Description
Table of Contents Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1: Preamble 1.2: Importance of Chronology in History 1.3: Problems with Establishing Ancient Indian Chronology 1.4: Application of Astronomical Technique 1.5: Influence of Astronomy in Society 1.6: Structure of Ancient Indian Chronology and its Self consistency Chapter 2: RUDIMENTS OF POSITIONAL ASTRONOMY AND ARCHAEOASTRONOMY 2.1: Introduction to Positional Astronomy 2.1.1: A few basic points 2.1.2: Celestial coordinates 2.2: Variations of Astronomical Parameters 2.2.1: Periodic variations 2.2.2: Secular changes 2.3: Eclipse 2.4: Physical and Descriptive Archaeoastronomy 2.4.1: Physical archaeoastronomy 2.4.2: Basics of descriptive archaeoastronomy Chapter 3: ASTRONOMY IN ANCIENT INDIA 3.1: Importance of Understanding the Ancient Indian Astronomical System 3.2: Rediscovery of Ancient Indian Astronomy 3.3: Astronomy in Ancient India 3.3.1: Presiddhantic astronomy 3.3.2: Siddhantic astronomy Chapter 4: DESCRIPTIVE ARCHAEOASTRONOMICAL APPROACHES 4.1: Introduction 4.2: Effects of the Precession of Equinox on Observational Astronomy 4.2.1: Changing relation of seasons with lunar months 4.2.2: Simultaneous transit of important stars 4.2.3: Heliacal rising of stars and constellations 4.3: Exaltation of Planets 4.4: Ancient Eclipses 4.5: Advance of Perihelion of Earth’s Orbit 4.6: Saptarshi Cycle Chapter 5: ARCHAEOASTRONOMICAL STUDY OF ANCIENT INDIAN CHRONOLOGY: DATING MAHABHARATA 5.1: Introductory Comments 5.2: Ancient India’s Geographic Boundaries as Implied in Ancient Texts 5.3: Structural Frame Work for Ancient Indian Chronology 5.4: Genealogy of Puranic Dynasties 5.5: Date of Mahabharata 5.5.1: Types of astronomical references 5.5.2: Dating Mahabharata war Chapter 6: CHRONOLOGY OF VEDIC AND VEDANGA PERIODS 6.1: Introduction 6.2: Hints of High Antiquity of Vedas 6.3: Astronomical References in Vedic and Other Ancient Texts 6.3.1: Heliacal rising of Ashvins at winter solstice 6.3.2: Madhu vidyaand heliacal rising of Ashvins 6.3.3: Orion’s head near vernal equinox 6.3.4: Heliacal rising of Magha (a Leonis) on summer solstice day 6.3.5: Dogs of Yama and the direction to pitriloka 6.3.6: Prajapati – Rohini legend 6.3.7: Solar eclipse recorded in Rigveda 6.4: Astronomical References in Brahmanas 6.4.1: Krittika never swerves from the east 6.4.2: Solar eclipses and heliacal risings described in Brahmanas 6.5: Vedanga Jyotisha 6.6: Dating through Astrological References 6.7: The Emerging Picture Chapter 7: ARCHAEOLOGICAL, GEOLOGICAL AND GENEALOGICAL INDICATIONS OF ANCIENT CHRONOLOGY 7.1: Consistency of Astronomical Dating 7.2: Lost River Sarasvati 7.3: Changing Sea Level 7.4: Genealogical Sources for Investigating Ancient Indian Chronology 7.5: Archaeological Discoveries and Ancient Indian Chronology CONCLUDING REMARKS BIBLIOGRAPHY Appendix A: SPHERICAL ASTRONOMY A.1: Celestial Sphere and Spherical Trigonometry A.2: Transformation of Coordinates A.3: Rising and Setting of Celestial Objects A.4: Effect of Precession of the Equinox A.5: Heliacal Rising of a Star Appendix B: NIRAYANA LONGITUDES OF NAKSHATRAS AND ZODIACAL SIGNS Appendix C: GENEALOGICAL LISTS OF ANCIENT INDIAN KINGS C.1: Predeluvial Dynasties C.2: Postdeluvial Solar Dynasty of Ikshaku C.3: Lunar Dynasty: Main Line of Purus C.4: Line of Yadu Dynasty C.5: Post Mahabharata Dynasties INDEX
