In September 1924, John Marshall, Director General of the Archaeological Society of India, informed the world about the existence of the Indus (Harappan) civilization: as ancient as Mesopotamia, as grand as ancient Egypt. Was this civilization part of the Bronze Age Trading Network? How did it contribute to later Vedic and Tantrik thought? Did the Harappans follow monastic ideals that later contributed to Buddhism and Jainism? Was their script like today’s emojis, conveying ideas? Why are there images of rivalry but no images of war and no images of romance either to be found at the Harappan sites? Why did the cities disappear while the villages continued to flourish?
An eventful century later, Devdutt Pattanaik uses the lens of mythology to reflect on this most mysterious of ‘peaceful’ civilizations, now spread across geographies in India and Pakistan. With maps and illustrations, he draws attention to how much Harappan memory persists in our lives today.
‘Ahimsa‘ presents an unprecedentedly detailed picture of the Harappan civilization that has never been seen before, providing a comprehensive insight into the mysterious historical location.
Published by HarperCollins India, ‘Ahimsa‘ will be released on 30 September on SoftCover, ThePrint’s online venue to launch non-fiction books.
Devdutt Pattanaik writes, illustrates, and lectures on the relevance of mythology in modern times. He has, since 1996, written over thirty books and 700 columns on how stories, symbols, and rituals construct the subjective truths (myths) of ancient and modern
cultures around the world. His books include Shiva to Shankara; Culture; Leader; Faith; Yoga Mythology; Dharma Artha Kama Moksha; Bahubali.
He regularly writes for prominent newspapers like Mid-Day, Times of India, and Dainik Bhaskar. Pattanaik has also made a name for himself through his TED talks and his book ‘Business Sutra: An Indian Approach to Management.’
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