Meenakshi Jain (Set of 11 Books) : Vishwanath Rises and Rises | Rama & Ayodhya | Flight Of Deities And Rebirth Of Temples | Vasudeva Krishna And Mathura | Sati | The Hindus of Hindustan | The Battle For Rama | The India They Saw (Set Of 4)

Collection of 11 books authored by Meenakshi Jain:

1. Vishwanath Rises and Rises : Kashi, the City of Light, was the embodiment of Indian civilization for millennia. Archaeological mounds at Rajghat Plateau, on the northern outskirts of the city, represented the ancient settlement of Kashi. Its three major settlements, Varanasi, Sarnath, and Aktha, all had “a religious nature.” The first reference to Kashi was in the Paippalada recension of the Atharva Veda (V.22.14). The grammarian Panini mentioned Varanasi as the capital of Kashi janapada, and its citizens as varanaseya.Varanasi was first attacked in 1013 CE, by the Ghaznavid forces, under Ahmed Nialtagin. The cumulative effect of the subsequent centuries of assault was the complete obliteration of Banaras of the Puranic mahatmyas. The Krittivasa, Omkara, Mahadeva, Madhyameshvara, Visveshvara, Bindu Madhava, Kaal Bhairava, and countless other temples were all razed. In many cases, mosques were built with “calculated insolence” in their place, and the sites were forever closed to Hindus. But despite the difficult centuries, the construction of temples in Kashi did not cease, no matter how modest the structure might be.The great Vishvanath temple was destroyed no less than three times during those centuries. It was said that in 1194 CE, when first attacked by Aibak, and on each subsequent occasion, Brahmins hid the jyotirlinga in the Jnanavapi, the well of knowledge. Queen Razia, during her short turbulent reign, appropriated the site of the temple and had a mosque constructed there. The temple was subsequently rebuilt at another location, where too it was ravaged.Despite the repeated onslaughts, Banaras retained its standing as a centre of Hindu religious and intellectual activity.
2. Rama & Ayodhya : This work briefly examines the antiquity of the Rama Katha and spread of the Rama cult over the Indian subcontinent in the context of claims of Left academics on its late popularity. Its main focus is the conflict at Ayodhya over the Ramjanmabhumi temple allegedly destroyed by the Mughal Emperor, Babar, in 1528. It examines the accounts of foreign travelers in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and eighteenth centuries, and British administrator-scholars in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries which testify to Ayodhya’s continuing importance as a pilgrimage centre associated with Rama’s birthplace. The extended litigation over the Ramajanmabhumi/ Babri Masjid in colonial times further attests to the persistence of the claims to the Janmabhumi.From the late 1980s, Left historians have been in the forefront of the campaign against the Rama temple. They have argued that Rama worship was an eighteenth nineteenth century phenomenon and the present day Ayodhya acquired its standing and identity only in the fifth century AD, during the rule of the imperial Guptas. According to Left academics, the identification of the Ramjanmabhumi in Ayodha was a matter of faith, not of historical evidence. They also rejected any possibility of the Babri Masjid being built on the site of the Janmabhumi temple.Excavations by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) proved the inaccuracy of these assertions. And finally, the judgment of the Allahabad High Court (Lucknow Bench) marked adecisive moment in the dispute over the Janmabhumi. The writings of Life academics, the findings of the ASI, the extended arguments in the Allahabad High Court and its eventual verdict-all from the subject of this study.
3. Flight Of Deities And Rebirth Of Temples : This work examines the medieval response to temple destruction and image desecration. While temples were destroyed on a considerable scale also noteworthy were the repeated endeavours to reconstruct them.
4. Vasudeva Krishna And Mathura : This work examines the antiquity of image worship in India. Its main focus is the Bhagavata religion that evolved around Vasudeva Krishna of the Vrishni clan. At Mathura, several noteworthy archaeological finds dated to the early Common Era were recovered from the site of Katra Keshavadeva. In the medieval period, Katra Keshavadeva was subjected to repeated devastation, beginning with that by Mahmud Ghaznavi in 1071 CE. However, within a century a temple dedicated to Vishnu was built at Katra Keshavadeva. Thereafter, the story of destruction followed by construction was repeated over and over again.In the early 17th century, the Keshavadeva temple was rebuilt by Bir Singh Deo Bundela. In 1670, the Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb ordered its destruction. An Idgah was built at the site. Later developments at Katra Keshavadeva were recorded in the judicial records of colonial India. In 1815, Katra Keshavadeva was sold by auction to Raja Patnimal of Banaras.On 8th February 1944, the heirs of Raja Patnimal sold Katra Keshavadeva to Seth Jugal Kishore Birla, who created a trust for the construction of a temple for Shree Krishna. In a surprising development, on 12th October 1968, approximately two bighas of Katra Keshavadeva were handed over to Trust Masjid Idgah.Many documents pertaining to events at Katra Keshavadeva after 1815 are perhaps being presented to the general reader for the first time. The documents attest to the dogged Hindu commitment to the site.
5. Sati : This is not a work on sati per se. Its primary focus is the colonial debate on sati, particularly the role of Evangelicals and Baptist missionaries. It argues that sati was an exceptional act, performed by a miniscule number of Hindu widows over the centuries. It occurrence was, however, exaggerated in the nineteenth century by Evangelicals and Baptist missionaries eager to Anglicize and Christianize India.
6. The Hindus of Hindustan :Notwithstanding the views of a section of historians and literati, spiritual, religious, and cultural continuity in India goes back many millennia. Identification with, and adoration of, the land was expressed in the sixty-three verses long Prithvi Sukta of the Atharva Veda, described as the first “national song” in the world. Veneration of the land remained a recurrent theme in sacred literature.Kautilya, in the Arthasastra, articulated the ideal of political unification, when he said that from the Himalayas to the seas, the land should have one ruler. That ideal was accompanied by a consciousness of cultural union. Evidence of continuity of religious beliefs and motifs could be traced to the late Upper Palaeolithic (c. 9000-8000) site of Baghor I (Sidhi district, Madhya Pradesh), to the celebrated Indus Valley Civilization, and well thereafter. Rulers of foreign origin, who ruled over parts of the north-western regions for significant periods, wholly immersed themselves in the spiritual traditions of the land. Ancient lawgivers facilitated the assimilation of foreign groups within the capacious embrace of Indian civilization. Things took a dramatically new turn with the advent of a new group of invaders in the eighth century CE. The book highlights the underlying features of Indian civilization, that were manifest from its founding moments, and that remained unchanged over the millennia.
7. The Battle For Rama : For over two decades, a handful of Left historians have strenuously endeavored to stymie the Ramjanmabhumi movement. From questioning the antiquity of Rama worship and the identity of ancient Ayodhya, they have also challenged the widely held belief that Babri Masjid was built on the site of the Janmabhumi temple. Scholars have, however, traced the antiquity of the Rama Katha as far back as the sixth-fifth century BCE, when ancient ballads (Akhyanas) transmitted Rama’s story orally. Valmiki?s Ramayana itself has been dated to the fourth-third century BCE. Over the centuries, Rama’s story has been re-told in many vernaculars of the country. Rama is the exemplar of moral values for Hindu society and epitomizes its aspirations of Artha, kama, and above all, dharma. The proceedings of the Allahabad High Court have exposed the vulnerabilities of Left historians. They could proffer no evidence of continued Muslim presence at Babri Masjid, while the unwavering commitment of Hindu devotees to the site has been attested by several sources. Babri Masjid was not mentioned in the revenue records of the Nawabi and British periods, nor was any Waqf ever created for its upkeep. No Muslim filed an FIR or complained of dispossession or obstruction in his alleged use of the Masjid when the image of Sri Rama was placed under the central dome on 23rd December 1949. The Sunni Central Waqf Board entered litigation on 18th December 1961, just five days before the twelfth anniversary of the placement of the image in the Masjid, on which date any claim would have become time-barred. The Board did not file a suit for a possession; instead, it sought a declaration on the status of the property. Further, excavations of the ASI revealed uninterrupted occupation of the site since the 13th-century BCE. They also exposed remnants of the temple on which Babri Masjid was erected. The assertions of Left historians on Babri Masjid have all been found to be erroneous, yet there has been no public retraction. Indeed, they continue to peddle their discredited theories despite the mounting evidence against them.
8. The India They Saw (Set Of 4): The 4 volumes are a detailed compilation by the authors on foreign accounts from 5 Century BCE to 19th Century CE . An account of the grandeur of ancient India as perceived by her foreign visitors from hoary times and their wonder at her rich philosophical efflorescence and material abundance. The foreigners Marvel at the deep spiritual convictions that allowed yogis and widows to ascend a burning Pyre without murmur; the social harmony of myriad tribes and castes; and above all, the common culture and love of justice permeating and binding all in seamless unity.

• Vol.1-This uninhibited intellectual and spiritual exploration of India’s Sanskritic or Indic culture ended abruptly with the rise of Islam in Arabia in the seventh century and its outward thrust into Europe, North Africa, central Asia and the Indian sub-continent, where it fought to establish political and religious supremacy. Possibly the last Buddhist monk to take the land route to India was the Korean pilgrim hye ch’o, who arrived as the armies of Islam began cutting through central Asia
• Vol.2-This volume confines itself to European writings of sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
• Vol.3-The age of Arab travellers; geographers; merchants and historians commenced with the Islamic ascendancy.
• Vol.4-The rise of Christianity pushed Europe into a cocoon.