Book: Ahimsa
Author: Devdutt Pattanaik
In September 1924, John Marshall, Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India, informed the world about the existence of the Indus (Harappan) civilisation: some 4,500 years old, as ancient as Mesopotamia, as grand as ancient Egypt, and a part of the Bronze Age trading network.
How did the Harappan civilisation contribute to Vedic and Tantrik’s later thoughts?
Did the Harappans follow monastic ideals that became part of Buddhism and Jainism? Was their script like today’s emojis, conveying ideas?
Why did they have images of rivalry but no images of war and no images of romance either?
Why did the cities disappear while the villages flourished for some time?
An eventful century later, Devdutt Pattanaik uses the lens of mythology to reflect on this most mysterious of ‘peaceful’ civilisations, now spread across geographies in India and Pakistan. A medley of text and illustrations, Ahimsa draws attention to how much Harappan memory persists in our lives today.
Devdutt Pattanaik says, ‘Harappan Mythology is revealed through art and architecture. We can only guess the stories. It reveals how non-violence can be a civilisational option, with trading preferred over raiding.’
Devdutt Pattanaik’s new book opens the doors to this fascinating world through images and text, revealing what the Harappan culture might have been like. Ahimsa is an immersive treat, and we at HarperCollins are very proud to bring this excellent book to readers.
Devdutt Pattanaik has written over thirty books and 700 columns on how stories, symbols, and rituals construct the subjective truth (myths) of ancient and modern cultures around the world. His books include Shiva to Shankara, Culture, Leader, Faith, Yoga Mythology, Dharma Artha Kama Moksha, and Bahubali.
To know more, visit devdutt.com.
