Understanding the history and culture of a
civilization is crucial to understanding its art.
These resources will help you view art work in a
larger context.
Library of Congress
Subject Headings
Asia -- History
Costume -- India
Dance -- India
South Asia -- History
Browsing
Areas
DS 30
DR 405
GT 1460
Main
Resources
Chopra, P.N., ed. Encyclopedia of India.
New Delhi: Rima Publishing House, 1992.
Davis Reference DS405 .E53 1992
This illustrated encyclopedia is arranged by
geographic region, with all states and territories of
India included. It includes information on the
physical characteristics of the region, culture,
history, religion, and places of interest. This is an
excellent resource for finding information on India
and Hinduism in one volume.
Columbia Chronologies of Asian History and
Culture. Ed. John S. Bowman. New York: Columbia
University Press, 2000.
Davis Reference DS33 .C63 2000
Arranged geographically, this is a good source for
historical context to monarchies and other political
events. Pay special attention to the South Asia and
Southeast Asia sections. Larger regions, such as
India, are subdivided into arts, culture, and thought
and religion sections. See the introduction for
information about transliteration and other editorial
decisions.
Digital
South Asia Library (DSAL)
http://dsal.uchicago.edu/
DSAL provides on-line information about contemporary
and historical South Asia - including full-text
documents, statistical data, electronic images,
cartographic representations, and pedagogical
resources for language instruction.
Encyclopedia of Asian History. Ed.
Ainslie T. Embree. New York: Scribner, 1988.
Davis Reference DS31 .E53 1988
Encompassing Iran, Central Asia, the Indian
subcontinent/South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Eastern
Asia, this is an excellent resource for gathering
general historical information. It covers historical
figures, central central cities, events, and
movements.
Encyclopedia of World Cultures. Ed.
David Levinson. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1991.
Davis Reference GN307 .E53 1991
Pay special attention to Volume 3 (South Asia) and
Volume 5 (Southeast Asia). This resource is arranged
by culture and is supplemented with maps of cultures,
religions, and language. It includes a glossary, a
filmography, and a index of ethnonyms (alternative
names for each culture).
Fabri, Charles Louis. Indian Dress: A Brief
History. New Delhi: Disha Books, 1994.
Davis GT1460 .F3 1994
Illustrated with sketches of clothing, hair styles,
jewelry, and fabric patterns, this is an excellent
introduction to the evolution on Indian dress. It
also provides a bibliography on costume, art history,
and painting.
Frederic, Louis. Encyclopaedia of Asian
Civilizations. Villecresnes, France: L. Frederic,
1977.
Davis Reference DS4 .L68
This is an interesting resource - look up an Asian
city, and you will be provided with a list of
monuments including temples and religious sites. It
also provides information on iconography,
school/style of art, and historical figures.
Internet Indian History Handbook
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/india/indiasbook.html
This comprehensive work covers the history of Indian
from early settlements to the present. It covers
topics such as the Vedic Age, the formation of
religious traditions, Greek and Chinese sources on
India, Muslim Era India, and Nationalism. It includes
links to online articles and web sites.
Library of Congress Country Studies
http://eresources.lib.unc.edu/eid/description.php?EIDID=262
101 lesser known countries and regions are covered
in the online version of the LOC's published series.
Notable omissions include Canada, France, the United
Kingdom, and other Western nations, as well as a
number of African nations. The Country Studies Series
presents a description and analysis of the historical
setting and the social, economic, political, and
national security systems and institutions of
countries throughout the world and examines the
interrelationships of those systems and the ways they
are shaped by cultural factors.
The New Cambridge History of India. New
York: Cambridge University Press, 1987- .
Art and Davis DS436 .N47 1987
Shared by the Sloane and Davis Libraries, this
encyclopedia set covers from the 16th century to
modern times. It includes dynastic, artistic, and
economic information. Check the online
catalog to determine where your particular
valoume is located.
Pluvier, Jan M. Historical Atlas of
Southeast Asia. New York: E.J. Brill, 1995.
Davis Reference G2361.S1 H5 1995
This is an excellent resource, illustrating the
emergence and decline of states all over Asia. It
includes wars, expeditions, and background
information on rulers. There is an index for
geographical features and personal names.
Robinson, Francis ed. Cambridge Encyclopedia
of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal,
Bhutan, and the Maldives. New York: Cambridge
University Press, 1989.
Davis Reference DS334.9 .C36
This encyclopedia examines elements of Hinduism in
the context of Indian life. It examines such topics
as history, politics, culture, and religion. There is
an index to maps and tables, as well as a subject
index.
