Gem in the Lotus: The Seeding of Indian Civilization

This title depicts early Indian civilisation, and the foundations of cultural and religious traditions that are practiced even today. It begins with the Indus Valley Civilisation, the end of which coincided with the arrival of Aryans in north India, who laid the foundations of religion based on sacrificial objects. The Vedic beliefs, and the sects of worshippers of Shiva and Vishnu, progressively altered into traditional Hinduism, and a comprehensive assembly of thought gradually developed - a worldview in which everything is connected in a huge web of being existent. The 6th century BC saw the origin of Jainism, which believed in non-injury to all living things, and Buddhism, which would become a powerful force in the history of mankind. These two religions moved away from the previous traditional followings. The book concludes with the extraordinary Maurya Dynasty, which united a massive area of the Indian subcontinent, a unison that would be unparalleled for the next 2000 years. Gem in the Lotus is a must-read for history aficionados.