India: A Short History

Nonfiction, History, Asian, India
Cover of the book India: A Short History by Andrew Robinson, Thames & Hudson
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Andrew Robinson ISBN: 9780500771952
Publisher: Thames & Hudson Publication: May 20, 2014
Imprint: Thames & Hudson Language: English
Author: Andrew Robinson
ISBN: 9780500771952
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Publication: May 20, 2014
Imprint: Thames & Hudson
Language: English

India’s unfolding story, from the ancient Hindu dynasties to the coming of Islam, from the Mughal Empire to the present day

** **

India has always been a land of great contradictions. To Alexander the Great, the country was a place of clever naked philosophers and massive armies mounted on elephants – which eventually forced his army to retreat. To ancient Rome, it was a source of luxuries, mainly spices and textiles, paid for in gold—hence the enormous numbers of Roman gold coins excavated in India. At the height of the Mughal empire in 1700, India boasted 24 percent of the world economy—a share virtually equal to Europe’s 25 percent. But then its economy declined. Colonial India was known for its extremes of wealth and poverty, epitomized by the Taj Mahal and famines, maharajas and untouchables, and also for its spirituality: many-armed Hindu gods and Buddhist philosophy, Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore.

India: A Short History places as much emphasis on individuals, ideas and cultures as on the rise and fall of kingdoms, political parties and economies. Anyone curious about a great civilization, and its future, will find this an ideal introduction, at times controversial, written by an author who has been strongly engaged with India for more than three decades.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

India’s unfolding story, from the ancient Hindu dynasties to the coming of Islam, from the Mughal Empire to the present day

** **

India has always been a land of great contradictions. To Alexander the Great, the country was a place of clever naked philosophers and massive armies mounted on elephants – which eventually forced his army to retreat. To ancient Rome, it was a source of luxuries, mainly spices and textiles, paid for in gold—hence the enormous numbers of Roman gold coins excavated in India. At the height of the Mughal empire in 1700, India boasted 24 percent of the world economy—a share virtually equal to Europe’s 25 percent. But then its economy declined. Colonial India was known for its extremes of wealth and poverty, epitomized by the Taj Mahal and famines, maharajas and untouchables, and also for its spirituality: many-armed Hindu gods and Buddhist philosophy, Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore.

India: A Short History places as much emphasis on individuals, ideas and cultures as on the rise and fall of kingdoms, political parties and economies. Anyone curious about a great civilization, and its future, will find this an ideal introduction, at times controversial, written by an author who has been strongly engaged with India for more than three decades.

More books from Thames & Hudson

Cover of the book The Man Who Deciphered Linear B: The Story of Michael Ventris by Andrew Robinson
Cover of the book Lives of the Great Gardeners by Andrew Robinson
Cover of the book The Greeks in Asia by Andrew Robinson
Cover of the book The Munich Art Hoard by Andrew Robinson
Cover of the book The Great Archaeologists by Andrew Robinson
Cover of the book Ancestral Journeys: The Peopling of Europe from the First Venturers to the Vikings (Revised and Updated Edition) by Andrew Robinson
Cover of the book Samurai: The Japanese Warrior's [Unofficial] Manual by Andrew Robinson
Cover of the book The Self-Portrait: A Cultural History by Andrew Robinson
Cover of the book The Tale of the Axe: How the Neolithic Revolution Transformed Britain by Andrew Robinson
Cover of the book Digging for Richard III: The Search for the Lost King (Revised and Expanded) by Andrew Robinson
Cover of the book The Prehistory of the Mind: The Cognitive Origins of Art, Religion and Science by Andrew Robinson
Cover of the book Breaking the Maya Code (Third Edition) by Andrew Robinson
Cover of the book The Curator's Handbook by Andrew Robinson
Cover of the book Vampyres: Genesis and Resurrection: from Count Dracula to Vampirella by Andrew Robinson
Cover of the book Gay Lives by Andrew Robinson
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy