PLOT: 3.5/5
CHARACTERS: 3/5
WRITING: 3.5/5
ENTERTAINMENT: 3.5/5

“The Mahabharata shows us that our choices have consequences, but also that we are shaped by forces beyond our control. Perhaps the truth lies in the balance between free will and destiny.”

Bethi, Panigrahi. The Greatest Battle of Culture: A story of Harappans

I love Indian historical fiction, and two of my recent favourites include Akshat Gupta’s The Naga Warriors: Battle for Gokul and Piyush Rohankar’s The Lost Treasure of Azad Hind Fauj. My enthusiasm for this genre is boundless, so I was happy to have come across another latest release – Panigrahi Bethi’s The Greatest Battle of Culture, a book that tells you a fictional story about the Harappan civilization and weaves an intriguing narrative around one of the world’s most ancient cultures.

What to expect?

All of 152 pages, the book is a rather short read narrating the story of how the Harappan civilization came to be intermingled with the Aryan civilization. The author reimagines history and crafts a story that spans multiple generations, bringing us a rather unique and unconventional take on this ancient cultural interplay.

Who can read?

The language is simple, so the book can also be picked up by beginner-level readers.

Let’s delve deeper into the book

The Greatest Battle of Culture is based on the widely popular colonial theory – the Aryan migration theory and thus reimagines history through that lens. A major part of the story is set in the Indus Valley region, but there are also mentions of other places. Since a large part of the civilization was concentrated in Harappa, the city acts as the center of most of the events and narrative. We also find mentions of other cities like Rakhigarhi, which again has been designated as a center of civilization.

Our story is set in ancient times with events dating around 1500 BCE. The author begins by informing us about the two main cultural centers of the Indus Valley civilization – Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. We are told about how smart and intelligent their people were, and how advanced they were in terms of urban planning. The drainage systems were well-planned, and the city was one of the greatest architectural wonders of that time.

The Harappans were a peace-loving community, and the place was a hub of trading activity with traders flocking in from all over the world.

After the introduction is done and the reader is somewhat informed about the wonders of Harappa, the tension in the story is introduced in terms of the Aryans coming to the region of Harappa. The Aryans, who are leaders in their own areas, come with their Sanskrit language and Vedic literature, their own understanding of the world and society, and very high-level science like the knowledge of astronomy and the planetary world.

It is when these two stalwart communities start intermingling that our real story and the tension in the narrative begin.

The contrasting civilizations

A major part of the book The Greatest Battle of Culture is focused on delineating the Harappans and Aryans based on their differences. It is here that we learn that while the Aryans were mostly male-dominated societies with a major emphasis on family and clan, the Harappans were more egalitarian, and their women played a significant role in everyday life. There is a lot of conflict, but there is also collaboration, and we do witness a good amount of syncretic assimilation of cultures and society.

We see many leaders, strong and weak, come and go. We see conflicts pop up and then get resolved, and then some more brimming up on the surface. As such, it is a story of a people in transition. Both the place and its people are in a constant state of flux. Thus, at the very core, it remains a story that aims to fictionally reimagine how Hinduism in its present state must have evolved over time.

What did I like?

I liked the language of the book. It isn’t unnecessarily complicated. It’s rich and fluid to a large extent without giving it the baggage of being cumbersome or monotonous. The narration is vivid and descriptive, aiding in visual imagination. The setting and backdrop – cultural, historical, social, political, and architectural – have all been captured really well.

I also enjoyed the vast information that the book disperses about both cultures, which I have already spoken about in the previous paragraphs.

I also enjoyed how the writing addresses larger issues that were plaguing the then and, to some extent, even contemporary society. This is done through conversations between the characters that are intellectually stimulating and philosophical to a large extent. The social commentary done in this manner is both engaging and informative.

What did I not like?

My main qualm with the book is its lack of character development. Considering that this is a book that spans multiple generations and a wide period of time, it would have been better to expand it into a duology or trilogy.

In such few pages, the readers barely get acquainted with the characters, especially when there are so many of them. Also, I’ve seen books of such length and scope still do justice to their characters. There are so many characters in the story – Maharudra, Baguhara, Armita, Bharadhwaja, Purusha, and Varuna – who have such great potential for further development.

I’d like to say that the two civilizations here play the part of two main characters rather than actual people. In this regard, a large part of the book plays out on a macro level as opposed to a micro level.

People come and go, and the reader barely registers their presence as they do so. We do not get to know them closely, their motives, their backstories, their thoughts, and secrets. As a reader, I really missed getting invested in the characters and their stories.

What could have been better?

Another aspect of the book that could be better is the transition from one episode to another. Many episodes occur too hastily for my liking. It’s not the fault of the storyline but that of writing, which feels rather abrupt at times.

In the end

The Greatest Battle of Culture is a short historical fiction that aims to narrate the story of the cultural clash and assimilation of two great civilizations of ancient times – the Harappans and Aryans. Through a fictional retelling with some unconventional takes, it is recommended to those looking for historical fiction that leans towards philosophies and social commentaries as opposed to those serving pure entertainment.

Can’t wait to read it? You can buy your copy using the link below.