ICHR to hold seminar to 'fine-tune' understanding of ancient

Seeking to "fine-tune" the current understanding of antiquity and continuity of the ancient civilisation in India, ICHR will hold a seminar next week which will see a gathering of noted scholars.

Titled 'Antiquity Continuity and Development of Civilisation and Culture in Bharat (India) up to 1st Millennium BC', the event from March 27-29 at the India International Centre here, is slated to be inaugurated by Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar.

"The seminar intends to present the findings of recent researches in history and sciences, and allied disciplines and discuss their relevance to update Indian history in respect of its remote past," the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) said today.
 

"These researches will be examined to fine-tune or update our present understanding on the antiquity, continuity and development of our ancient culture and civilisation up to the beginnings of historical period or till the beginning of 1st millennium BC in ancient India," it said.

The ICHR is a flagship research-based institution that functions under the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

"It will be a multi-disciplinary seminar for which archaeologists, geologists, historians and Sanskrit scholars would gather in the capital to assess the continuity of our (Indian) ancient civilisation," ICHR Chairman Y Sudershan Rao said.

He said the seminar will seek to find "connection" among the various civilisations that spanned between "4th millennium BC and 1st millennium BC".

The 1st millennium BC, encompassing the Iron Age, saw the rise of various empires, spanning from 1000 BC to 1 BC.

Rao claimed ancient civilisations between 4th millennium BC and 1st millennium BC are "correlated" and the seminar will seek to "delve into this connection".

Twenty-six research papers would be presented during the seminar that marks the 45th anniversary of the institution which was founded on March 27, 1972.

Some of the noted scholars who will participate in the seminar include director of American Institute of Vedic Studies in the US, David Frawley, former director general of Archaeological Survey of India B B Lal and other eminent scholars.