Michael Willis

Some of My Best Friends are Animals

In this groundbreaking study, Michael Willis examines how the gods of early Hinduism came to be established in temples, how their cults were organized, and how the ruling elite supported their worship. Examining the emergence of these key historical developments in the fourth and fifth centuries, Willis combines Sanskrit textual evidence with archaeological data from inscriptions, sculptures, temples, and sacred sites. The centre-piece of this study is Udayagiri in central India, the only surviving imperial site of the Gupta dynasty. Through a judicious use of landscape archaeology and archaeo-astronomy, Willis reconstructs how Udayagiri was connected to the Festival of the Rainy Season and the Royal Consecration. Under Gupta patronage, these rituals were integrated into the cult of Vishnu, a deity regarded as the source of creation and of cosmic time. As special devotees of Vishnu, the Gupta kings used Udayagiri to advertise their unique devotional relationship with him. Through his meticulous study of the site, its sculptures and its inscriptions, Willis shows how the Guptas presented themselves as universal sovereigns and how they advanced new systems of religious patronage that shaped the world of medieval India.

Temples and the Establishment of the Gods

The Archaeology of Hindu Ritual

J Thomas

Retaining well-loved features from the previous editions, Wars and Welfare has been approved by AQA and matched to the new 2015 specification. This textbook explores in depth a transformative period of British history, during which democratically elected government faced a series of challenges, and British society underwent fundamental change. It focuses on key ideas such as reform, patriotism and pacifism, and covers events and developments with precision.Students can further develop vital skills such as historical interpretations and source analyses via specially selected sources and extracts. Practice questions and study tips provide additional support to help familiarize students with the new exam style questions, and help them achieve their best in the exam.

Oxford AQA History: A Level and AS Component 2: Wars and Welfare: Britain in Transition 1906-1957

Gergely Hidas

Sam van Schaik

Daniela De Simone

This volume presents new research on the temple site of Bodhgayā in eastern India - long recognized as the place where the Buddha sat in meditation and attained enlightenment - and shows through discussion of the rich material excavated from the site its importance in the field of Buddhist studies.

Finds from the Site of the Buddha's Enlightenment

Precious Treasures from the Diamond Throne

Being a Complete System of Domestic Management, Uniting Elegance with Economy. To which are Added, Instructions for Trussing and Carving ... Method of Curing and Drying Hams and Tongues ... Ketchups, Quin's Sauce, Vinegars, &c., &c. ...

Cookery Made Easy

The overthrow of the regime of President Ben Ali in Tunisia on 14 January 2011 took the world by surprise. The popular revolt in this small Arab country and the effect it had on the wider Arab world prompted questions as to why there had been so little awareness of it up until that point. It also revealed a more general lack of knowledge about the surrounding western part of the Arab world, or the Maghreb, which had long attracted a tiny fraction of the outside interest shown in the eastern Arab world of Egypt, the Levant and the Gulf. This book examines the politics of the three states of the central Maghreb--Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco--since their achievement of independence from European colonial rule in the 1950s and 1960s. It explains the political dynamics of the region by looking at the roles played by the military, political parties and Islamist movements and addresses factors such as Berber identity and economics, as well as how the states of the region interact with each other and with the wider world.

Michael Willis

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