Knowledge

TRADITIONS & PRACTICES

OF INDIA
Textbook for Class XI

CENTRAL BOARD OF SECONDARY EDUCATION

Shiksha Kendra, 2, Community Centre, Preet Vihar,
Delhi-110 092 India
 Knowledge
TRADITIONS & PRACTICES
OF INDIA
Textbook for Class XI

CENTRAL BOARD OF SECONDARY EDUCATION

Shiksha Kendra, 2, Community Centre, Preet Vihar, Delhi-110 092 India
No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
 Preface
India has a rich tradition of intellectual inquiry and a textual heritage that goes back to several
hundreds of years. India was magnificently advanced in knowledge traditions and practices
during the ancient and medieval times. The intellectual achievements of Indian thought are found
across several fields of study in ancient Indian texts ranging from the Vedas and the Upanishads to
a whole range of scriptural, philosophical, scientific, technical and artistic sources.
As knowledge of India's traditions and practices has become restricted to a few erudite scholars
who have worked in isolation, CBSE seeks to introduce a course in which an effort is made to make
it common knowledge once again. Moreover, during its academic interactions and debates at key
meetings with scholars and experts, it was decided that CBSE may introduce a course titled
‘Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India’ as a new Elective for classes XI-XII from the year
2012-13. It has been felt that there are many advantages of introducing such a course in our
education system. As such in India, there is a wide variety and multiplicity of thoughts,
languages, lifestyles and scientific, artistic and philosophical perceptions. The rich classical and
regional languages of India, which are repositories of much of the ancient wisdom, emerge from
the large stock of the shared wealth of a collective folklore imagination. A few advantages given
below are self explanatory.
• India is a land of knowledge and traditions and through this course the students will become
aware of our ancient land and culture.
• Learning about any culture particularly one's own culture whatever it may be builds immense
pride and self-esteem. That builds a community and communities build harmony.
• The students will be learning from the rich knowledge and culture and will get an objective
insight into the traditions and practices of India. They will delve deeply to ascertain how these
teachings may inform and benefit them in future.
• The textbook has extracts and translations that will develop better appreciation and
understanding of not only the knowledge, traditions and practices of India but also
contemporary questions and issues that are a part of every discipline and field in some form or
another.
This course once adopted in schools across India can become central to student learning: each
student brings a unique culture, tradition and practice to the classroom. The content is devised in a
way that the educator becomes knowledgeable about his/her students' distinctive cultural
background. This can be translated into effective instruction and can enrich the curriculum
thereby benefitting one and all. This insight has close approximation with the pedagogy of CCE.
The course is designed in a way that it embodies various disciplines and fields of study ranging
from Language and Grammar, Literature, Fine Arts, Agriculture, Trade and Commerce,
Philosophy and Yoga to Mathematics, Astronomy, Chemistry, Metallurgy, Medicine and
Surgery, Life Sciences, Environment and Cosmology. This can serve as a good foundation for
excellence in any discipline pursued by the student in her/his academic, personal and
professional life.
This book aims at providing a broad overview of Indian thought in a multidisciplinary and
interdisciplinary mode. It does not seek to impart masses of data, but highlights concepts and
major achievements while engaging the student with a sense of exploration and discovery. There
is an introduction of topics so that students who take this are prepared for a related field in higher
studies in the universities.
The examination reforms brought in by CBSE have strengthened the Continuous and
Comprehensive Evaluation System. It has to be ascertained that the teaching and learning
methodology of CCE is adopted by the affiliated schools when they adopt this course. The
contents have to cultivate critical appreciation of the thought and provide insights relevant for
promoting cognitive ability, health and well-being, good governance, aesthetic appreciation,
value education and appropriate worldview.
This document has been prepared by a special committee of convenors and material developers
under the direction of Dr. Sadhana Parashar, Director (Academic & Training) and co-ordinated by
Mrs. Neelima Sharma, Consultant, CBSE.
The Board owes a wealth of gratitude to Professor Jagbir Singh, Professor Kapil Kapoor,
Professor Michel Danino, and all those who contributed to the extensive work of conceptualizing
and developing the contents. I sincerely hope that our affiliated schools will adopt this new
initiative of the Board and assist us in our endeavour to nurture our intellectual heritage.

Vineet Joshi
Chairman
 Convenor’s Note by Professor Jagbir Singh
In 2012, CBSE decided to introduce an Elective Course 'Knowledge Traditions and Practices of
India' for classes XI and XII and an Advisory Committee was constituted to reflect on the themes
and possible content of the proposed course. Subsequently Module-Preparation Committees were
constituted to prepare ten modules for the first year of the programme to include the following
Astronomy, Ayurveda (Medicine and Surgery), Chemistry, Drama, Environment, Literature,
Mathematics, Metallurgy, Music and Philosophy.

Each module has;

I. A Survey article

ii. Extracts from primary texts

iii. Suitably interspersed activities to enable interactive study and class work

iv. Appropriate visuals to engender reading interest, and

v. Further e- and hard copy readings.

Each module in the course has kept in mind what would be a viable amount of reading and
workload, given all that the class IX students have to do in the given amount of time, and controlled
the word-length and also provided, where needed, choices in the reading materials.

Each Module consists of:

I. A Survey Essay (about 1500-2000 words) that introduces and shows the growth of ideas, texts
and thinkers and gives examples of actual practice and production.

ii. A survey-related selection of extracts (in all about 2000 words) from primary sources (in
English translation, though for first hand recognition, in some cases, where feasible, the
extracts are also reproduced in the original language and script).

iii. Three kinds of interactive work are incorporated, both in the survey article and the extracts -
comprehension questions, individual and collective activities and projects (that connect the
reading material and the student to the actual practice and the environment).

iv. Visuals of thinkers, texts, concepts (as in Mathematics), practices.

v. Internet audiovisual resources in the form of URLs.

vi. List of further questions, and readings.

The objective of each module, as of the whole course, is to re-connect the young minds with the
large body of intellectual activity that has always happened in India and, more importantly, to
enable them (i) to relate the knowledge available to the contemporary life, theories and practices,
(ii) to develop, wherever feasible, a comparative view on a level ground of the contemporary
Western ideas and the Indian theories and practices, and (iii) to extend their horizons beyond what
is presented or is available and contemplate on possible new meanings, extensions and uses of the
ideas - in other words to make them think.

We have taken care to be objective and factual and have carefully eschewed any needless claims or
comparisons with western thought. Such things are best left to the readers' judgement.

This pedagogical approach clearly approximates CBSE's now established activity-oriented

interactive work inviting the students' critical responses.

It is proposed to upload the first year's modular programme to be downloaded and used by
schools, teachers and students.

As a first exercise, we are aware that the content selection, a major difficult task, can be critically
reviewed from several standpoints. We do not claim perfection and invite suggestions and
concrete proposals to develop the content. We are eagerly looking forward to receiving the
feedback from both teachers and students. That would help us refine the content choice, the length
and the activities. We will also thankfully acknowledge any inadvertent errors that are pointed out
by readers.

The finalisation of this course is thus envisaged as a collective exercise and only over a period of
time, the Course will mature. We know that perfection belongs only to God.

If our students enjoy reading these materials, that would be our true reward.

Prof. Jagbir Singh

Convenor
 Acknowledgment
e
CBSE ADVISORS
• Shri Vineet Joshi, Chairman
• Dr. Sadhana Parashar, Director (Academic & Training)

CONVENOR
Prof. Jagbir Singh
Convenor, Former Head Department of Punjabi Delhi University

MATERIAL PRODUCTION TEAM

Prof. Kapil Kapoor Prof. Shrawan Kumar Sharma Ms. Uma Sharma
Prof. of English & Former Pro Vice Head Dept. of English Director, Centre for Ex Craft Coordinator CCRT, Ex TGT,
Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University Canadian Studies Gurukul Kangri RPVV, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi.
University
Prof. Michel Danino Haridwar, Uttarakhand Ms. Archana Sharma
Guest Professor, IIT Gandhinagar, Freelancer: Content Developer, Resource
& Visiting Faculty, IIM Ranchi Ms. Kiran Bhatt Person - SCERT, DIET (RN) New Delhi.
(Retd.) Head of Dept. (English), Modern
Prof. Avadhesh Kumar Singh School, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi Ms. Anjali Shukla
Professor & Director School of Translation DAV Public School, Sector - 7, Rohini,
IGNOU Ms. Heemal Handoo Bhat New Delhi - 110085
Shaheed Rajpal DAV Dayanand Vihar, New
Dr. P. Ram Manohar, Delhi Dr. Sandhya S. Tarafdar
MD (Ayurveda) PGT History, K.V. Vikaspuri, New Delhi
Director and CSO, AVP Research Mr. Pundrikakash
Foundation, 36/137, Trichy Road, Vice Principal, Physics, RPVV, DoE, Kishan Dr. B. S. Dashora
Ramanathapuram P.O., Coimbatore- Ganj, New Delhi ELT Group (Retd. Principal), Bhopal,
641045, Tamil Nadu, India Madhya Pradesh.
Ms. Rashmi Kathuria
Dr. J. Sreenivasa Murthy Maths, Kulachi Hansraj Model School, Ms. Shubhika Lal
(Sanskrit/Philosophy) Ashok Vihar, New Delhi Modern School, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi
Head, Department of Sanskrit, Ms. Kusum Singh
M.E.S College, Bangalore - 560 003 Dr. Sanjay Kumar
K.V., SPG Complex, Sector - 8, Dwarka, DAV Public School, Sector-14, Gurgaon
Prof. Bharat Gupt New Delhi
Ms. Gayatri Khanna
(Retd) Associate Professor, Delhi
University, Founder member and Trustee Ms. Bindia Rajpal ELT, Free Lancer, New Delhi
International Forum for India's Heritage. The Air Force School, Subroto Park, New
Delhi Grateful Thanks to:
PO Box 8518, Ashok Vihar, Delhi 110052.
Ms. Reeta Khera Dr. Rajnish Kumar Mishra, JNU
Dr. Vipul Singh
MLNC, University of Delhi, South Campus, VVDAV Public School, D- Block, Vikaspuri, Dr. Santosh Kumar Shukla, JNU
New Delhi New Delhi
Mr. Albert Abraham
Former Report Writer, CBSE

CO-ORDINATOR EDITORS
Ms. Neelima Sharma Prof. Kapil Kapoor, Prof. of English & Former Pro Vice- Chancellor
Consultant (ELT), CBSE New Delhi Jawahar Lal Nehru University

Prof. Michel Danino, Guest Professor, IIT Gandhinagar & Visiting Faculty, IIM Ranchi

SUPPORTING MEMBERS (CBSE)

Mr. Yogeshwar Mr. Abhimanyu Kumar Gupta Ms. Prabha Sharma
Asstt. Record Keeper Computer Assistant Computer Assistant
 Contents
• Modules 1
Astronomy in India 1
• Modules 2
Chemistry in India 31
• Modules 3
Indian Literatures Part 1 59
Indian Literatures Part 2 96
• Modules 4
Indian Philosophical Systems 133
• Modules 5
Indian Traditional Knowledge on
Environmental Conservation 163
• Modules 6
Life Sciences (1) Ayurveda for Life,
Health and Well-being 189
Life Sciences (2) The Historical Evolution
of Medical Tradition in Ancient India 209
Life Sciences (3) Plant and Animal Science
in Ancient India 229
• Modules 7
Mathematics in India 247
• Modules 8
Metallurgy in India 287
• Modules 9
Music in India 317
• Modules 10
Theatre and Drama in India 343