The Role of Puranas in the Construction of Indian History: A Historical Analysis(EN)

To deeply understand and know the profound evidence of Indian history from within, it is essential to know the ancient literary sources of India. These sources appear to point towards the pinnacle of secularism alongside religiosity. Among them, historians have given a very important place to the Puranas, in addition to the Vedas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas, Upanishads, and Smritis. Dr. Winternitz has written that "the genealogies given in the Puranas have always proved helpful for modern historians and archaeologists in constructing political history." Through these, one obtains an appropriate means to understand and know the ancientness of Hinduism, monotheism, pantheism, Bhagavat Vatsalya (divine affection), philosophy, superstitions, festivals, customs, and moral rules.