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Synopsis The volumes of the Project on the History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in Indian Civilization aim at discovering the main aspects of India’s heritage and present them in an interrelated way. These volumes, in spite of their unitary look, recognize the difference between the areas of material civilization and those of ideational culture. The project is not being executed by a single group of thinkers and writers who are methodologically uniform or ideologically identical in their commitments. In fact contributions are made by different scholars with different ideological persuasions and methodological approaches. The project is marked by what may be called ‘methodological pluralism’. In spite of its primary historical character, this project, both in its conceptualization and execution, has been shaped by many scholars drawn from different disciplines. It is for the first time that an endeavour of such a unique and comprehensive character has been undertaken to study critically a major world civilization like India. The contributors to this volume include distinguished scholars from a range of disciplines, and the essays are thematically linked by the focus on the historical exchange of ideas and experience among the peoples of India, China, Central and West Asia. Aspects of culture as diverse as styles of dressing, music, metallurgy, and medicine are woven together in this volume, to present the rich tapestry that is Asia. This volume, and others in the series, will be of special interest to students and scholars of history, philosophy, cultural studies, and political science, as well as general readers interested in the civilization and culture of India, and its historical interface with neighbouring cultures.