Greater Magadha

Greater Magadha, roughly the eastern part of the Gangetic plain of northern India, has so far been looked upon as deeply indebted to Brahmanical culture. Religions such as Buddhism and Jainism are thought of as derived, in one way or another, from Vedic religion. This belief is defective in various respects. This book argues for the importance and independence of Greater Magadha as a cultural area until a date close to the beginning of the Common Era. In order to correct the incorrect notions, two types of questions are dealt with: questions pertaining to cultural and religious dependencies, and questions relating to chronology. As a result a modified picture arises that also has a bearing on the further development of Indian culture.

'Professor Bronkhorst's book is a valuable contribution that will stimulate debate among scholars and students and encourage them to re-examine ideas about the nature of Early Indian culture that are often taken for granted.' Richard Fynes, De Montfort University, Leicester, Journal of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies. 1:1 '[…] this book provides a thought provoking interpretation of the early history of India. It is meticulously researched, well written, well argued, and ampy annotated book. […] rich and rewarding.' K.T.S. Sarao, Orientalische Literaturzeitung 103/2 (2008) 'Con How the Brahmins Won si chiude, forse, il discorso iniziato con la pubblicazione di Greater Magadha, eppure ancora tante sono le finestre appena schiuse, soprattutto quando si cerca di mettere in dialogo fonti sanscrite, prācrite, greche e cinesi. Certamente, questi tre volumi tutti insieme danno un contributo irrinunciabile per cono 150 marianna ferrara scere le operazioni politiche e propagandistiche, le narrative e le retoriche, le storie individuali e collettive attraverso le quali i brahmani sono riusciti a imporre l’ideologia che ne ha preservato l’autorevolezza e l’autorità per secoli. E all’ombra di questa storia apparentemente a lieto fine per la classe brahmanica, tante altre ancora dovranno essere raccontate, non senza sorprese.' Marianna Ferrara, Historia Religionum 11 (2019)

Johannes Bronkhorst, Ph.D. (1979) University of Poona, doctorate (1980) University of Leiden, is Professor of Sanskrit and Indian studies at the University of Lausanne (Switzerland). He has published extensively on Indian thought in its various manifestations.