Book Review: Indian Cultures as Heritage

Title: Indian Cultures as Heritage- Contemporary Pasts
Author: Romila Thapar
Publisher: Aleph Book Company
Pages: 262
ISBN: 978-9384067359
Source: Publisher

In her book Indian Cultures as Heritage, Romila Thapar talks about the phenomena called culture and what constitutes the Indian culture. Her focus is on those things that are generally not considered when talking about Culture & Heritage. As such, her take on Culture & Heritage, in this book, is an unusual one.

She starts with a rather extensive introduction to the subject. And then she begins analysing certain aspects of Indian culture in each of the chapters. She goes back into the past, as back as she can and then she moves across the horizon, as far as she can. Her approach is such that hardly anything can escape the field of her vision.

She conjures up a new image of Cultures & Heritage in front of us- an…