So, after a looong time, a looong thread on a book by DD Kosambi. Kosambi was a mathematician by training but is known more for historiography. He did a Marxian analysis of ancient Indian history, this thread is on his "The Culture and Civilisation of Ancient India"

Kosambi has an interesting definition of history, "History is the presentation in chronological order of successive changes in the means and relations of production."

In the introduction to the book, Kosambi says Indian history is an interplay between diversity and unity. He also points out that in India, the immense feudal and pre-feudal accumulation of wealth did not directly turn into modern capital.

He also bemoans the lack of authentic historical records, saying whole dynasties have been forgotten and history is shrouded in myth and legend.

Kosambi says India is basically a land of farmers with the local nature of production allowing tribal groups to survive. While it may seem inconceivable today as one travels across the Gangetic plains today, at one point it was basically swamps and heavy forest.

Eastern UP, Bihar, and Bengal being largely forested. For Kosambi, food production had an important aspect. He posits the low status of many groups on their refusal to take to food production and plough agriculture.

For Kosambi, food production at a fixed place using a plough was a tremendous achievement. He argues that the Indian caste system was similar to the medieval European guild system. For Kosambi, "Caste is clan on a primitive level of production."

While I would suggest that you read the book to know more, I'll highlight a few themes that I found interesting.

1. The movement from Aboriginal tribe to peasant cultivation.
2. Primitive local deities identified with deities found in high Sanskritic literature. The old gods were not erased but adopted.
3. Opening up of the Gangetic Basin with the aid of the caste system, iron implements..

and the plough.
4. The impact on primitive groups by groups whose means of production were superior.
5. The emergence of a unified society emerging out of different tribal elements. The diverse local cults being assimilated and the assimilated people retaining their clannish...

ways via caste. Kosambi points to the tribal origins of many castes and clan villages with surnames like peacock (More), wolf (Langde). He calls these tribal totems.

In the next thread I will write on the emergence of caste as Kosambi theorised and the emergence of Indian feudalism. I end this thread here.
ENDS