Gazing Eastwards

by Romila Thapar

In 1957, renowned Indian historian Romila Thapar visited China, where, together with Sri Lankan art historian Anil de Silva, she worked at two cave sites that were the locations of Buddhist monasteries and shrines from the first millennium CE. The first site was the then lesser known Maijishan in north China, and the second was the famous site of Dunhuang on the edge of the Gobi desert in Northwest China. Now, decades later, she is supplementing the academic work that emerged from that trip with a captivating travelogue: Gazing Eastward takes readers back to midcentury China, through the observations that Thapar made in her diary during her time at the two archaeological sites and her trips there and to other sites. Traveling by train or truck, Thapar met people from throughout the country and all stations in society, from peasants on a cooperative farm to Chairman Mao himself. An enchanting document of a long-lost era, Gazing Eastward is a marvel, a richly observed work of travel writing that brings a time and a place fully to life.
 

Genres: History

Hardcover

Published January 1, 2020

About the author

Romila Thapar is an Indian historian and Professor Emeritus at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

A graduate from Panjab University, Dr. Thapar completed her PhD in the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.

Her historical work portrays the origins of Hinduism as an evolving interplay between social forces. Her recent work on Somnath examines the evolution of the historiographies about the legendary Gujarat temple.

Thapar has been a visiting professor at Cornell University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the College de France in Paris. She was elected General President of the Indian History Congress in 1983 and a Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy in 1999.

Reviews

[Md Akhlaq · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝗚𝗔𝗭𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗗𝗦: 𝗢𝗳 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗱𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮

By Romila Thapar
Published by: @alephbookco
★★★★★

The author went to China in 1957 and discovered an old country in the midst of rapid change. This is her account of a momentous period in an endlessly fascinating country.

China is one of the Four Ancient Civilizations (alongside Babylon, India and Egypt)

It boasts a vast and varied geographic expanse, 3,600 years of written history, as well as a rich and profound culture. Chinese culture is diverse and unique, yet harmoniously blended — an invaluable asset to the world.

The propagation of the Great Leap Forward was the result of the failure of the Soviet model of industrialization in China, that completely traumatized and transformed Chinese society.

In this book, India's leading historian, Romilla Thapar portrayed a massive cultural shift in China during her first visit as a research assistant to the Sri Lankan art historian Anil de Silva and worked on two major Buddhist sites in Maijishan and Dunhuang. This being her first visit to East Asia, The author was extremely fascinated by the country, its culture, and its people during the months she spent there.

The author made her way into the day-to-day life of Chinese people. Her curiosity led her many discussions with the people of China, as well as explores the country's art, music, culture, and religious beliefs. The author also spoke of very unusual and delicious Chinese cuisines.

This factually enriched book is very entertaining, amusing and unique. This book takes readers back to midcentury China, through the observations that the author made during her visit. This is a very comprehensive book, where each chapter has lots of insight about the exotic culture.

A must-read.

#readwithak #gazingeastwards #alephbookcompany