Saurashtra Tourism

Saurashtra ma farva mate na ghana sthan che.
1.girnar
2.somnath
3.sasan
4.dwarika
hji ghana badha sthal che
history joye to khabar pade ke saurashtra che su
etla mate to kahu chu ke
"khushbu saurashtra ki"

Two more attempts for all categories of candidates in UPSC's civil services exams(Saurashtra Na Savaj o Avi Jao)

NEW DELHI: Conceding the demand of civil services aspirants for more time to adapt to the changes effected in the Civil Services examination pattern in March 2013, the government on Monday approved two additional attempts for all candidates with effect from the current year.

A Department of Personnel and Training order issued on Monday said the Central government had approved "two additional attempts for all categories of candidates w.e.f Civil Services Examination, 2014, with consequential age relaxation of maximum age for all categories of candidates, if required".

The relaxation in number of attempts comes as a relief to lakhs of aspirants aggrieved by the "sudden" change by the UPSC in the pattern and syllabus for the Civil Services Mains exam 2013. The UPSC had notified the revised pattern on March 5 last year, doubling the number of papers for General Studies and substantially increasing its weightage vis-a-vis optional subjects, months ahead of the Mains 2013 exam.

Incidentally, a group of civil services aspirants had recently protested outside Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's residence against the short notice given to them to adapt to the "drastic changes" in the Mains exam pattern. They had demanded three extra attempts and a relaxation of three years in the age limit. On January 30, Gandhi met a delegation of these aspirants and agreed that their grievance regarding the pattern change was justified. He assured them that steps would be taken to redress the grievance.

Civil services candidates, who now get just four attempts to write the prestigious exam, will now get six attempts. OBC category candidates, who are allowed seven attempts as per the rules, can now take the exam nine times. There is no cap anyway on attempts by a candidate of the SC/ST category.

There have been precedents of UPSC allowing extra attempts in view of major changes in the exam pattern. In 1979, when the pattern was revised substantially, UPSC had allowed three fresh attempts to all otherwise eligible candidates, irrespective of the number of prior attempts.

The Civil Services Examination (Preliminary), 2014 is tentatively scheduled to be held on August 24 this year.

A general category candidate who has attained the age of 21 years but not attained 30 years may apply for the civil services examination, as per eligibility mentioned in the notification. The upper age limit is relaxable up to a maximum of five years for candidates belonging to SCs or STs categories and up to a maximum of three years for candidates of OBC category.

saurashtra and kucch region

Saurashtra and Kachchh Region consist of Rajkot, Junagadh, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar, Amreli, & Kachchh District.

Accordingly most of Soils in Saurashtra region is having shallow (25-50 cms.) to moderately shallow (50 to 75 cm) depth Soils Whereas Soils of Kachchh region have moderately deep (75-100 cm) to deep (100 to 150 cm) Soils Mostly Northern part of Saurashtra region comprises of shallow depth Soils, whereas Southern part have moderately shallow to moderately deep depth Soils, Gir area has very shallow (10-25 cms) depth Soils. Some part adjoining Rann of Kachchh have very deep (more than 150 cm) Soils.

Soil texture acts as a guide to many Soil characteristics directly or indirectly related to plant growth. Three textural groups used are clayey (fine), Loamy (medium) and Sandy (Coarse). The majority of Soils in Saurashtra region are clayey (fine textured), whereas in Kachchh region, Soils are Loamy (medium textured). Some scattered parts of Saurashtra region have Loamy Soils and Some parts of Kachchh have sandy Soils.

Drainage affects the soil-air-water relationship in Soils and Suggests the availability of Oxygen in mapped soils for root ramification. Majority of the Soils are well drained in Saurashtra and Kachchh region. Some Scattered parts have Some what excessive drainage.

The information on the degree and extent of salt-affected soils and the depth of its occurrence is basic, for ameliorating such degraded soils. The soil salinity / sodicity map provides this kind of information for optimising land use. Major area of Saurashtra and Kachchh region are non-saline.

Costal area of the Saurashtra and Kachchh region are saline. Some parts of Kachchh near Rann, coastal area of Porbandar and Bhavnagar district are strong to very sever saline. North-Western part of Kachchh and costal part of Bhavnagar district are moderately strong saline. Some part of Rajkot district near little Rann of Kachchh, some coastal part of Jamnagar, Junagadh, Porbandar, Amreli and Bhavnagar are slightly saline.

Some interior parts of Amreli and Bhavnagar district, some coastal parts of Rajkot, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Amreli and Bhavnagar district and Western part of Kachchh are having slight sodicity in soils. Bhal area of Bhavnagar district has strong sodicity in soils. The coastal part of Porbandar district has moderate Sodicity in soils.  

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Saurashtra Darshan

The often-bleak plains of Saurashtra on the Kathiawar peninsula are inhabited by colourful, friendly but reserved people. Although somewhat off the main tourist routes, Saurashtra is a pleasant area to travel around with very interesting – something spectacular – temple sites and cities to explore, not to mention some beautiful beaches and the Gir Lion Sanctuary.

Gondal

Gondal was the chief town of the former state of the same name. Situated at the west bank of the Gondali River, a tributary of river Bhadar. The city is first mentioned about in history in the year 1350 when Mohammad Tughlak fell sick over here. When the Ghouries were ruling Junagadh, Amin Khan Ghouri allotted Gondal to the fugitive Sultan as a residence. Gondal is also mentioned as a pargana of the South Sarkar in both the Amin-Akbari and the Mirat-I-Ahmadi.

The present Bhuvaneshwari Temple is very famous all over India as this is one of the only two temple of Bhuvaneshwari in the whole country. Gondal is also famous for its Groundnut Oil.

Virpur

Virpur is well known for the Jalaram Temple world over.

Jetpur

Jetpur is a small town that is famous for dyeing on clothes and sarees.

Junagadh

Few travelers make the trip out to Junagadh but it’s an interesting town situated right at the base of the temple – studded Girnar Hill. Junagadh is also the departure point for visits to the Gir Forest.

This city is full of some very exotic old buildings, most in a state of disrepair. It is a fascinating place to explore, but very few tourists come to this very friendly and unspoilt town.

Junagadh is also known for Uperkot Fort. It is believed to have been constructed by the Yadavas when they came to settle in Dwarka, famous by gone times for its virtual inaccessibility, the Uperkot or Upper Fort is griddled by a wall that is, in some places over 20 meter high. An ornate entrance gateway leads to the ruins.

In the Uperkot is a two-storied cave said to Chaitya cave. There are also Buddhist caves at Bava Pyara Math found below southern walls of Uperkot arranged in three rows. Scholars believe that they are Buddhist caves possibly belonging to the period between 200 B.C. and 200 A.D.

Girnar

Girnar, situated at around 15 kms from Junagadh, is one of the two hills most sacred to the Jain Community of India. It rises to height of more than 600 meters, a climb marked by 10,000 stone steps, built and maintained from the proceeds of a lottery.

Five peaks, crowned by sixteen carved and sculptured marble shrines adorn this famous hilltop temple city.

Five of the temples of Girnar are Jain Temples including the largest and oldest – the 12^th Century temple of Neminath, the 22^nd Jain Tirthankar.

In the central shrine, there is a large black image of Neminath with several other smaller images. While descending, one can visit the Bhavnath temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Mahashivratri at Bhavnath is a major event, every year, where a fair is held for five days.

Sasan Gir

The last home of Asiatic Lion is 54 kms from Junagadh via Visavadar. The sanctuary, which covers 1400 sq. kms, was set up to protect the lion and its habitat, and in this respect has been a success, in 1980 they numbered less than 200. While the lions have been the winners, the local herders have lost valuable grazing land for their cattle. Although the lions seem remarkably tame, in recent years they have reportedly been wandering further afield, well outside the limits of the sanctuary, in search of easy game – namely claves – that in earlier times were found within the park itself.

Tulsi Shyam

This place is known world over for its warm water kund. Either it is summer, or winter or monsoon; the water remains warm in this kund. It is said this water helps curing certain skin disease.

Veraval

On the south coast of Saurastra is Veraval, which was the major seaport for Mecca pilgrims before the rise of Surat. It still has some importance as one of India’s major fishing ports and as the base for a visit of Somnath temple, five kms. south of town.

Temple of Somnath

This temple, at Somnath Patan near Veraval and about 80 kms from Junagadh, has an extremely chequered past. Its earliest history fades into legend – it is said to have been originally built out of gold by Somraj, the Moon God, only to be rebuilt by Ravana in Silver, then by Krishna is wood and Bhimdev in stone. A description of the temple by Al Biruni, an Arab traveler, who so glowing that it prompted a visit in 1024 by a most unwelcome tourist – Mahmud of Ghazni. At that time, the temple was so wealthy that it had 300 musicians, 500 dancing girls and even 300 barbers just to shave the heads of visiting pilgrims.

Porbandar

On the southeast coast, about midway between Veraval and Dwarka, modern-day Porbandar is chiefly noted as the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi. In ancient times, the city was called Sudamapuri after Sudama, a compatriot of Krishna, and there was once a flourishing trade from here to Africa and the Persian Gulf. The Africa connection is apparent in the number of Indianised Blacks, called Siddis, who form a virtually separate caste of Dalits.

Porbandar has several large cement and chemical factories and a textile mill. A massive breakwater was recently constructed to shelter a deep-water wharf and fishing harbour.

Some of the places of tourist interests are Kirti Mandir, Gandhiji’s birthplace, Nehru Planetarium, Bharat Mandir, Hazur Palace, etc.

Dwarka

On the extreme western tip of the Kathiawar peninsula, Dwarka is one of the four most holy Hindu pilgrimage sites and is closely related to the Krishna legend. It was here that Krishna set up his capital after fleeing from Mathura. Dwarkanath, the name of the temple, is a title of Lord Krishna.

Bet Dwarka (Okha)

A little of Dwarka, a ferry crosses from Okha to the island of Bet, where Vishnu is said to have slain a demon. There are modern Krishna temples on the island and other important religious sites around Dwarka.

Jamnagar

Prior to independence, the princely state of Jamnagar was ruled by the Jadeja Rajputs. The city was built around the small Ranmal Lake, in the center of which is a small palace, reached by a causeway.

This bustling city has a long history of pearl fishing and a local variety of tie-dyeing, but today is mote well known for having the only Ayurvedic University in India and a temple listed in the Guinness Book of Records!

Some of the places to visit in Jamnagar are Lakhota Palace and Bala Hanuman Temple.

Bhavnagar

Founded as a port in 1723 A.D., Bhavnagar is still an important trading post for the cotton goods manufactured in Gujarat. Bhavnagar is a sprawling city with distinctly separate old and new sections. The bus station is in the new part of the town and the railway station is at the far end of the old town.

The bazaar is well worth a day’s exploration if you enjoy talking in the sights, sounds and smells of an extremely busy and colourful old town untouched by tourism.

The takhteshwar Temple sits on the highest hillock in Bhavnagar. The views over the city and out into the Gulf of Cambey are excellent but the temple itself is of mirror interest.

Palitana

Situated 51 kms South – west of Bhavnagar, the town of Palitana is little more than a gateway of Shatrunjaya, the place of Victory. The 600 – meter ascent from the town to the hilltop is a walk of some two kms. Over a period of 900 years, 863 temples have been built here. The hilltop is dedicated entirely to the gods; at dusk, even the priests depart from the temples, leaving them deserted.

Almost all the temples are of Jain and this hill, one of Jainism’s holiest pilgrimage places, is another of illustration of their belief that merit is derived from constructing temples. The hilltops are bounded by sturdy walls and the temples are grouped into nine enclosures or tunks – each with a central major temple and many minor ones clustered around. Some of the earliest temples here were built in the 11^th century but, in the 14^th and 15^th centuries, the Muslims destroyed them, so the current temples date from the 16^th century onwards.

Mahuva

This small city is known for wooden toys and for onion de-hydration plants. This is the birthplace of well-known Morari Das Bapu Hariyani.

Tarnetar

Every year in the month of Bhadra (around September), the Trineteshwar Temple at Tarnetar, 65 kms northeast of Rajkot hosts the 3 days Tarnetar Fair.

history saurashtra

Prologue:
Saurashtra is primarily known as a region in western part of India and people in the region speaks Gujarati language. Saurashtra is a language in South India spoken by Suarshtrian community. Suarshtrian community might have migrated Saurshtra region of Gujarat many centuries ago, but have similarities in culture till date. Saurashtra in context to language and community is written with some variations like Souarshtra, Sourashtram, Soaurashrians etc. Suarshtra in context to region is also known as Kathiawar and Sorath. This paper is substantially a compilation of detail of the region, language and community captured from online open sources on Wikipedia & various blogs to describe culture, relation, commonality, linkages and contrast between western India’s Saurashtra region and south India’s Sourashtrian community & language.
Region:
“Saurashtra” is a geographical region situated in Gujarat’s semicircular area located North West of Arabian Sea. Politically “Saurashtra” is comprised of 7 districts namely, Porbandar, Junagadh, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Rajkot & Surendranagar. Referred to as Surashtra also have some other names as well over a period of time, since the Mahabharata and Vedic period, this region is mentioned again as Surastrene, or Saraostus in the 1st century CE Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. Saurashtra is a location of midwestern India, located on the Peninsula Sea Gujrat Mapshore of Gujarat verbalise. The peninsula is also called Kathiawar. The Peninsula is common with the Kachchh realm which occupies the northward, Saurashtra or Sorath forming the southern parceling; on eastern part, the Cambay gulf.
Language:
Saurashtra carrying alternate names and spellings like Saurashtram, Sourashtra, Sowrashtra, pattunulkaarar, Palkar, Saurashtri etc. and also the name of an Indo-Aryan language of Kathiawar-Saurashtra. Though Saurashtra Language is not spoken in the Saurashtra region now, people of this region who migrated to Southern India many centuries ago and who is especially settled in towns like Madurai, Paramakudi, Salem, Tanjore of Tamil Nadu and part of Andhra Pradesh still preserve and speak the language “Saurashtra”. The script of this language is derived from the Devanagari Script and shares similarities with modern day Gujarati. However, after migration of this community in 11th century, Gujarati is influenced by Arabic, Urdu, Portuguese, English and Parsian differs in many respect with Surashtra language. On the other hand, the community who travelled from Suarshtra to South India through Surat, Marathwada, Ratnagairi, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh during several centuries took colour from languages & cultures of all the regions they crossed.
Culture:
The people of Saurashtra are adventurous, brave, adept in trade and commerce, and therefore they have established many commercial colonies in foreign countries, from ancient times. The Saurashtrians had settled in Africa, Mauratius, Ceylon (Shrilanka), Burma (Myanmar), Indonesia (Java), Sumatra, Indo China, Cambodia, Malayasia and Philipines and Fiji. The Saurashtrians are also spread over various parts of the Indian homeland, taking prominent part in the commercial field, which is more suitable to their nature. It is quite natural that the origin of many words of trade, commerce, business and measurements found in various Indian languages can be traced to Gujarati language.
The reference of Saurashtra found in the Mahabharat, ‘Arthashastra’ of Chanakya, Deval Smriti and Buddha stories written during the 1st century A.D. Clear references to Saurashtra in the stone inscriptions at Girnar, of Maha Kshatrap Rudradama of 15O A.D, of the remains and reminiscences of the people living at Rozdi (Shrinathgadh) near Gondal in Saurashtra of 1850 B.C. and different strata of cultural life found at various places prove that the culture of Saurashtra is 4,000 years old.
Most places in the peninsula retain a small town feel, local cadences of Gujarati called Kathiawadi, and a tradition of a daily siesta when everything shuts down. The region abounds in religious shrines, wildlife sanctuaries, palaces and relics of royal legacies. From the Asiatic Lions of Gir and the Jain temples of Palitana to the ancient ruins scattered in the Barda Hills and the laid-back Portuguese-influenced enclave of Diu, the region offers a wide spectrum of fascinating places to visit.
As poet Navalram observed, people from Saurashtra are hardy, well built falks, daring, warlike and emotional. The community is said to be sturdy, prolific and active race, have audacity, love of adventure, a gay endurance , chivalry that often lead to buccaneering, exploration but too often due to greed there are some enterprising characteristics of people of Saursahtra. (Reference Rajputs of Suarsahtra by Shri Virbhadrasinhji)
Meaning:
As per one school of thought, “Saurashtra” mean Sau + Rashtra (100 nations), but as per another school of thought, this is a fractured speech of “Su-Rashtra” meaning Good Country. “Kathiawar” or “Kathiawad” was popularised by Marathas in its reigme.
Saurashtra Geography:
Arabian see today lies between African and Saurashtra, but in early days it was believed to be a wonder how western part of India (Gujarat) matches exactly with eastern Africa, later geologist confirmed the theory of one continent and its division into many continents and geographical sub continents, many geologist believed that Saurashtra was a part of Africa considering its Flora and Fauna, trees and animal habitats.
If the mythological parts of Dwarka is said to be true then Dwarka must have been fortified island and must have been surrounded by Arabian Sea, that could be a reason why Lord Krishna choose Dwarka to be their capital city, may be during Trassic age Africa and Indian sub–continent might have been joined just by saurashtra and some eruption / volcanic activity separated Saurashtra from Africa. Lion are the best example of the connection also some of the southern village of Junagarh has presence of African Negro Community, which could be an added example as well.
Early Civilization:
Pre Christian era civilization like Mohenjo-Daro and Hadappa must have flourished through Saurashtra as Saurashtra was the only connecting link between Lothal and Sindh. Earthen ware from these civilisation are found near Lakha-bawal in Jamnagar District. Evidence of port at Dholka and Lothal confirms that there was sea between Saurashtra and Gujarat.
Saurashtra also Sorath) is a region of western India, located on the Arabian Sea coast of Gujarat state. It consists of 7 districts of Gujarat, including the district of Rajkot. It is a peninsula also called Kathiawar after the Kathi Darbar who ruled part of the region once. The peninsula is shared with the Kachchh region which occupies the north, Saurashtra or Sorath forming the southern portion. The Saurastra or Kathiwar region comprises the south western part of Gujarat state and the districts included in this region are Rajkot, Junagadh, Bhavnagar, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Amreli, Surendranagar, and some portions of Ahmedabad District also fall under this area.
History:
Beyond the gulf of Baraca is that of Barygaza and the coast of the country of Ariaca, which is the beginning of the Kingdom of Nambanus and of all India. That part of it lying inland and adjoining Scythia is called Abiria, but the coast is called Syrastrene. It is a fertile country, yielding wheat and rice and sesame oil and clarified butter, cotton and the Indian cloths made therefrom, of the coarser sorts. Very many cattle are pastured there, and the men are of great stature and black in color. The metropolis of this country is Minnagara, from which much cotton cloth is brought down to Barygaza.
One of the greatest cluster of Jain monuments in Gujarat can be seen at Palitana, near the east coast of Saurashtra, where one of the most impressive temple complexes in India is situated on a sacred mountain summit, the Shatrunjaya hill.The temples are set in nine enclosures called Tuks, set on two ridges of the pinnacle, and some of the best works of Jain temple architecture can be seen in the Khateshwar tuk. The view of the temple cluster, with its massed domes and shikhars reaching out to the sky, against a backdrop of hilly countryside and the river Shatrunnnjaya is one of the greatest sights you can hope to see during a tour of India. The historic 863 temple complex has exquisite carvings, jewelled idols and detailed architecture, and an awesome aura of devotion.
In the granite hills near Palitana, Sihore was the capital of the Gohil Rajputs in the 17th century, and being the rulers of a prime coastland often faced battles and skirmishe with neighbouring rulers. Sihore Darbargadh was built to defend Gohilwad from the Kathi darbars of the Kathiawad hinterlands. The main palace inside the fortifications has a carved wooden facade and the rooms inside have wall paintings depicting historic battles and other subjects. From the fort terraces can be seen the granite hills, which provided superb natural defences for Sihore Darbargadh, and hilltop watchtowers from where warnings could be flashed to the inhabitants of the town. The Gohils moved their capital to Bhavnagar and commissioned European architects like Sir William Emerson, whose other works include Calcutta’s Victoria memorial, to built their palaces and public buildings.
West of Palitana is Mount Girnar, which rises 3660 ft over MeanSea Level on the outskirts of Junagadh city. The 12th century temples on the summit are exquisitely carved and superbly designed. Near the foot of Mt Girnar are relics of another religion, Buddhism, which like Jainism preached non-violence. The edicts of emperor Ashoka, the Mauryan ruler who helped spread Buddhism throughout south and south eastern Asia in the 3rd century BC, have been inscribed on basalt rock enroute from Girnar to Junagadh. The hills around Junagadh have Buddhist cave complexes dating from the rule of the Kshtrapas. One of these is in the Uparkot fort, which rises from a hill over Junagadh city. The Uparkot was believed to be a walled citadel upto the 5th century AD and again during Chudasama Rajput reign from the 9th to the 15th centuries. The fort has a high wall strengthened by bastions, with a huge moat inside the walls, granaries large enough to withstand a long siege, a Rajput palace that the sultans partially converted to a mosque after their conquest of Junagadh, Ottoman canons, and two imposing stepwells. The Mughals conquered Gujarat from the sultans and their subhas(governors) of Sorath were based in Uparkot fort. After the decline of Mughal power, the subhas founded their own dynasty, taking on Babi as their last name, and became the Nawabs of Junagadh. During their reign, Junagadh saw the rise of numerous buildings including palaces, the imposing Baha-ud-din college, the old maqbara and the fun-fairish 19th century mausoleum complex. A selection of their howdahs, palanquins, textiles and furnishings can be seen at the Durbarhall museum.
South of Junagadh is Somnath, well known for its temples. The Somnath temple is believed to have been built by Gods and their avtars(incarnations) but the earliest recorded phase in the history of Somnath’s Shiva temple is the 10th century Solanki reign of Gujarat. The temple was subjected to plunder and destruction by invaders over the centuries, and each time the resilient devotees restored it to its former glory. The present temple building was renovated in 1950 AD under the leadership of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Near the temple is the Prabhas Patan museum which houses architectural fragments and sculptures from the original temple of Somnath. A Sun temple, lord Krishna cenotaph and the Ahilya Holkar temple are other devotional monuments of Somnath. Lord Shiva, while stating he was omnipresent, mentioned that Somnath was one of his 12 important abodes, the reason the shore temple here is revered as a Jyotirlinga. Somnath was invaded by King Mohmed Gizni in 11th century. As one school of thought, khatri community, who were expert in weaving fine silk cloths, migrated to save their art & culture to South India now known as Palkars or Sourashtrians.
Like Somnath, Dwarka is one of the important Hindu shore temples, attracting millions of pilgrims. From the architectural viewpoint, an interesting temple is the Rukmani mandir, dated to the 12th and 13th centuries. Marine excavations indicate the presence of an ancient city, submerged by the sea.
Among the oldest temples extant in India are Ghumli, Gope and Bileshwar in the hills of Barda, between the coastal cities of Porbandar and Jamnagar. These temples date from the 7th to the 12th centuries and have interesting detailing. The Vikia vav at Ghumli is among Saurashtra’s most impressive step wells.
Kutch is another region that has impressive Hindu temples at Kera, Kotay and Bhuvad , Jain temples at Badreshwar and Naliya, and shore temples at Koteshwar, most of them dated to the 10th-13th century period. The Jadeja Rajputs became the major power of Kutch in the 16th century and over a period of four centuries forts and palaces were built in their state. One of the grandest of these palaces is the Aina mahal in the Darbargadh complex, which was embellished by Ram Singh, an artisan shipwrecked in Europe.
Sorath:
For a long span of time, the name Sorath remained limited to the region and later to the Muslim-ruled Princely State of Junagadh (“Junagarh” or the “Old City”). During British rule, Junagadh and its neighboring princely states were supervised by the Western India States Agency (WISA). In 1947, Junagadh’s Muslim ruler desired to accede his territory to Pakistan, but the predominantly Hindu population rebelled. He fled to Pakistan, and a plebiscite was conducted, as a result of which the kingdom was merged into the Indian Union.
Sorath/Saurashtra has a great spiritual heritage and has produced many Saints and divine souls. For a brief list of some notable figures of Saurashtra / Kathiawar, please refer to Notable characters and figures.
Saurashtra state:
After India’s independence in 1947, 217 princely states of Kathiawar, including the former kingdom of Junagadh, were merged together to form the state of Saurashtra on 15 February 1948. Initially, it was named United State of Kathiawar which was renamed to Saurashtra State in November 1948. The exercise took up a lot of Shri Vallabhbhai Patel’s time to convince the local princes and petty subas (totalling 222 in Saurashtra alone). However, Maharaja Krishnakumar Sinhji of Bhavnagar State readily extended to offer his large and royal empire of Bhavnagar / Gohilwar to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Bhavnagar became first in the country to get merged into the union of India.
The capital of Saurashtra was Rajkot. Uchharangray Navalshankar Dhebar (1905–1977), who later went on to become President of the Indian National Congress between 1955 and ’59, became Saurashtra’s first Chief Minister. He was succeeded by Rasiklal Umedchand Parikh (b.1910) on 19 December 1954.
On November 1, 1956, Saurashtra was merged into Bombay state. In 1960 Bombay state was divided along linguistic lines into the new states of Gujarat and Maharashtra. The territory of Saurashtra, including that of the former kingdom of Sorath or Junagadh, is now part of the state of Gujarat.
Sourashtra as community:
Sourashtra or “Sourashtras” refers to a community of people who had their original homes in Gujarat and presently settled almost in all major Towns of Tamil Nadu and are concentrated more in Madurai which is considered as their cultural Headquarters, but have also settled in Bangalore of Karnataka and,in Tirupati of Andhra Pradesh. After 20th century, some families have settled in Mumbai, New Delhi and in foreign countries like USA, UK, Dubai, Singapore etc.
The origin of the name date backs to the time when the ancestors of theses people inhabited the kingdom of Saurashtra in Gujarat State. The Tamil name by which these people is known in Southern India is Patnūlkarar, that is silk-thread workers or weavers who speak “Pattunuli” or “Khatri”, a dialect of Gujarati. The details about Sourashtra community is discussed by A.J. Saunders. Dr.Uchdia Norihiko of KOBE, Japan, came to Madurai in 1972 and stayed for two years to do post doctoral research as a Senior Fellow in Linguistics under the auspices of Annamalai University, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu. With help from O.S.Subramanian, Dr. Uchdia Norihiko is working on ‘Origin and Development of Sourashtra Language’. A.J. Saunders has authored ‘Oral Literature of Saurashtrans’ (1979), The Language of the Saurashtrans in Tirupati (1983), A Saurashtra-English Dictionary (1990).
Sourashtra, also known as Palkar. Sowrashtra, Saurashtram, is an Indo-Aryan language derived from Sauraseni Prakrit. The Ethnologue puts the number of speakers at 510,000 (1997 IMA), although the actual number could be double this figure or even more.
“Equivalent of Saurashtra in the Linguistic Survey has been recorded as Saurashtri which is yet another name of Patnuli dialect of Gujarati spoken by the silk weaving community of Madurai who are considered to have migrated from Gujarat to the south several centuries ago. On the basis of current preference for the name of their mother tongue, we have, however, adopted the name ‘Saurashtra’ and not Saurashtri. On account of several generations of association in the Dravidian Language area, the speech is supposed to have been strongly affected by Dravidian traits. We preferred to call that dialect of Gujarati with such traits as Saurashtra. … Regarding Saurashtra, however, some interest has been shown, of late, on the technical aspects of this variety while the inclination to affiliate it with Marathi is also visible among some scholars. In any case, some authoritative work on this variety of language remains to be done. Pending the same, however, we have to keep it under Gujarati according to the Linguistic Survey.” vide Census of India 1961 Vol.I INDIA Part II –C (ii) Language Tables, Published by the Manager of Publications, Civil Lines, Delhi, pp. CCXLIV + 554, (1967).
Oral tradition says that they have migrated on the fall of ‘Somanath Temple’ when Gazni Mohammed invaded and plundered Hindu Temples. It is said they lived for about two centuries in Devagiri and later moved to Vijayanagar Empire at the invitation of the Kings. They manufactured fine silk garments for the use of Kings and their families and were engaged in Silk trade.
When Nayak Kings started to rule Madurai, they were invited by the Madurai Nayak Kings and were given accommodation around Thirumalai Nayak Palace, Madurai, where even now there are many Sourashtra families living. The migration might have taken place in various groups at different times and they settled in many places in Tamil Nadu. Later Hyder Ali invited some families from Thanjavur to settle in Srirangapattanam in Karnataka. Those people are now in Bangalore after the fall of Srirangapattanam and they are called as ‘Jamkhaanadavaru’. Similarly some families went to Andhra and settled in Tirupati. Because of lack of frequent communications, there are so many dialect variations in this Language. The majority of people are settled in Madurai.
In history they are referred to as Patkar, Pattegar, Patvekar and Patnulkarar. In Tamil the weaving community is referred to as ‘Kaikkolar’. In Tamil Nadu State they are called Sourashtra (Patnulkarar) or merely Palkar. Edgar Thurston refers this Community as Pattunulkaran. The details about Sourashtra community are discussed by A.J. Saunders. A History of the Sourashtras in Southern India by the Sourashtra Literary Societies of Madura and Madras was published on 17 January 1891 under the Chairmanship of Sri T.M.Ramaswamaiyo, the Secretary being Sri K.V.Subbaiyo. In that book, it is stated that the following books were consulted: Dr.Balfour Encyclopedia of India, Ramesh Chander Dutt’s Ancient India, Alexander Cunnigham’s Ancient Geography of India, Tod’s Rajasthan, Professor Lassen on Prakrita Languages, Bombay Gazeteer, Researches of the Asiatic Society, A Grammar of the Gondian Languages.
The Ethnologue puts the number of speakers at 310,000 (1997 IMA), although the actual number could be double tor even three times this figure or even more because many people wrongly stated their mother tongue as Tamil in census enumeration as it is not taught in school and it remained mainly a spoken language, though Literature are available in Sourashtra, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Roman and Devanagari Scripts. Now Journals in Sourashtra script are published, such as Bhashabhimani, Zeek, Jaabaali, and Sourashtra Mithran.
Classification:
Sourashtram is classified under Indo-European Family – Aryan Sub Family -Indo-Aryan Branch – Inner Sub Branch Central Group-and pending some authoritative work, is tentatively grouped under Gujarati according to Linguistic Survey of India. vide Census of India 1961 Volume I INDIA Part II-C (ii) Language Tables p.ccxvii,published by The Manager of Publications, Civil Lines, Delhi, 1967.
“Saurāshtra is, through and through, an Indo-Aryan language. Sourāshtran publications are sufficient proof that it is an adequate medium for literary expression” vide The Saurashtrans of South India, By Dr.H.N.Randle, Plate VIII, published in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, London October, 1944. “sou” in Hindi means 100 and “rashtra” refers to region so in general sourashtra refers to a province of 100 regions. Another meaning for Sourashtram is WEALTHY KINGDOM. That is why Mohamed Gazni invaded Saurashtra and looted Somanath Temple and carried away the treasures.
“Sourashtra Brahamanargal Sarithiram” is a well renowned book in Tamil which descirbes about their ancestry, how they descended south during ghazini’s invasion. Mostly they are categorized as Brahmins and when there was argument between them and Tamil Brahmins during “Upakarma” at vaigai river, madurai, they were arrested and presented in nayakkar’s court. Local Brahmins claimed that Sourashtra people were doing same kind of rituals as Brahmins and they want to understand how ritual they were. Thirumalai Nayakar ordered a debate to test their knowledge on Vedas and Upanishads. Without any doubt, Sourashtra Brahmins were able to answer all questions with rich explanations and Nayakar ordered a “Pattayam” stating that Sourashtras are considered as Brahmins and they have right to use Iyers and Iyengars surname. This “Pattayam” is still found evident in Sourashtra Club, Madurai.
Geographical distribution:
The speakers of the Saurashtra language, known as Saurashtrians, maintain a predominant presence in Madurai, a city, also known as ‘Temple City’ in the southern part of Tamil Nadu. Though official figures are hard to come by, it is believed that the Saurashtra population is anywhere between one-fifth and one-fourth of the city’s total population.
Also Saurashtrians, maintain a predominant presence throughout the Tamil Nadu Starting from Salem, a city, To be believed to have derived its name from the Tamil word Selai(Sari) (a traditional Dress worn by Women) because of the Saurashtrians weavers used to weave Silk sarees (Pattu Selai). Still many of the Saurashtrians residing in main land Salem (Areas including Ponnamapet, Ammapet) Used to weave Silk Dhoties. Silver leg chains are produced in (Shevapet) Salem and it exported to all over world. They also present in the Districts of Namakkal, Dindigul, Madurai, Vellore, Tirunelveli.
It is not known how many groups migrated from North India to South India. But because of absence of contact among the groups for a long time, dialect variations have emerged based on the place of their settlement. The alternate name of Sourashtra is PALKAR which term is used colloquially among them. But all Associations are named as Sourashtra Sabha/Association only.
Though there is little historical evidence available to support the argument that the Saurashtrians lived in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat in Western India, folklore, and recent linguistic and genetic researches have been able to establish, that this region was indeed once the habitat of the Saurashtrians. However, their language has more similarities with Marathi and Konkani, both Indo-Aryan languages of Western India, than it does with Modern Gujarati, the language of present-day Gujarat. Linguists have been able to explain why it is so: Both Saurashtra and Gujarati branched off from a common parent, and have since taken completely different paths to modernity. Gujarati came under the influence of Hindi, Persian, and Arabic, whereas Saurashtra, taking off from Gujarat before it had made any Muslim contact, was influenced by Marathi, Konkani, Kannada, Telugu, and finally, Tamil. It has been acknowledged that Persian and Arabic have had only limited influence on Marathi and Konkani, and this is why they still retain a good amount of vocabulary and grammar derived from Sanskrit, as compared to other daughter languages of Sanskrit. It is possible that the vocabulary and grammar shared between Modern Saurashtra and Marathi is what was originally derived from Sanskrit.
The southward flight of the Saurashtrians seems to have been triggered by the frequent Muslim invasions, most notably by Mahmud of Ghazni, of their homeland and the instability caused by it. No details are available whether it was a mass migration and when it took place. They found safe haven in the Vijayanagar Kingdom, with its capital at Hampi in present-day Karnataka, which was then expanding southwards. Weaving being their traditional occupation, they were able to win the attention of the Emperor and were soon elevated to the position of royal weavers. Telugu and Kannada were the court languages, though other languages such as Sanskrit and Tamil were also in use. It was during this period that Saurashtra started absorbing Telugu and Kannada words into its lexicon.
Vijayanagar rulers had the practice of appointing Governors, known as Nayaks, to manage far-flung regions of the empire. When Madurai and Thanjavur were annexed to the empire, Governors were appointed to administer the new territories. A part of the Saurashtra community may have moved to Madurai and Thanjavur at the time to serve the Governors.
The Vijayanagar empire collapsed after more than two centuries of rule, in 1565, after the Sultans of Deccan Confederacy won the battle of Talikota, thus opening up southern India for Muslim conquest. Soon afterwards, the Governors of Madurai and Thanjavur declared themselves the new rulers of the respective territories.
The Saurashtrians had to migrate again since they no longer enjoyed the royal patronage they were used to, and so, once again, were on the move. As there were Saurashtrians already present in Madurai and Thanjavur, it was only natural that they migrated further south to join their folks living there. The language would undergo one last alteration, this time influenced by Tamil, to bring it to its modern form. To this day, Saurashtrians are densely populated around the Royal Palace of Thirumalai Nayak, the greatest of the Nayak Rulers that ruled Madurai. There are good number of people staying in Mumbai(Maharashtra) in a place called Cheeta Camp and also in other parts of the city, but they all migrated from Salem etc. places within a period of a century. Marathi-speaking community in Thanjavur is different than Saurashtrians. The Marathi community arrived in Thanjavur during King Serfoji’s reign and they are culturally and linguistically distinct from Saurashtrians.
The greatest of the Nayak Rulers had great liking for silk wears and as the Saurashtrians were specialists in the weaving trade, they were invited by the King for weaving special silk clothings for the palace dwellers and that is how they settled around the palace of Thirumalai Nayak.
Sourashtra Vijayaaptham:
Sourashtra Vijayaaptham denotes the era of Sourashtra Migration. It commences from Tamil Calendar Chitrai 1st. It is derived from subtracting 1312 from the Gregorian Calendar year. It is 697 from 14 April 2009 to 13 April 2010. It is not known how the Era started. But currently it is stated in the Almanac Panchangam and people are using it.
Sourashtra Writing System:
The language has had its own script for centuries, the earliest one available from 1880. Dr. H.N. Randle has written an article ‘An Indo-Aryan Language of South India—Saurashtra Bhasha’ in the Bulletin of School of Oriental and African Studies (BSOAS) 11 Part 1 p. 104-121 and Part II p. 310-327 (1943–46)Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of School of Oriental and African Studies.
This language is not taught in schools and hence had been confined to being merely a spoken language. But many great works like Bhagavath Gita and Tirukkural were translated into Sourashtram. It is now a literary language. Sahitya Akademi has recognized this language by conferring Bhasha Samman awards to Sourashtra Scholars. Most Saurashtrians are bilingual in their mother tongue and Tamil and are more comfortable using their second language for all practical written communication though of late, some of them started writing in Sourashtram using Sourashtra script.
There is an ongoing debate within the Saurashtra community regarding the use of the script for the Sourashtra language right from 1920 when a resolution was passed to adopt Devanagari Script for Sourashtra Language. Though some of the books were printed in Devanagari script, it failed to register the growth of the language. But in practice because of lack of printing facilities, books are continued to be printed in Tamil Script with diacritic marks with superscript number for the consonants ka, ca, Ta, ta and pa and adding a colon to na, ma, ra, and la for aspirated forms, which are peculiar to the Sourashtra language.
For writing Sourashtram using Devanagari Script, one require seven additional symbols to denote the short vowels ‘e’ and ‘o’ and four symbols for aspirated forms viz. nha, mha, rha and lha. We also require one more symbol to mark the sound of ‘half yakara’ which is peculiar to the Sourashtra language. The books printed in Devanagari Script were discarded because they did not represent the sounds properly.
The Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities, Allahabad by his letter No.123/5/1/62/1559 dated November 21, 1964 Communicated to Sourashtra Vidya Peetam, Madurai that the State Government were of the view that as only one book in Sourashtra Language had so far been submitted by Sourashtra Vidya Peetam for scrutiny, there was no point in examining the merits of only one book specially when the question regarding the usage of script – Hindi or Sourashtram, was still unsettled, and that the question of text books in Sourashtram might well lie over till a large number of books is available for scrutiny and for being prescribed as text books in Schools. The Leaders in the Community could not realize the importance of teaching of mother tongue in schools and did not evince interest in production of textbooks in Sourashtram for class use. But, now an awareness has arisen in the Community, and Sourashtra Vidya Peetam wants to teach the Sourashtra language through multimedia as suggested by Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in his 42nd Report for the year (July 2003 to June 2004). Of late in internet, many Sourashtra Yahoo groups in their website use the Roman script for the Sourashtra language. A journal, Bhashabhimani, is published from Madurai, in Sourashtra Script. Another journal, ‘Jaabaali’, is also published by the same Editor of Bhashabhimani from Madurai. The ‘Zeeg’ Sourashtra script practice Magazine is also published from Madurai only. All the three journals support the Sourashtra script only. There is no journal in Devanagari.
Dialects:
Each of the traditional Saurashtrian settlements has its own dialect. Since there is not a central linguistic body governing the rules, and establishing what is standard and what is not, each dialect speaker considers his own the standard form. Because people were not used to write their language, proper study of the dialect variations were not undertaken. Recently only an awareness has arisen and people are slowly practicing written Sourashtram. Dictionaries have been compiled, but dialect variations are not properly noted. One Saurashtra-English Dictionary by Uchida Norihiko is available. Saurashtra-Tamil-English Dictionary one by K.R.Sethuraman (in Tamil Script) and another by T.V.Kubendran (in Sourashtra, Tamil and Roman script) are available.
Sourashtra Vidya Peetam:
Sourashtra Vidya Peetam is the oldest body which is working for the cause of the language by preserving the Script and the old literature. The earliest Sourashtra Book printed in Sourashtra Script available now is SOURASHTRANADHI by Pandit Lakshmanachariyar (1880). T.M.Rama Rai is the doyen of the development of Sourashtra Script and Literature.He published many books in Sourashtra Script and wrote Grammar and Text books in Sourashtram.
Sourashtra Evolution:
Sourashtra though refers to a migrated community, also refers to the language spoken by the Sourashtra community people (or Sourashtrians). During their migration from the north-western region of bharada khanda (ancient Indian peninsular region or present day Gujarath), they adapted to the regional and cultural aspects of the particular region they reside. In this way, Sourashtrians acquired proficeincy in the regional languages but without loosing their own language. When various technologies developed, they never failed to record their literature with the modern developments. Around 1850s to accomplish the vision of Sourashtra Literary Laurels, due to the hardwork of several visionaries for more than four decades a unique writing system developed which represents the originality, signficant features of Sourashtra language. Sourashtrians are mostly silk weavers and silk thread merchants, originated in the Saurashtra region (present day Gujarat, and parts of Maharashtra) in Northern India and later settled in Madurai and surrounding regions of Tamilnadu, few centuries ago.
The origin is certain, and research has proved the current day Sourashtra spoken by us is a modern form of pre-Gujarati spoken thousands of years ago. “…Their home language (Sourashtra language) is still a modern form of the old Saurashtri or Pre-Gujarati as it was over a thousand years ago, which was the language they brought with them through Maharashtra and Andra Desa to Tamilnadu. This language preserves, naturally enough many archaic features of Gujarati and at the same time shows influence of the sister Aryan languages of Konkani and Marathi and of Dravidian Telugu besides of course Tamil which has now virtually become the second mother tongue of the Sourashtrians….” says Suneetkumar Chatterjee a famous linguist.
But the time period when they migrated from Saurashtra region to south is still uncertain. Following theory are prevalent:
Theory 1:
The first theory is that, during the times when the infamous Ghazani Mohammed invaded Northern India from Afghanistan, a few families might have migrated South to escape from the series of invasions.
Theory 2:
Another assumption is a few families that came with the entourage of Shatrapathi Shivaji when he invaded south, might have stayed back to form their own community.
Theory 3:
This is the most popular and widely accepted theory by historians. During the Vijayanagaram Empire rule in Northern India, the Nayakars ruled the South as part of the empire with Madurai as their capital. During that period a few families from the Saurashtra region were called into Madurai to be the “Royal Weavers” for the Nayakars. This would explain very high concentration of Sourashtrians still today around the Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal, the Nayakar’s Palace. Since Sourashtrians are Silk Weavers by profession it would also disprove the theory that they came with Shivaji.
Later Sourashtrians settled in Madurai, spread around to Trichy, Salem, Kumbakonam and other surrounding areas as the population grew, but still managed to keep their unique language, and culture intact. Current day Sourashtrians, refer themselves as Tamilians as their identities and still speak Sourashtra at home. An estimated half a million Sourashtrians are living now mostly in Tamilnadu and a few are spread around all over the world.
Unique characteristics of the Saurashtrians in South India:
This history of the Greater Saurashtra and Greater Gujarat is very glorious and interesting. In this history of the Greater Saurashtra, it is remarkable that the Saurashtrians who have settled in South India are distinguished clearly, in some important aspects, from the other Saurashtrians who have migrated to other places inside or outside India. There are some unique characteristics, which draw our special attention.
Firstly, the Saurashtrians who have migrated to other places have not gone there collectively in larger groups at a time; while the Saurashtrians in South India have migrated there in larger collective groups at a time in a planned manner.
Secondly, these Saurashtrians in South India had gone there, equipped with the art of weaving silken cloth. The whole community or tribe has got remarkable skill in this single profession, and yet their mode of living as well as their family-names are obviously Brahminical. They are introducing themselves even to day as Saurashtri Brahmins. The other Saurashtrians who have migrated to other places have not taken with them a collective industry or art and the groups of Brahminical mode of living have not gone elsewhere in a collective manner.
Thirdly, the Saurashtrians who have migrated to other provinces or foreign countries have been in some sort of direct contact with the original homeland. For example, the Saurashtrians who had migrated to Africa have always returned (at least some of them and at least for some time) to the homeland sooner or later. In the case when these Saurashtrians have lost the link with the homeland, they have not been able to preserve the linguistic and cultural heritage of the homeland. On the contrary the Saurashtrians in South India have lost all the direct contact with their homeland, to such an extent that for some time, they did not know exactly where the homeland Saurashtra was geographically situated ; but even then they have been proud of being Saurashtrians and with a sense of pride they have preserved the old language and culture of Saurashtra. They knew only a few years ago where the homeland Saurashtra was exactly situated. Even now some of them have a notion that South Gujarat is a part of Saurashtra (3 bookmark). Even though they had lost the correct geographical location of the homeland Saurashtra, they had not forgotten or lost the language and culture of Saurashtra. They have persevered strongly to preserve the linguistic and cultural tradition of Saurashtra as it existed eight hundred years ago when they migrated from Saurashtra. No other Saurashtra migrants have preserved the tradition to this extent inspite of their being cut off completely from the homeland. They forgot the exact geography of the homeland, but the pride of the homeland was a life-force with them; the original language and culture were never obliterated.
New light on the form of the old language of Saurashtra :
If one study the linguistic, literary and cultural tradition of the Saurashtrians in South India, it is found, to a certain extent, very obviously, the Marathi, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu influence, external as well as internal, in its formation. If we can isolate this influence, it is probable that a study of the residual material will throw a new light on the language, literature and culture of Saurashtra as it existed eight hundred years ago. The English colonists who have migrated to Iceland and other islands have preserved in a pure form some special characteristics of the old English language such as old pronunciations and typical form of the old English language. This has supplied some important material for tracing the evolution of the English language. Similarly the study of the Southern Saurashtri language can supply some important material pertaining to the old language of Saurashtra and Gujarat. The Parsis who have migrated from Persia to Gujarat have adopted the Gujarati language almost as the mother tongue, and they have not continued the usage of their original language even in their intra group communication. But the Southern Saurashtrians have preserved very strongly their original linguistic traditions. Their pride of being Saurashtrians and their insistence on being called Saurashtrians are very strong. They had lost the geographical idea of their original homeland Saurashtra.

history

History Of Saurashtra

The European Think Tank with a Global Outlook
India and Globalisation
India’s Vision of its Future in the World
Updated June 2005
The Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram delivering the keynote address at
the launch of the Foreign Policy Centre’s India Programme, the Guildhall, 3rd
February 2005.
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Overview
In February 2005, The Foreign Policy Centre (FPC) launched a new programme of
research, publications, forums and public discussions on India and globalisation.
The programme aims to engage a broader group of actors with new thinking on
the social and economic consequences of globalisation on India and the impact of
India’s growing influence on the future of globalisation. It will adopt a pan-
European focus in exploring the way in which India fits into a changing world
order and how the new ‘rising powers’, notably India and China, can be key
actors in shaping it.
The programme will take Indian perspectives as its departure point, focusing on
three principal areas:
􀂉 how India’s government, interest groups and diverse communities see
their values and how they project these values to the world;
􀂉 outside attempts to understand and engage with the paramount values
of the Indian government, leading interest groups, diasporas, civil
society and diverse communities; and
􀂉 the role of these diverse, often competing, Indian actors in globalisation
and in shaping global trends.
A partnership-based programme
The Foreign Policy Centre is working with a number of leading Indian think tanks
and other partners in various fields, including:
􀂉 Indian investors in Europe
􀂉 UK investors in India
􀂉 Prominent journalists, academics and opinion formers
􀂉 Indian diaspora organisations in Europe, especially the UK
􀂉 NGOs, think tanks and research organisations
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Aims and context
India’s influence on global affairs is evident in a number of spheres – from
academia and development theory to business, technology and movies.
As suggested by the Goldman Sachs report, Dreaming With BRICs: The Path to
2050, the economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) together could be
larger than the G8 in dollar terms in fewer than 40 years. Despite India’s small
share of world trade at present, its economy could be larger than all but the US
and China in 30 years. The rise of the BRICs will be critical for how the world
economy evolves.
Two issues will inevitably shape India’s rise. First, India’s projected economic
power will mean that it will be a strong force in determining international market
practices and influencing decisions in the multilateral trading system. Second, as
the largest democracy in the world, India enjoys unique political legitimacy which
means that it is held up as a role model and a progressive influence in global
affairs. In the words of Sunil Khilnani, India needs to “make use of the
‘democratic dividend’…and be willing to play a role in the global ‘battle of
ideas’”.
Most analysts agree that India has yet to find a voice in world affairs appropriate
to its power and potential and that India’s role on the world stage remains
unclear. In the short term, key questions remain about how it relates to the West
and other emerging powers, especially China. More long term, India has yet to
stake out its position as a progressive international player, a positive broker in the
pursuit of multilateral solutions to global problems and an active player in the
promotion of liberal democracy around the world.
Through an interchange between small groups from India, Europe, the US and
selected other countries, the Foreign Policy Centre’s programme will explore how
India will engage with the world over the first decades of the 21st century. It will
aim to address clear questions about India’s future. How is globalisation shaping
India’s worldview and sense of itself? How will India look to shape its own global
role? How will India’s new role impact on the international system?
The programme will examine a variety of cutting edge issues and new ideas
focusing on five areas:
􀂉 International political values, multilateralism and international security
􀂉 Evolving international economic configuration, trade and finance
􀂉 Democracy, pluralism and harnessing variety
􀂉 Technology, entrepreneurship, competitiveness, corporate governance
and the knowledge revolution
􀂉 Public diplomacy
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The Foreign Policy Centre will be launching four main sets of activities:
􀂉 High level forums in London, Brussels and New Delhi engaging senior
participants from business, government and academia
􀂉 Publication of policy reports and papers from Indian authors under the
rubric ‘New Thinking from India’
􀂉 Publication of policy reports and papers from international observers
(business, government, journalists and academics) on the various Indian
perceptions of their country’s place in the world
􀂉 Associated public forums, newspaper articles and public lectures
Themes
International Political Values, Multilateralism and International Security
How do India’s concerns and aspirations match with international political values?
What are the upcoming global challenges that Europe, the US and India can
address together and what are the potential areas of dispute? What is India’s
evolving attitude towards international law, multilateralism, strategic alliance
building, threat, intervention and the use of force? How does India see its role in
global issues such as conflict prevention, terrorism, WMD proliferation and the
future of the UN? Will the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) coalition reinforce or
challenge multilateralism in the future?
Evolving International Economic Configuration, Trade and Finance
Will India be an active player in efforts to promote international cooperation on
economic matters? How does India perceive its role within the WTO? How are
India’s economic reforms likely to impact on the existing regulatory and political
barriers to investment, financial stability and the health of the international
economy? How is India’s trade and investment relationship with other rising
economic powers developing and what effect will this have on the current
international economic governance and political order? How does India perceive
its relationship with major trading blocks including ASEAN, the EU, NAFTA,
SAARC, GCC, SACU, COMESA and Mercosur?
Democracy, Pluralism and Harnessing variety
Can India’s experience in institutionalising its religious, cultural and economic
diversity become a model for the world? What role can India play in promoting
democracy in its immediate neighbourhood / globally? What are the major
constraints and principal drivers of change in India and where are they headed –
urbanisation, education, communal violence, HIV/AIDS?
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Technology entrepreneurship, competitiveness, corporate governance and
knowledge revolution
Is India’s education system catering for the global market? What are the key
reforms to drive competitiveness and higher levels of innovation? Is India a source
of know-how for other emerging markets? Is outward migration detracting from
or contributing to India’s pool of skills? What is India’s role in international cooperation
and exchange in good practice in science and technology, education,
health and other wealth creating sectors? How important is the integration of
women into the labour market in increasing India’s competitiveness? How will
India impact on the digital divide? What is the role of key industries -- including
pharmaceuticals, IT and space technology -- in India’s development?
Public Diplomacy
What is the current state of perceptions of India internationally? How are these
perceptions likely to evolve? How do these perspectives shape India’s current and
future international role? What is the role of mass-culture in shaping India’s future
and its relations with the world? What is the role of India’s global civil society /
diaspora in portraying India’s growing influence in the world? What role can
Indian brands, cultural icons, and the Indian diaspora, as well as government
institutions, play in projecting India’s influence?
Recent Activities
􀂉 14 December 2004: Lecture by Professor Sunil Khilnani, John’s Hopkins
University (SAIS)
􀂉 19 January 2005: Lecture by H.E. Kamalesh Sharma, Indian High
Commissioner to the United Kingdom
􀂉 2 February 2005: Round-Table seminar with Indo-British Parliamentary
Forum
􀂉 3 February 2005: Launch of the India programme by Shri P.
Chidambaram, the Indian Finance Minister
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Launch publication: Released on 3 February 2005
INDIA AS A NEW GLOBAL LEADER
This is a collection bringing together new essays by four
internationally-acclaimed thinkers on India. Contributions
include:
India as a Bridging Power
Author: Sunil Khilnani, School of International Studies (SAIS),
Johns Hopkins University
Sunil Khilnani analyses what role India could play in the
emerging uncertain global order. According to him, although
the conventional indices of power may not be India’s strength,
it could still play a unique “bridging role” between the various competing forces,
based on its accumulated strengths.
Bollystan: The role of the Indian Diaspora in India’s economic and political
emergence
Author: Parag Khanna, The Brookings Institution
Parag Khanna delves into the subject of the role ‘India’s Diasporic Community’
could play in enhancing regard and respect for their country of origin.
Globalisation and technology have helped forge close links within the community
and with India. Their role as potential “diplomatic force multipliers” is a new
phenomenon, one that India watches with interest.
India and the Knowledge Economy: the “Stealth Miracle” is sustainable
Author: Prasenjit K. Basu, Managing Director, Robust Economic Analysis Pte. Ltd.
Prasenjit K. Basu analyses the potential of India’s economic progress in the coming
decades. He is optimistic and has reasons to be so with faith firmly placed in the
“stealth miracle”, fuelled by achievements in education, demographic dividend,
sound financial system, growing services exports and a more sustainable buoyant
manufacturing sector.
India’s future real security challenge: Energy security?
Author: Brahma Chellaney, Centre for Policy Research (Delhi)
Energy security is a crucial issue for all countries today, even more so for India at
its current stage of development. Lack of energy resources could jeopardise not
only economic progress but also security and strategic interests. India is
increasingly playing a more active role to secure its future needs. This has
implications both for domestic and foreign policy. Prof. Brahma Chellaney
analyses the options available to India and the imperative need to hone its energy
diplomacy, more so in the immediate neighbourhood, to make some of these
options viable.
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Work Plan 2005
High Level Forums
The FPC’s India programme enjoys strong support from the British High
Commission in India, the British Council in India, the Indian High Commission in
the UK and the Corporation of London.
• On 2nd February, the FPC hosted a seminar on ‘Knowledge Economies’ with
a 12-person delegation from the Indo-British Parliamentary Forum (IBPF)
• On 3rd February, the Indian Finance Minister Shri P. Chidambaram launched
the FPC’s India programme
The FPC is working with key constituencies, such as the Confederation of Indian
Industries (CII) in London, to identify similar high profile public events or private
opportunities to open up a diversity of new contexts for its corporate and
governmental partners. We have for example discussed in preliminary terms the
possibility of some involvement in the CII CEO’s forum in May. As the FPC’s China
programme has shown, we can consistently deliver ministerial level involvement in
our events both in Europe (London and Brussels) and in key foreign countries of
interest to us. (See FPC China prospectus for details).
Themes
The following list identifies priority subjects for the FPC’s work programme for the
year 2005. Some authors have been confirmed, others remain to be identified and
confirmed. The selection of authors and lead speakers in seminars is an area
where the FPC invites the active input of its partners either corporate or
government.
1. India-China 2020: Great Leap Forward?
2. Overcoming Challenges in a Globalising Economy: Managing India’s External Sector
3. Expanding the UN Security Council: India’s Perspectives
4. India’s development strategy in the information age: successes and challenges
5. ‘Banking the Missing Middle’: Strategies for Expanding Micro-credit
6. The Rising Powers Debate
7. ‘Pipeline diplomacy’ and Energy Security: The Role of Foreign Investors
8. Patent Protection and Policy: Finding the Right Balance – The case of China and India
9. India’s Legal System
10. India’s Services Revolution
11. India and the EU: Models of Regional Integration?
12. Playing the Green card: India’s Global Environmental Responsibility
13. The Little G3: A New Trilateralism?
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Seminars and Publications
1. India-China 2020: Great Leap Forward?
Breakfast Discussion, 23 March 2005, Foreign Press Association, London
Speakers:
Dr. Charan Wadhva, former Director of Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi
Prof. Zhang Jun, Fudan University
Discussant: Ms. Elizabeth Wright, Executive Chair, China Policy Institute
(Event report available on website: http://fpc.org.uk/fsblob/425.pdf)
2. Overcoming Challenges in a Globalising Economy: Managing India’s
External Sector
Seminar and Drinks reception, 23 June 2005, Guildhall, London
Speaker:
Dr. Y. V. Reddy, Governor of Reserve Bank of India
(Event report available on website: http://fpc.org.uk/fsblob/515.pdf)
Proposed seminars and publications
3. Expanding the UN Security Council: India’s Perspectives
Pamphlet, July 2005
Author:
Shairi Mathur, Project Officer for India, FPC
The pamphlet will explore India’s claim to a permanent seat in the UN Security
Council, what India has on its agenda if it were to become a permanent member
and India’s efforts in this endeavour. The reactions of the international community
especially the P5 will also be briefly examined. Much of the research is based on
contemporary newspaper articles from India and interviews with prominent
journalists and UN diplomats in India, the UK and the US.
4. India’s development strategy in the information age: successes and
challenges
Policy Brief, July 2005
Author:
Seema Desai, Director Rising Powers Programme, FPC
5. ‘Banking the Missing Middle’: Strategies for Expanding Micro-credit
One-day conference, 8th September 2005, The Oberoi, New Delhi
In the microfinance sector, attention is increasingly being focused on small and
medium enterprises in the developing world, which are often excluded from
conventional microfinance initiatives as well as mainstream commercial bank
lending, creating a “missing middle”. This conference will explore initiatives to
increase access to finance for this sector in India.
6. The Rising Powers debate
Seminar, 15 November 2005
Speaker:
Gurcharan Das, CEO Proctor and Gamble, New Delhi
This seminar will examine the different models of growth in China and India. In
Das’ words, ‘China’s is a state induced success whereas India’s achievement is that
of its private economy within a chaotic democracy’. He will illustrate the
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difference by showing China and India’s different approaches to the English
language.
7. ‘Pipeline diplomacy’ and Energy Security: The Role of Foreign Investors
• What are the prospects for foreign investors under the new exploration
licensing policy? What has been the experience of investors to date?
• How can an independent regulatory regime in the sector be brought into
place?
8. Patent Protection and Policy: Finding the Right Balance – The case of
China and India
• What are the implications on domestic industry and R&D of the new patent
regime?
• What would a win-win policy look like - to create a balance between
intellectual property protection, and the need to maintain provision of
drugs at reasonable prices to the poorest?
9. India’s Legal System
• What is driving India’s xenophobia of foreign lawyers in the legal sector?
Does India have any prospects of opening up its market to foreign lawyers
in the next 5-10 years?
• What is the impact on the legal system of India’s signing up to
international conventions?
10. India’s Services Revolution
• How do off-shoring and outsourcing fit into the new economic policies? In
what ways have they redefined bilateral relations?
• What would be the likely impact of an India and China alliance on the
development of the Information, Communications and Technology (ICT)
sector?
11. India and the EU: Models of Regional Integration?
• Can the Indian model help the EU improve its internal appeal and
democratic accountability? What can regional organisations such as SAARC
learn from the EU and its democratic deficit?
• To what extent is India in Sunil Khilnani’s words a ‘Bridging power’? Can
India play a role in mediating between Islam and the West?
12. Playing the Green card: India’s Global Environmental Responsibility
• As a non-signatory to the Kyoto Protocol, how does the international
community view India’s global environmental efforts?
• What is the impact of the environment on rural-urban people flows?
13. The Little G3: A new trilateralism?
• What are the prospects for the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) coalition in
advancing south-south cooperation?
• How does this coalition interact with other international multilateral blocs?
How does the international community perceive this new emerging bloc?
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Press Coverage
The Foreign Policy Centre receives over 2 million hits a year or 8,000 per day on its
website, http://www.fpc.org.uk. All FPC publications are available via the website
and they are also widely disseminated to leading politicians and decision-makers.
The FPC regularly receives op-ed coverage in leading newspapers, including, in
2004, The Financial Times, The International Herald Tribune, The Wall
Street Journal Europe, The Guardian and The New Statesman. Recent
coverage of the India programme includes:
• New realities mean we need a fresh approach to India
Keith Didcock, Labour Friends of India newsletter
• Investing in India: Is the UK doing enough?
Shairi Mathur, India News in Europe Programme, 31 March 2005
• World set for "Indian Century", say experts
By Vijay Dutt, The Hindustan Times, 4 February 2005
• Business Analysis: Brown Shifts G8 goal posts with poverty agenda
By Philip Thornton, The Independent, 4 February 2005
• FM Raps West over Globalisation
Rediff.com, 4 February 2005
• Make Globalisation more inclusive
New Kerala, 3 February 2005
• Outsourcing: the acid test for India’s liberalisers
Phoebe Griffith, Global Thinking, Spring 2004
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Implementing Staff
Seema Desai is Director of the Rising Powers Programme at the Foreign Policy
Centre. Prior to this, she worked for Schroders plc in Singapore as Asia economist
for six years, during the years of the Asian financial crisis. She has degrees in
economics and Asian history and politics from Oxford and London universities.
Seema was born in the United States and raised in New Delhi, India.
Shairi Mathur is Project Officer for India at the Foreign Policy Centre. She
recently completed her second Masters at Kings College (London) in War Studies.
Her first Masters was in the History of International Relations at the LSE on a
Chevening scholarship. Before moving to the UK she worked for WISCOMP
(Women in Security, Conflict Management and Peace) - a Women's NGO in New
Delhi.
Dr Greg Austin is the Director of Research at The Foreign Policy Centre. He has
written many books on China and Asian Security including China's Ocean
Frontier: International Law, Military Force and National Development
(1988), Japan and Greater China: Political Economy and Military Power in
the Asian Century (2001), and The Armed Forces of Russia in Asia (2001). His
appointments have included senior posts with the International Crisis Group,
academia, and the Australian government and a diplomatic post in Hong Kong.
He holds a PhD and a Master’s degree in International Law.
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About The Foreign Policy Centre
The Foreign Policy Centre is an independent think tank launched by Prime
Minister Tony Blair in 1998 in order to inject fresh thinking into debate about
global issues. Through our research, publications and events, we aim to develop
innovative policy ideas which promote:
• Effective multilateral solutions to global problems
• Democratic and well-governed states as the foundation of order and
development
• Partnerships with the private sector to deliver public goods
• Support for progressive policy through effective public diplomacy
• Inclusive definitions of citizenship to underpin internationalist policies
In the six years since the launch of its research programme, the FPC has developed
an international reputation for pioneering work on global governance, Europe, the
future of diplomacy, public opinion, the Middle East, corporate social responsibility
and international security.
THE RISING POWERS AT THE FOREIGN POLICY CENTRE
sciences research and policy, decision-making and consultancy. The
programme’s inaugural publication, The Beijing Consensus by Joshua Ramo,
has been received with widespread international acclaim.
The Centre launched a similar programme on international
efforts to engage Russia in Autumn 2004. The programme
was launched with a publication by leading expert Fiona Hill
on Russia’s Energy Empire.
The Centre recently launched a high-profile programme of
work on China and globalisation which was launched
last May by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Tony Blair.
The first event included a series of seminars, held at 10
Downing Street, the Treasury, Parliament and the
Guildhall. The participants came from the top levels of UK
politics, business, academia and the media and a group of
senior policy advisers from the Chinese Academy of Social
Sciences (CASS), China's most authoritative agency for
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