This book is an effort to illuninate the various aspects of Andhra culture through different methodogical approaches to unravel the beliefs, ideas and traditions of Andhras and the changing historical processes of the bygone ages especially of the medieval times. Based on the epigraphical, sculptural, and literary data of the contemporary period of study, it encounters Andhradeśa to present a coherent picture of the socio-cultural phenomena and thought through the psychoanalytic approach. It tries to project the best examples of the psychoanalytic engagement of the people, particularly in the field of beliefs and ritual practices. The empirical study of the writings found on the walls of the temples, other monuments, and the copper plates brings to light interesting details of the social, economic, and ritualistic practices that would otherwise be unknown and thus contribute to historical knowledge. The study attempts to put in historical perspective the intricate details of the social, cultural, and religious life of the people of different strata with the help of all available archaeological and historical pieces of evidence. Re-looking and reconsideration the temple sculptures and icons from a fresh perspective have been attempted with the view to understand their religious meaning and symbolism along with the changing religious traditions and ritual practices. The work not only demonstrates the different aspects of society, economy, and culture of the Andhras of the medieval times but also certain less known and commonly ignored aspects of life and culture of the people. Besides it considers and questions some assumptions and theories based on thorough and critical examination of the available historical sources to present objective views on various problems. The book is a collection of twenty research papers on various aspects of women, society, economy, and culture of the Andhras of medieval times. I do not venture to make any tall claims about its completeness on the subject, as I know pretty well to what extent they are incomplete and how the outline of some of them has been only sketchy. However, the views presented here through these studies are altogether new, based on new methodological approaches. Further, these are based on epigraphs from which one can expect more authentic and objective information. The contemporary Telugu and Sanskrit literature which generally reflects the socio-religious and economic changes in the society are also consulted wherever necessary. Likewise, fresh ideas and new thinking in art historical studies resulted in the radical re-appraisal of the icons and sculptures found in the temples and museums. Unlike many previous works, it considers the socio-economic background of pre-colonial Andhra as mainly responsible for the emergence of Andhradeśa as a distinct, regional, and cultural entity with its efflorescence in art and letters.
The book is divided into three sections covering the aspects of women and society in section 1, preceded by a brief survey of the recent trends in the historiography of South India in general and Andhra in particular. The outlook of the people in the society about women, their nature, and character as revealed through the Jain literary works written by Somadeva Suri is presented. The ghastly ritual practice of burning the widows on the funeral pyre of the dead husband and the psychological implications behind the practice of sati is heightened based on contemporary foreign accounts and other historical sources. The beliefs of women regarding certain superstitions, astrology, and divination are explained with the help of historical literature. It also projects how the people, irrespective of caste and class have accepted these views and ideas as the social norms of the day and how they resorted to observe uniformly certain ritual practices by breaking the socio-economic barriers among them. The subsuming of several autochthonous and native or tribal communities into the Hindu fold ultimately resulted in the proliferation of several castes and sub-castes. This has necessitated the incorporation of several local and village deities into the Sanskritic tradition of the Hindu faith. As a result, several village deities have been elevated to the ritualistic status of traditional Hindu deities and thereby they found a place in the temple complexes. Focus has been laid on the lifestyle of men and their interests in personal grooming during medieval times. Political power and authority which were rarely exercised by women such as Rudramadevi and Ganapamadevi as the heads of the state are examined to highlight the underlying reasons behind their selection and legitimization as female kings. The role played by horses, their nature, character, and diseases are discussed at length based on contemporary literature of medieval times.
