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 Indian culture has a rich tradition of written historical records spanning millennia, though they often blend history with mythology, philosophy, and genealogy rather than following modern linear historiography.[reddit]​

Key Written Sources

• Vedic Texts (c. 1500–500 BCE): The Rigveda and later Vedic literature include references to geography, events, and Indo-Aryan migrations, providing insights into early society.[reddit]​

• Epics (c. 700 BCE–400 CE): Ramayana and Mahabharata describe wars, kings, and social structures, with archaeological correlations for material culture.[reddit]​

• Puranas: These 18 major texts detail royal dynasties (e.g., Mauryas, Guptas), genealogies, and timelines up to the Gupta era.[reddit]​

Inscriptions and Epigraphy

From the 3rd century BCE, Mauryan emperor Ashoka's edicts in Brahmi script record policies and events across India. Later examples include Rudradaman's Junagadh inscription (c. 150 CE) and Samudragupta's Allahabad pillar (4th century CE), offering dated political prasastis.[sahapedia]​

Dedicated Histories

Texts like Kalhana's Rajatarangini (12th century CE) chronicle Kashmir's kings semi-legendarily, while earlier works like Banabhatta's Harshacharita (7th century) biographize rulers. These refute claims of no pre-Islamic historiography.cambridge+1