Prachin Bharater Itihas

“Women will never be free—dependent on their father in childhood, on their husband in youth, and on their son in old age”: this Brahmanical interpretation of women’s rights has shaped epic traditions and even modern historical writing, and challenging this lineage, the author turns beyond Vedic texts to examine Pali literature, presenting a history that is not one of submission alone but also of struggle, where the marginalised raise their voices to claim their rights. With the participation of women, Dalits, and other oppressed communities, familiar myths surrounding caste, civilisation, slavery, the devadasi system, chastity, and the ideal of the “happy family” are placed under scrutiny, and in this reading of history, the marginalised are not silent participants but forcefully vocal agents. Comprising eight essays suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate students of history, philosophy, Sanskrit, and women’s studies, this collection is a Bengali translation of Everyday Lives Everyday Histories: Beyond the Kings & Brahmanas of Ancient India, and while it will engage general readers as well, it marks the author’s first translated book in the Bengali language.