancient Indian history discusses Ashoka's efforts to promote religious harmony in ancient India, including emphasizing common ground between religions and bringing together exponents of different faiths. It also notes the importance of studying history to understand a society's identity without being confined by the past. Several European scholars like Voltaire recognized India as the cradle of civilization and source of religion, astronomy, and other knowledge.

Uploaded by

Iyamperumal Murugesan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
130 views1 page

Purpose of Studying History: Astrology, Metaphysics, Etc. Comes To Us From The Bank of Ganges"

Ancient Indian history discusses Ashoka's efforts to promote religious harmony in ancient India, including emphasizing common ground between religions and bringing together exponents of different faiths. It also notes the importance of studying history to understand a society's identity without being confined by the past. Several European scholars like Voltaire recognized India as the cradle of civilization and source of religion, astronomy, and other knowledge.

Uploaded by

Iyamperumal Murugesan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 1

Ancient Indian History

 Ashoka (the king of ancient Patliputra), in his Rock Edict XII, insisted on the following
measures and practices to maintain harmony, peace, and prosperity in the society:

o Promotion of the common ground or root of all religion.

o Cultivation of the sense of unity of all religions by the practice of vachaguti or


restraint of criticism of other religions and sects.

o The coming together (samavaya) of exponents of different religions in religious


assemblies

o Learning the texts of other religions so as to become bahusruta or proficient in the


scriptures of different religions.

Purpose of Studying History


 The study of past does not mean that one lives in the past, but one learns to live with
the past.

 History gives a society or a nation an identity. It is not something that we can disown.

 Voltaire (a great intellectual and statesman from France) contended that India is the
cradle of worldly civilizations and homeland of religion in its oldest and purest form.

 Voltaire, further, wrote, "In short I am convinced that everything - astronomy,


astrology, metaphysics, etc. comes to us from the bank of Ganges".

 Pierre de Sonnerate, a French naturalist and traveler, believed that all knowledge
came from India, which is the cradle of civilizations.

 Immanuel Kant (a great philosopher of Germany) recognized the greatness of


ancient Indian culture and civilization. He acknowledged that Indian religious thoughts
were free of rigidity and intolerance.

12

You might also like