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This book examines the history and evolution of Ayurveda and indigenous medical traditions in juxtaposition with their encounter with colonial modernity. It focuses on Kerala's hereditary folk and Ayurvedic practitioners and discusses relevant geographical, historical, socio-cultural and regional contexts.
List of contents
Introduction: A Brief History of Indigenous Medicine in India 1. The Backdrop 2. Contexts 3. Folk Healing, Poison Therapy and Muslim Ayurvedic Lineages 4. The Ashtavaidyans of Malabar. Afterword.
About the author
Indudharan Menon is Visiting Scholar at the Science and Society Programme, National Centre for Biological Sciences (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research), Bengaluru, India. As an Indologist who has studied and extensively researched traditional Indian medicine, sciences and philosophy, he has also coordinated research projects involving traditional Indian vaidyas, biomedical doctors and ethnobotanists. His publications include the book The Concealed Essence of the Hevajra Tantra (1992) and papers in the Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine (2010) and Current Science (2014).
Summary
This book examines the history and evolution of Ayurveda and indigenous medical traditions in juxtaposition with their encounter with colonial modernity. It focuses on Kerala’s hereditary folk and Ayurvedic practitioners and discusses relevant geographical, historical, socio-cultural and regional contexts.
