When it comes to history books on India there are a multitude to choose from and depending on the inclination of the authors, most of the books deal with a light thrown on a particular aspect and hence miss the broader point. Also given that there are still archaelogical finds that oddly turn up, its an evolving subject. This book by far is a refreshing read in the area.
Indian history though ancient and to a great degree continuous, lacks any documentary sources of significance and its all the more to the credit of scholars like William Jones, Mortimer and Kosambi to have made stellar contributions to the subject. And here I believe the book scores over others in the same space. While meandering through history, the author takes the time to recognize what finds contributed to the recording of the event in the annals of history. Ashoka's narrative is linked to finds across India corroborated by Greek records of the time, a lot of the history in the Maharashtra region was largely due to tireless field work by Prof. Kosambi. Its a difficult terrain to plod through and there are still unexplained facts about the distant past like the Harrapan culture, but its to the credit to the author that he leaves the facts bared and to an extent its left to the readers to make a judgement on the authenticity.
History lends itself to propaganda which in turn tends to lead to distortion of the thread of history. There are multiple hagiographies that circulate in the Indian political milieu and it takes a determined effort to break past this shroud and the book serves as a great tool to this purpose. The author takes pause at key events to analyze legacies and the impact of key events to give a balanced perspective. Ashoka rightfully has his place as a great ruler, but was the cost too much? The Cholas had a huge cultural impact, but this was largely at the cost of debilitating raids on the neighboring kingdoms, so in the grander scheme was it worth it? Was the British rule truly a modernizing influence that it is touted to be?
There are gems that surface in terms of details. The Aihole 500 as a trade guild that existed in South India which guided much of the Chola expansion, the path that the Kohinoor diamond followed - from a southern mine to a ruler in Gwalior to Humayun then Persians, Afghans , the Sikhs and then to the British,the influence of the indentured labour in seeding ideas into the country. You are bound to find surprising links and unknown facts due to the depth of the research.
Though titled the History of India - this could have been more aptly titled the History of the subcontinent- as Pakistan and India are fairly well covered (even post-Independence). Reading through gives you the backdrop in which you get to appreciate the colossal impact of personalities like Gandhi, and the unprecedented and improbable nature of the current entity called India.
The book is a must read and should be the standard text book on the subject
Indian history though ancient and to a great degree continuous, lacks any documentary sources of significance and its all the more to the credit of scholars like William Jones, Mortimer and Kosambi to have made stellar contributions to the subject. And here I believe the book scores over others in the same space. While meandering through history, the author takes the time to recognize what finds contributed to the recording of the event in the annals of history. Ashoka's narrative is linked to finds across India corroborated by Greek records of the time, a lot of the history in the Maharashtra region was largely due to tireless field work by Prof. Kosambi. Its a difficult terrain to plod through and there are still unexplained facts about the distant past like the Harrapan culture, but its to the credit to the author that he leaves the facts bared and to an extent its left to the readers to make a judgement on the authenticity.
History lends itself to propaganda which in turn tends to lead to distortion of the thread of history. There are multiple hagiographies that circulate in the Indian political milieu and it takes a determined effort to break past this shroud and the book serves as a great tool to this purpose. The author takes pause at key events to analyze legacies and the impact of key events to give a balanced perspective. Ashoka rightfully has his place as a great ruler, but was the cost too much? The Cholas had a huge cultural impact, but this was largely at the cost of debilitating raids on the neighboring kingdoms, so in the grander scheme was it worth it? Was the British rule truly a modernizing influence that it is touted to be?
There are gems that surface in terms of details. The Aihole 500 as a trade guild that existed in South India which guided much of the Chola expansion, the path that the Kohinoor diamond followed - from a southern mine to a ruler in Gwalior to Humayun then Persians, Afghans , the Sikhs and then to the British,the influence of the indentured labour in seeding ideas into the country. You are bound to find surprising links and unknown facts due to the depth of the research.
Though titled the History of India - this could have been more aptly titled the History of the subcontinent- as Pakistan and India are fairly well covered (even post-Independence). Reading through gives you the backdrop in which you get to appreciate the colossal impact of personalities like Gandhi, and the unprecedented and improbable nature of the current entity called India.
The book is a must read and should be the standard text book on the subject
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