“A landmark nineteenth-century effort to document and preserve the historical memory and heroic traditions of Gujarat and western Bharat.”
First published in 1856, Râs Mâlâ remains one of the earliest attempts to document the historical traditions of Gujarat from indigenous sources – bardic chronicles, Jain manuscripts, genealogies, and regional narratives. At a time when many such traditions were fading, this work preserved invaluable fragments of India's civilisational memory.
Drawing upon these sources, Râs Mâlâ brings together the heroic traditions and political history of Gujarat across centuries. It recounts the rise and fall of Rajput houses, legendary rulers, great battles, and the cultural institutions that shaped the civilisation of western India.
What makes Râs Mâlâ particularly significant is its reliance on native sources and historical traditions, offering a rare window into how Indians themselves preserved and understood their past. Many of the traditions recorded in this work might have vanished forever had they not been documented in time.
More than a nineteenth-century historical narrative, Râs Mâlâ remains an invaluable repository of India's civilizational memory, preserving the voices of local historians, poets, and chroniclers whose accounts illuminate the rich historical heritage of Gujarat.
This new reprint edition revives a classic work on the history of Bharat, making available once again a foundational source for scholars, students, and readers interested in the historical traditions of western India.
