Synopsis
Library Of Entertaining Knowledgepresents a 19th-century encyclopedic survey of Indian society, focusing on the Hindooos. This volume surveys Hindu customs, religious sects and practices, arts, literature, education, and government, with detailed sections on the Sannyasis, Yogis, Gurus, Bhats, serpent-charmers, jugglers, Bayaderes, and numerous tribes. It also covers the arts, including architecture, painting, sculpture, and music, alongside the useful crafts and trade of the region, agriculture, and domestic life, as well as the history of Indian wars from ancient dynasties through the Muslim conquests and the rise of the Mogul empire. The work treats Sanscrit literature (Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata), its dramatic writings, and the development of Indian philosophy, while acknowledging vernacular traditions such as Tamul and Telugu. Although reflecting 19th-century European perspectives, the book provides a broad, if antiquarian, panorama of Indian civilization and its diverse cultural achievements, religious practices, and political histories.
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