Cultural history of medieval India / Keshav Mandalik

Includes bibliographies and index

India is a diverse nation with a huge population made up of people of different castes and religions. Hindus are dominant, but there are also many Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, and followers of Jainism, all of which have literary and artistic traditions and religious festivals that contribute to the vibrancy of daily life. Indians are family oriented and largely conservative people with a scholarly and friendly nature. Thousands of years of urbanized living have allowed literature, art, architecture and philosophy to flourish, which can be seen everywhere, particularly in the regionally varied buildings and cuisine. Medieval India was defined by five culturally diverse kingdoms that produced the beginnings of modern Indian languages, as well as a flowering of religion, architecture, sculpture, literature, science, medicine, and mathematics. Temple towns became economic hubs with the Indian religion spreading to Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam in the 8th and 9th centuries. This comprehensive book on medieval Indian Culture will be an essential reading for students and teachers of History and Sociology.