Volga SE Ganga  (Hindi, Paperback, Sankrityayan Rahul)

The insightful writer and scholar, Rahul Sankrutyayan, in his Volga Se Ganga provides a series of historical impressions of the Indo-European inhabitants through a collection of 20 short stories.

Summary Of The Book

Drifting through different parts of the world, Rahul Sankrutyayan provides the stories of the Aryans and their evolutionary journey through time in Volga Se Ganga.

Spanning over 8000 years, the author provides different perspectives interweaving fictional and narrative techniques to provide historical accounts of the social and living conditions of the Aryans. The range of topics covered in each story is enormous, starting with “Nisha”, a story about the Siberian cavemen of 6000 B.C, to the development of a matrilineal society governed by Nisha herself.

Sankrutyayan does not randomly assemble 20 short stories but puts them within a coherent sequential pattern which will reveal the wholesome purpose of Volga Se Ganga. A transformation is seen as each story unfolds, from a matrilineal society to a patriarchal one. A shifting change also emerges in the notions of freedom, domination, and slavery.

The reader can also note the apprehension seen with the introduction of technological innovations within a primitive society. Stories like “Puruhoot” and “Angira” are all about the reluctant transitions made from a primal mode of living to an advanced capitalist mode. Interestingly, these stories provide reflections and parallels to other cultures as well. Therefore, Volga Se Ganga is not just a particularized historical account but a universal one.

Sankrutyayan’s stories will leave the readers with a sense of apprehension for what the future holds but also some amount of hope for humanity.

Volga Se Ganga was published in Hindi, in 1944, after which there have been several regional translations made in Kannada, Tamil, and Bengali. It is considered an academic guide to the history of Indian Literature. It has also been translated in English, Chinese, and Russian.

About Rahul Sankrutyayan

He is known as the Father of Hindi Travel Literature since not only did he provide detailed historical accounts but also travelled all over India for forty five years away from home.

He had been awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1963 for his work called Mahapandit. He had also received the Sahitya Akademi Award for Madhya Asia ka Itihaas in 1958.

Heavily influenced by Marx, Engels, and the likes, Rahul Sankrutyayan works have always provided dynamic views over various subjects such as philosophy, sociology, Buddhism, lexicography, and history. He was also greatly inclined towards Buddhism and its philosophy as can be seen in short stories like “Prabha” and “Bandhul Mall”.