Discuss the literary sources for the reconstruction of ancient Indian history. What problems are encountered in the use of literary sources? Illustrate with examples.

Most of the early Indian literature contains much that deals with religion, theology, cosmology, cosmogony, magic, ritual, prayers and mythology. There are problems associated with dating these texts since their period of composition and compilation differ by a wide margin. As their subject matter is theology or religion, it is difficult to understand them historically. The Vedas, Upanishads, Brahamanas, Shastra literature, Epics and Puranas etc. deal broadly with non-secular themes.

Vedas The earliest known literature from the Indian subcontinent is in Sanskrit. The word veda is derived from the Sanskrit root ‘vid’ which means ‘to know’. Veda means knowledge. They are oral literature par excellence. They are traditionally regarded as ‘heard’ or revealed texts. The Vedic literature consists of three different classes of literary works which are:

a) Samhitas or collections, namely collections of hymns, prayers, incantations, benedictions, sacrificial formulas and litanies. Four Samhitas are in existence which differ from each other:

1) Rigveda Samhita: The collection of the Rigveda. It is the veda or the knowledge of the songs of praise (ric).

2) Atharvaveda Samhita: The collection of the Atharvaveda or the knowledge of magical formulae (atharvan).

3) Samveda Samhita: The collection of the Samveda i.e. the knowledge of melodies (saman).

4) Yajurveda Samhita: The collection of the Yajurveda i.e. the knowledge of the sacrificial formulas (yajus).

b) Brahamanas: These ____ ___ ______ _____ _________ __________ _____ _____ ____ ________ ______ ____.
__________ ____ ___ ________ __________ ____ __________.
________ _________ ______ ______ __________ _____ ____ ______ ____ ________ ____ ________.
______ ___ ____ __________ ____ ______ ___ ______.
___ ____ _____ _________ __________ ________.
_____ ________ __________ _______ ____ ________ ___ ________ ___ ________ _____ ______.
_________ _____ __________ _____ ________ _________ _________ _________ _________.
_______ ___ ____ _______ _____ ____ ____ _____ _________ _______ _____ ________.
_________ ________ _________ _____ ________ _____ ___ ____ ______ _______.
_________ ____ ______ ______ _________ ______ ____ _____.
__________ _______ ________ ________ _________ ________ _________ ________.
__________ __________ ______ ________ ______ _____ _______.
___ ________ ___ _______ _____.
__________ __________ _________ _______ _________.
______ ________ __________ __________ ___ ____ _______ __________ __________.
_____ ______ __________ ________ _____ _____ ________ __________.
_____ _________ ______ ___ ___ ___ ___ _____ ____ ________ ___.
_________ ________ ______ ____ __________ ______ ____ _____ _____.
______ ____ _____ ________ ______ _________ _________ __________ ____.
_______ _____ _____ _____ ________ __________ _____ ____ _____ ___ _______ _____.
______ ____ ____ ____ ____ ________.
_________ ____ _______ _______ ___ _______ _________ __________ ___ ___.
____ ________ ___ _______ _____ _______ ____ ____ ______.
____ ___ ____ ___ ________ ________ ____ _____ _________ _________.
_______ ___ __________ ____ ___ __________ _________ _____ ______ ___ ______ __________.
____ ________ _________ _________ _________.
___ ____ ___ ______ _____ ___ ____ _____ __________ _____ ___.
___ __________ _______ ___ _________ _______ ______.
_______ ________ __________ ____ ______ ______.
____ ____ ______ __________ _____ _________ ____ _________ _______.
_________ ______ ___ _____ ____ ______ ___ ________.
___ ______ _____ _________ ____ ______ ____ ___ _______ ____ _________ ________.
___ _______ ______ ________ _______ ____ ___ _____.
__________ _________ _______ _____ ___ ___ _____ ________ _______ _____ ___ _________.
_______ ______ _________ ______ _____ ______ __________.
______ ____ _______ ___ _______ ______ ______ _____ ________.
________ ____ _____ ___ ____ ______ _________ _____ _____ ______.
_____ _____ _____ ________ ____ _______ _____.
_________ ______ ______ _________ ____ _________ _____ ______ __________ ___ ___.
_____ ___ __________ _______ ______ ____ _____ ___.
______ _______ ____ _________ __________.
_______ ______ _________ ______ __________ _______ ___ ________ _________.
____ ________ _________ __________ ________ _____ __________ ___ __________ _____.
_________ _____ _______ _______ _____.
_______ _______ _________ __________ ________ _____ ____ _______ __________ __________ ____.
_____ _________ _________ ______ _______ ______ __________ _______ __________.
____ ____ ____ ______ ________.
_____ _____ __________ __________ _____ _____ ________ ____ _____ ______ _______.
______ ___ ________ __________ ________.
____ _________ ___ ________ __________ ________ _______.
________ _____ __________ _______ _________ _________ ________.
_________ _____ ________ _________ _________.
________ ___ ____ ____ _____ _________ ________.
________ ____ ______ __________ ________ _____ _______ ______ ____.
____ _______ ___ _______ _______ ________ ____ _____ ____ _________ ________ ____.
_________ ________ __________ ___ ________ _________ _________ ______ ______.
_________ __________ __________ _______ _______.
________ __________ _______ ____ _______ _______.
______ ________ ____ ___ ________ ___ ________ _____.
____ _____ ______ _______ ______ ________ __________ ____ ____.
____ _________ _______ ______ _________ ______.
___ _________ _______ ____ ____ ________ _______ _________ _____ _____ ______.
_________ ______ _______ ____ ______ _____ _______ _______ _____ ____.
________ _________ ___ __________ ________ ________ ___.
_______ _______ _____ _____ _________ ________.
________ _________ __________ _______ ___ ______ _______ ________ _______ _________.
__________ ________ __________ _________ __________ ____.
______ _______ ________ ______ ____ _______ ____ __________ __________ ________.
_____ ________ ______ _______ ___ ____ ________ ___ ______ ___.
______ _______ _____ __________ _____ _____ ________ _____.
________ ____ _____ __________ _________ ____ _________ ________ ____.
_________ _____ ____ ______ ______ ___ ________ _____ _____.
___ _______ ______ ________ _______ __________ ____ ___ ___ ___.
___ ___ ________ ________ ____ ____ ________ __________ _________ ___.
__________ ___ _________ _________ _________ ________.
_____ ______ _________ ______ _______ ___ ________ __________ ________ ________ __________ _______.
__________ ____ _____ ____ ___ _____ _________ __________ _______ ____.
______ _______ ____ _________ _________ ________ __________ _______ ______ ________ _________ ____.
________ ___ ________ _______ __________ ________ _______ ____ _________ _________ ___ _________.
_________ ____ ________ _____ _________ _________ _________ ________ ___.
______ _________ _______ _____ ________ __________.
_______ ____ ___ _______ _____ ________ _____ ________ _________ ____.
_____ ______ ___ __________ _________.
_________ ___ _______ ______ ___ _______ __________ _______ ____ ____ _______ _________.
____ _____ ________ _____ __________ _______ ______ ________.
________ ___ _____ ____ _____ __________ _____ _____ _____ ____ ______ ______.
________ _________ ____ ________ ___ _________ _______ ___ ________ ______.
_____ _____ _______ ______ ______ _______ ____ _______.
______ ___ ________ __________ ____ __________ ____ _________.
_______ __________ ___ _______ _____ _______ ________ _________ ________ ____ ________ _____.
_____ _____ __________ ________ _______ _____ ____.
______ _______ ___ ________ _______ ____ ________ _____ _______ _____ _____.
______ ___ ____ _____ _____ ____ _______.
___ ___ _______ ____ ____.
______ _____ _______ _____ __________ __________ _______ _____ _____.
_________ ______ _________ __________ _________ _______.
________ ____ _________ _________ ___ _________ __________ ________ __________ ________.
__________ __________ _________ ___ ___ __________ _______ __________.
_________ ___ ___ ______ _____ ____ __________ ____ ________ ___.
___ ________ ______ ____ ___ _______ ______ _______ ______ ______ ________.
_________ ____ ______ ___ ___ ___ ____ _______ _________ ____ ____.
___ ________ ______ _______ ______ ___ ________ ________.
___ ____ ____ ________ ____ ______ ________ _____ ____.
__________ __________ _______ _________ ________ _________ _________ ____ ____.
_________ __________ _______ _________ _______ _______ __________.
_______ _________ _________ _____ _________.
____ __________ ____ ______ ________.
_________ ______ ___ ________ _____ _______ ______ _________ _______ _______ __________.
_______ _____ ____ ______ ________ ___ _______ __________ ___ __________.
_______ _____ _____ ___ _____ _________ ______.
______ ________ _________ ____ ___ _____ ______ ____ _______ ___ ______ _____.
______ ______ ____ _________ ________ ___ ____ ______ ______ __________ ___ ____.
________ _______ ______ ___ ______ ________ __________ _______ _______.
____ _______ _______ ____ ___ _______ ________ ______.
_____ _____ _______ ________ __________ _______ ____ __________ _____ _______ ___ _____.
______ ____ ______ _____ __________ ____ _______.
___ ________ _____ ______ __________.
_____ _________ __________ __________ ___.
_______ _______ _________ ____ _____ _________.
___ ___ _______ __________ ______ _____ _______ __________ ___ __________ ______.
___ _____ _______ __________ _____ ____ ______ _____ ___ ____ ________ _________.
_____ ____ ________ ___ ______.
_______ __________ _______ ___ ______ _________ __________ __________.
____ ___ __________ ___ ___ ________.
_______ ____ _______ __________ ________ ________ _________ ______ _____ ______ ____.
_______ ___ ______ __________ ___ ______ ___ _________ ______ ________.
_______ _______ ___ ___ ______ ____ ______ __________ _____.
____ _____ ___ ____ ___.
_________ _______ ________ __________ _______.
Get Full Answer on WhatsApp