ASI book on John Marshal Launched ‎

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is bringing out an illustrative book on John Marshall, under whose directions excavations were carried out in Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa leading to the discovery of one the greatest civilizations of the world.
From 1902 to 1928, John Marshal was the first and longest severing Director-General of ASI which undertakes archaeological researches and protection of the India’s cultural heritage.

The collection, ‘The Marshall Albums Photography and Archaeology', contains some rare photographs taken by Marshall and will be made available for public access in more than 99 libraries of the ASI across the country.

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Ambapali, the Royal Courtesan of Vaishali

During my college days, I had an opportunity to read a novel by eminent Hindi writer Acharya Chatursen. The novel entitled Vaishali Ki Nagarvadhu was an interesting read. As the name suggests, the novel describes Ambapali, as the Nagarbadhu of Vaisali, hailed as the first republic of the world.

A royal courtesan, Ambapali, variously known as Amrapali or Ambapalika, has been accorded a place of high respect in the Buddhist Scriptures. A contemporary of the Buddha, Ambapali was wealthy, highly intelligent and famous far and wide. Her matchless beauty together her youth, talent and intelligence made Amrapali the cynosure and dream of entire Vaishali. While passing through Vaishali, the Buddha accepted her invitation to dine with her. This indicates that the better status of the courtesan in ancient India. 

The early life of Ambapali is veiled in obscurity. She was named because she was born at the foot of a mango tree in one of the royal gardens in the Vaishali kingdom. A woman of amazing beauty, Ambapali participated in the contest to become Nagarvadhu (courtesan) of Vaishali. This leads us to conclusion that there was no stigma attached to become Nagarvadhu at that time. 

Ambapali is said to have become a Buddhist nun and one of the most beautiful poems of the Pali Canon is attributed to her. When Bimbisara, the powerful Magadhan Emperor, heard of Ambapali, he became jealous and thought of producing in his kingdom a courtesan who would be superior to her. Hence, Salavati came into picture and she also became famous in Magadha. The glory and prosperity of Vaishali was always a thorn in the eyes of Bimbisara.

Salavati was the mother of Jivaka, the royal physician of Rajgriha, the Magadhan capital. 

Daniela Lavender to act in Ben Kingsley’s TAJ

Brazilian-born actress Daniela Lavender is all set to play Kandahari Begum, the first wife of 6th Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, builder of Taj Mahal in Ben Kingsley’s much awaited venture Taj, a historical saga based on the events leading up to the building of the Taj Mahal. In January this year she was in Agra with Ben Kingsley who also happens to be her husband.

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The last days of Krishna

Following the Mahabharata War when the Pandavas were safely settled in Kuru land, Krishna returned to Dwarka where he ruled the Yadavas for 36 years. There was a constant bickering among the Yadava chiefs who were hell bent to exterminate each other. This led Krishna to ban strong drink in the kingdom. However during a festival when the ban was relaxed, fight broke out between the Yadavas and engulfed the whole city. Despite all his divinity Krishna was not able to bring order to the kingdom. The whole Yadava clan was mostly destroyed. His son Pradyumma was killed before his eyes and his elder brother also died.

Then at a festival, fight broke out between the Yadavas who exterminated each other. The clan was mostly destroyed. Krishna dejectedly retired into the forest. Once he was sitting under a tree musing the loss of his family and friends, a hunter mistook his partly visible foot for a deer and shot an arrow piercing his heel which was his vulnerable spot. The city of Dwarka was swallowed by the sea.

Marco Polo: Prince of Medieval Travellers

                    Kublai Khan meeting Marco Polo / Image Credit

Rightly called the prince of Medieval travellers, Italian traveler Marco Polo (1254-1324) was a Venetian merchant whose travel account, the Book of Ser Marco Polo, is an invaluable reservoir of history, geography and the economic history of India during the period. 

In 1271 Marco Polo set out on a trading expedition to Cathay (China). He was warmly received by the Tartar emperor Kublai Khan and spent 17 years at his court. While he was on his way from China to Persia as an escort to the princess of Kublai Khan’s family, a bride for the ruler of Persia, he visited South India in 1292-93. 

Marco Polo returned to Italy in 1295. He has no intention of writing a book. But luckly for us he met a professional author, Rustichello da Pisa, also known as Rusticiano, in prison where he found himself in 1298 due to his participation in the war against Genoa. He dictated Rusticiano of Pisa the story of his adventures. Marco Polo’s account of the states of the south India and the beliefs, manners and practices of the people of South India is amazingly accurate.

Fa-hsien: Famous Chinese Buddhist Pilgrim

A native of sanxi (Shansi), Fa-hsien was a Chinese monk who came to India on a pilgrimage tour during the reign of Chandra Gupta II ((reigned c 376-415). His motive for coming to India was to acquire authentic copies of the Buddhist scriptures and to visit the places associated with the Buddha. Being of religious nature, he gives information about temples and monasteries and the state of Buddhism in India at that time. He was so engrossed in the religious pursuits that he even doesn’t mention the name of Chandra Gupta II (376-415) of the Gupta empire though he spent some six years in India during the latter’s reign. The Buddhist canon Samyutta Nikata was translated into Chinese about 440 AD from a manuscript obtained by the pilgrim in Sri Lanka in 411. Fa-hsien was the earliest to refer to “pollution on approach” in regard to the untouchables.  

He traveled in India, particularly the Buddhist centres, extensively. His observations are of great importance to an understanding of the period.

Some of the important statements made by Fa-hsien about India are:

• The country is prosperous and the people are happy

• India is a peaceful state and one can travel from one place to the other throughout the empire without being harassed. There is no need for passport. The administration is mild. Capital punishment is not in vogue. Offenders are generally punished by fines. Crimes of serious nature, which are rare, are punished by amputation of one hand.  

• People are vegetarians. Only people of low castes and untouchables ate meat. Respectable citizens don’t consume liquor.

• Free hospitals are run by donations of pious subjects of the kingdom.

• Buddhism is in a state of flourish and Kashmir, Punjab ad Afghanistan are centres of Buddhism.

• Untouchables don’t form part of the society. The dwell outside the confines of villages in segregated localities. Before entering the villages they had to strike a piece of wood to warn others of their approach.

Jataka: Buddhist Collection of Folk Tales

Jataka is a collection of stories about the Buddha’s previous births as a Bodhisttva. In Hinayana form of Buddhism, Bodhisattva is a previous incarnation of a Buddha. For an orthodox Buddhist Jataka tales are the autographical accounts of Gautama Buddha and hence a part of the Buddhist religious scriptures.

One of the earliest and most significant collections of folk tales extant, the Jataka (written in the Prakrit language of Pali) comprises 547 stories. The stories are written in full in a prose commentary which has been credited to Buddhaghosa. The collection contains fables, moral tales, fairy tales, maxims and legends.

The Jataka stories are included in the Khuddaka Nikaya.